What is a CMR?
A CMR is the standard consignment note for international road transport of goods in Europe. It is named after the CMR Convention (Convention relative au contrat de transport international de marchandises par route), signed in Geneva in 1956 and ratified by virtually every European country.
The CMR is both a legal contract between sender, carrier and consignee, and a receipt that the goods were taken on board and delivered.
What’s on a CMR
A standard CMR has 24 numbered fields. The important ones:
| Field | What it says |
|---|---|
| 1. Sender | Name and address of the shipper |
| 2. Consignee | Name and address of the recipient |
| 3. Place of delivery | Where the cargo must be unloaded |
| 4. Place of taking over | Where the cargo is picked up |
| 5. Documents attached | Customs, certificates, packing list |
| 6–12 | Cargo description, marks, packaging, weight, volume |
| 13 | Sender’s instructions |
| 16. Carrier | Name and address |
| 17. Successive carriers | If multiple carriers move the cargo |
| 21. Place and date | When and where the CMR was made out |
| 22–24. Signatures | Sender, carrier, consignee |
Who signs and when
- Sender signs at pickup, confirming the cargo description.
- Carrier signs at pickup, accepting the goods.
- Consignee signs at delivery, confirming receipt — this is the legal proof of delivery (POD).
The signed CMR is then the basis for invoicing the customer and (if anything went wrong) for liability claims.
e-CMR — digital CMR
Since the e-CMR Protocol (2008, in force from 2011), the CMR can be issued and signed electronically. As of 2025 most EU countries have ratified it, and digital CMR is rapidly replacing paper.
Benefits of e-CMR:
- No lost paper at the back of the cab.
- Signature captured on a driver’s phone or tablet.
- Instantly available to the back office for invoicing.
- Searchable, auditable, GDPR-friendly.
In Routix, the driver mobile app captures the e-CMR signature at the stop, and the shipment keeps it linked to the order, the cargo and the customer.
CMR vs other transport documents
- CMR – international road transport.
- Bill of lading (B/L) – sea freight.
- Air waybill (AWB) – air freight.
- CIM – international rail transport.
- Vrachtbrief / packing list – domestic / informal.
Why CMRs matter for a TMS
- The CMR is the link between the order in your system and the legal evidence that the cargo moved.
- A missing or unsigned CMR means a missing POD — and often a delayed payment.
- For multi-stop routes, you typically have one CMR per consignee.
Related concepts
See this in Routix
To see how Routix keeps the legal and operational record together, start on www.routix.com and then check the driver mobile app, Shipments and Orders. That is where CMR data, signatures and shipment context stay linked for invoicing and claims.
