CMR Consignment Note

The CMR consignment note is the standard document of cross-border road freight in Europe. CMR stands for the French Convention relative au contrat de transport international de marchandises par route — the 1956 convention on the contract for international carriage of goods by road, which more than 50 states have joined.

When does the CMR apply?

The CMR applies mandatorily whenever the place of takeover and the place of delivery lie in two different states and at least one is a CMR contracting state — in practice, every truck transport from Germany to another European country and back. It governs the transport contract, liability, and evidence; deviating agreements to the detriment of the CMR are largely void.

Structure: the key fields

The CMR consignment note is a standardised form with numbered fields, including:

• Fields 1–2: sender and recipient with addresses
• Fields 3–4: delivery and takeover locations (with date)
• Field 5: attached documents
• Fields 6–12: marks, number of packages, packaging type, description of goods, gross weight
• Field 13: sender's instructions (e.g. customs handling)
• Fields 16–17: carrier and successive carriers
• Field 18: carrier's reservations and remarks
• Fields 22–24: signatures of sender, carrier, and recipient

Three originals are issued: one for the sender, one accompanying the goods, one kept by the carrier.

Liability under the CMR

The CMR caps the carrier's liability for loss or damage at 8.33 special drawing rights (SDR) per kilogram of gross weight — currently around €10 per kilo. For valuable goods, declare the value or arrange cargo insurance. Crucial in practice: reservations at takeover and delivery (field 18 or the receipt) are the central evidence in a claim — always document damage before signing.

Difference to the national consignment note

Domestic German transports use the consignment note under § 408 HGB, where the document is optional. The CMR consignment note, by contrast, is practically indispensable in international traffic: without it, border handling, inspections, and claims become considerably harder.

eCMR: the digital CMR

The additional protocol to the CMR permits the electronic consignment note (eCMR) — ratified by Germany, with roll-out progressing across Europe. Three carbon copies become digital records with electronic signatures. Combined with digital proof of delivery, the entire international transport is documented paperlessly — from takeover to signed delivery.

Frequently asked questions

Is the CMR consignment note mandatory? The CMR applies even without the note — but the document is the central evidence and is de facto always required at inspections and by clients.

Who fills it in? Usually the sender or their freight forwarder; sender and carrier sign.

Where do I get CMR forms? A free CMR consignment note template with a field-by-field guide is available in our templates section — alternatively as blank forms from specialist suppliers or digitally via TMS and eCMR solutions that generate the form automatically.

Sources

• CMR Convention of 1956 (UNECE)
• Additional protocol on the eCMR (UNECE)