What is the CMR and e-CMR document?
The CMR is the consignment note for international road freight, governed by the CMR Convention. The e-CMR is the electronic version, with the same legal value. Below you see what it contains, who signs it and what the digital version adds.
Short answer
- CMR = the consignment note for international road freight (the CMR Convention).
- It proves the transport contract and the state of the goods at pickup and delivery.
- It is signed by the sender, the carrier and the consignee, in several copies.
- The e-CMR is the electronic version, with the same legal value (the e-CMR Protocol).
- The e-CMR is issued through dedicated platforms, with an electronic signature; 4transports keeps a CMR register, it does not issue e-CMRs.
What a CMR note contains
The main fields of the CMR document
| Field | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Parties | Sender, carrier and consignee |
| Goods | Type, weight, number of packages and packaging |
| Route | Place of loading and place of delivery |
| Attached documents | Invoices, certificates and special instructions |
| Signatures | Stamps and signatures at pickup and delivery (POD) |
What the law says (in brief)
- The CMR is governed by the CMR Convention for international road freight.
- A missing CMR does not void the contract, but the carrier loses the key proof of delivery.
- The e-CMR has the same legal value, under the additional Protocol to the CMR Convention.
- Transport documents are archived and shown at checks alongside the licence and the certified copy.
Practical example
Example: a freight shipment from Romania to Germany leaves with a paper CMR, signed by the sender and the carrier. The dispatcher records the CMR number on the trip in the TMS; when the consignee signs at unloading, the trip moves to “delivered”, and the signed copy is matched to the same record when it comes back.
Common mistakes
- Filling the CMR by hand, with weight or package errors that later get disputed.
- Losing the signed copy on the road, so you can't prove delivery (POD).
- Not keeping a register of CMRs per trip, so you can't quickly find the document in a dispute.
How 4transports helps
- Keeps the register of CMR notes linked to trips: each CMR is recorded on its own trip.
- It does not issue e-CMRs or collect signatures or proof of delivery (POD); you mark the trip delivered with the delivery date.
- Delivered trips are invoiced through 4invoices, from the 4b2b ecosystem.