CMR: the international waybill
The international carriage of goods by road cannot and should not be done without: the CMR, better known as the waybill for international road transport. Inspection authorities, such as customs and police, can check you en route for the presence, accuracy and completeness of bills of lading. The driver must physically present the CMR document. In the case of electronic bills of lading, CMR papers may be displayed on a smartphone, tablet or laptop.
Continue reading below the fill-in cmr
CMR meaning
CMR is short for French: Convention relative au Contrat de Transport International de Marchandises par Route, translated into Dutch as: Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road. The CMR Convention was drafted in 1956 under the auspices of the United Nations. The CMR Convention regulates liability, among other things, in the event of damage to cargo.
At the time of writing, 58 countries are members of the CMR Convention, including almost all European countries, the North African countries Morocco and Tunisia, and 17 Asian countries.
What is a CMR?
CMR is the term used to describe the international waybill for road transport. Among other things, this waybill records what and how much is being transported, who is shipping the goods, for whom the goods are intended, where the goods are to be picked up, and where delivery is to take place. Any agreements and instructions between sender and carrier are also recorded. By using this international waybill, both sender and carrier are bound to abide by the CMR conditions. Incidentally, the CMR may also be used in domestic transport.
Duties and rights associated with the CMR waybill
The CMR waybill plays an important role in disputes between shipper, carrier, subcarrier, consignee or insurer. Under the CMR Convention, the bill of lading provides full proof of the terms of the contract. So it is also a piece of evidence for such things as any damage incurred during transportation. If you sign the CMR document, you declare that you agree with and have fulfilled the duties, as set forth in the CMR Convention.
The sender’s obligations include ensuring proper packaging and providing necessary information for proper handling of the goods. The carrier must act according to the instructions given by the sender on the bill of lading.
Under the treaty, the sender has the right to dispose of the shipment until it is delivered. Thus, one can change the delivery address during transportation, in consultation with the carrier. Thus, the carrier should always turn to the sender and not the consignee in case of damage.
CMR waybill: on paper, but also digitally
Traditionally, the cmr has been a paper document. Logical, since tablets and smartphones have only become increasingly commonplace since the year 2000. Digitization has accelerated over the past few decades, and today more and more carriers are using a digital waybill.
eCMR increasingly popular
Meanwhile, there is legislation that sets the boundary conditions that an eCMR must meet. Among other things, it should be possible to give identical copies to all concerned. The digital waybill must also be able to be “handed over” to a successor carrier. On the digital versions, one must also be able to sign legally and it must be possible to make notes, of damage or defects, for example.
Cloud platforms with turnkey CMR solutions are making eCMR increasingly widely accepted and attractive to smaller carriers as well. The National and International Road Transport Organization (NIWO) has published on its website a list of approved software providers of eCMR platforms (list of approvals). By using the cloud, everyone involved has instant visibility into the eCMR and the recipient can even sign on their own tablet.
Free CMR completion
There is a CMR template on our website that anyone can fill out for free. You can directly print or save the completed CMR in pdf format.
Have you created a ride in our system? Then the data is automatically entered into the CMR waybill. This will save you time and effort. So all you have to do is complete the missing data in the CMR template. Below you can see what information should be entered where on the CMR form. You only need to fill out the first (red) form. The data is automatically transferred into the 3 copies.
To be completed by the sender of the goods:
1. Sender (required).
Here you enter the name, full address and country of the principal of the transportation.
2. Consignee (required).
This is where the name, complete address and country for whom the goods are destined is entered.
3. Place of delivery (required).
Address and country where the goods are to be delivered. Note that this may therefore be different from the addressee’s naw information in box 2.
4. Place of receipt/dispatch (mandatory).
This is where the place and date are entered where the carrier took delivery of the cargo. The date and signature are important because the carrier is liable for the cargo from that point on.
Under the treaty, for example, the carrier is liable for delay damages. Three months to no later than 3 years after the conclusion of the contract of carriage (the signing of the bill of lading), claims against the carrier are time-barred.
