Vehicle Equipment · PPE · ADR 8.1

ADR Vehicle Equipment Checks: Mass, Labels and Exemptions

9 August 2026 · ADR Driver Pro Team

An equipment check needs three different pieces of information: the transport unit’s permissible maximum mass, whether the load is within the 1.1.3.6 exemption, and the danger labels present. Mixing those inputs leads to the wrong extinguisher band or an incomplete equipment list.

Start with permissible maximum mass

For a non-exempt load, the calculator uses the transport unit’s own permissible maximum mass—not the mass of the dangerous-goods load.

Permissible maximum mass Portable extinguishers
Up to and including 3.5 tonnes 2 extinguishers, 4 kg total; 2 kg cab and 2 kg additional minimums
Over 3.5 up to and including 7.5 tonnes 2 extinguishers, 8 kg total; 2 kg cab and 6 kg additional minimums
Over 7.5 tonnes 2 extinguishers, 12 kg total; 2 kg cab and at least one 6 kg additional extinguisher

The capacity figures are expressed for dry powder or an equivalent capacity of another suitable extinguishing agent.

The confirmed 1.1.3.6 exemption changes the output

When the load has already been established as within the 1.1.3.6 exemption, the app returns a single portable extinguisher with a minimum capacity of 2 kg. It also removes the miscellaneous equipment list from ADR 8.1.5.

The equipment checker does not calculate whether the load qualifies for that exemption. Use the separate 1.1.3.6 points calculator and confirm the inputs first.

General equipment for a non-exempt load

The baseline output includes:

An articulated or drawbar combination contains more than one vehicle, which is why the wheel-chock line is “per vehicle” rather than one per transport unit.

Extra equipment triggered by labels

Labels 2.3 and 6.1 trigger an emergency escape mask for each crew member.

Labels 3, 4.1, 4.3, 8 or 9 trigger a shovel, drain seal and collecting container per transport unit. Label 4.2 is deliberately not in that trigger set.

If no labels are selected, the calculator fails safe for eye-rinsing liquid but does not invent label-triggered equipment. An incomplete label set therefore needs to be resolved, not treated as a final checklist.

Open the Extinguishers & Equipment calculator to build a transparent list. ADR Driver Pro also feeds the same equipment logic into its app-only pre-departure walkaround so the calculator and saved checklist cannot drift apart. If you are sourcing examples for a vehicle kit, the recommended driver equipment page provides a starting shortlist—not a substitute for checking specification, condition and suitability with the responsible duty holder.

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Revise by route, use the offline reference and keep practical driver tools close at hand.

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