Hi folks
Silly question time but if a load is made up entirely of dangerous goods and a DGN is issued accordingly is there any need for a CMR to be used?
It seems like duplicating the info to me.
I believe so yes, I think the dg note is only for transport by sea, but u must always have a cmr completed properly or else it’s big fines!!
I have done loads of trips to and from Belgium with DG and always had both
sunoco69:
Hi folksSilly question time but if a load is made up entirely of dangerous goods and a DGN is issued accordingly is there any need for a CMR to be used?
It seems like duplicating the info to me.
Hi sunoco69,
Short answer… yes mate, you’ll need both documents.
Longer answer… the reason for this is that those documents are required by two different sets of Regulations.
The DGN is more properly called a ‘Multi-modal dangerous goods note’ and is needed when more than one mode of carriage is to be used. For example, a journey by road to the port, followed by a sea crossing, followed by a further journey by road to the final destination. “Multi-modal” is the key phrase here.
ADR governs the carriage of dangerous goods by road.
IMDG governs the carriage of dangerous goods by sea.
If you use both modes of transport, then your journey is said to be “multi-modal” and both sets of Regs will apply (in turn) at the appropriate times.
If a train is used, the same idea applies, but the Regs are called RID, and it would also be muti-modal because you’d have to get to the rail terminus by road, and then onwards to the final destination by road after the rail journey.
ADR, IMDG and RID all require the use of a multi-modal DGN if more than one mode of transport is used.
The explanation of the need for a CMR is that a CMR is required for (almost) all road journeys which cross national borders, and that’s regardless of whether dangerous goods are involved.
The one bit of duplication that they have actually done away with is that when a multi-modal journey happens, there’s no need for a separate ADR Transport Document, because the required info is already on both your DGN and CMR in a far more detailed way than ADR requires.
Hi John
OK and thanks for the reply. I have no problem with them but it just seemed a pointless exercise but if the “man” says I have to do both then both it is.
Thanks dieseldave. ADR I know a lot about, CMR I aint got a clue.
Every day is a school day.
Not a silly question.The fines would be silly.If the driver is knocked out the Pompiers will need to work out how to tackle the fire,leakage or explosion.Some stuff you can not attack with water.Some you can.
If the load is mixed they work out what can or can not mix.
Going back to chemistry at school.Lots of fizzing and blowing things up.
no probs,
a few times I have gone to catch the boat and forgot to check the dg note properly, things like, only one signature or not specifying what the haz is contained in,
pain in the backside for the office 
john_jig:
no probs,a few times I have gone to catch the boat and forgot to check the dg note properly, things like, only one signature or not specifying what the haz is contained in,
pain in the backside for the office
Hi john_jig,
The other favourite for DGNs when a sea crossing is involved is their love of having the Proper Shipping Name (PSN) on every packaging and on two long sides of tank containers and tank vehicles. Now, that IS a pain in the arse for the office if an inspection is required.