5. Attached documents (optional).
This is where you list all the documents you sent with the shipment. These could include packing lists, invoices or customs certificates. Any instructions to the carrier on how to handle these documents can be filled in at number 13.
If a delay occurs due to the absence or incorrect completion of customs documents, the carrier shall not be liable. However, the carrier is liable for loss, damage or improper handling or failure to follow the instructions in Box 13.
6. Marks and numbers (required)
In this column, the attribute or number of each package or package is entered. Make sure that the number/mark on the waybill is actually visible on the packages.
7. Number of packages (mandatory).
In this column, enter the number of packages (for example, if shipped on a pallet). A package is the smallest unit packaged and shipped loose. For example, if you are shipping 12 boxes on a pallet, enter 12 here. However, if the pallet is wrapped with plastic, you will send 1 package. Discrepancies in quantities upon collection of the goods by the carrier or upon delivery will be noted on the bill of lading.
8. Mode of packaging (mandatory).
In this column, enter mode of packaging: container, boxes, drums, pallets, crates and so on. Here you also mention if goods are specially packed, such as insulated or shatterproof. If special treatment is required, this will be noted in box 13.
9. Nature of goods (mandatory).
In this column, enter a brief description of the goods, for example, fruit, toys or office supplies. In case of chemicals, you should also enter the ADR number.
10. Statistical number (optional)
This number is used when exporting goods. Governments use this code for statistical purposes. The codes are CN commodity codes and can be found on the website of Customs and CBS. You can also call our office, we are sure we can help you and arrange transportation for you right away.
11. Gross weight (mandatory).
In this box, enter the gross weight of the packages.
12. Volume (optional)
If gross weight is not entered, enter the volume in m3.
13. Instructions sender (optional).
All special instructions regarding handling of the shipment (e.g. refrigerated transport), documents, customs instructions, delivery instructions and so on are noted here.
14. Franking requirement (optional)
If the consignor pays the freight charges, enter Franco; if the consignee pays upon receipt, enter Not Franco. In the latter case, the carrier may not deliver the shipment and the sender should be contacted.
15. COD (optional)
In the box enter the amount in numbers, on the lines enter the COD amount in letters. If cash on delivery is not paid, the goods may not be delivered and the carrier must contact the sender.
19. Special agreements (optional)
This is where you record any agreements made with your carrier. This could include a deadline or fixed delivery date.
21. Prepared at (required)
Here you enter place and date of making up the waybill.
22. Signature and stamp sender (required).
Here is where you sign. If someone is signing on your behalf, it should be clear.
To be completed by the carrier:
Carrier code
The carrier enters its license number issued by the NIWO here.
16. Carrier
Here the (main) carrier that entered into the agreement with the sender enters the name, address and country. The main carrier is liable to the sender for the entire route up to and including delivery.
17. Successor carriers
If multiple carriers are involved in the shipment, when the shipment is transferred to another (sub)carrier, the details of the second carrier are entered and so on.
18. Reservations and comments carrier
The carrier reports deviations noted by it on this. This could include damaged packages when receiving the shipment from the consignor, or documents that were not handed over but are listed on the waybill (box 13). A caveat may be that upon receipt from the sender, the package is sealed with black film, so the number cannot be verified.
20. Timestamp
Loading and unloading hours can be recorded here.
23. Signature and stamp carrier
This is where the carrier from box 16 stamps and signs. Usually the driver signs on behalf of the carrier. The car’s license plate number can also be listed here instead of a stamp.
24. Receipt of goods
The consignee of the goods signs here, indicating the place and date and company stamp if applicable. In case of visible damage to the goods, this is reported in this box by the recipient.
CMR for customers
Our customers receive a cmr by email when they book a transport with us. You will also find the signed cmr as a scan in your account. You will also receive the scan of the signed cmr by email after the transport is completed.
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