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CMR consignment note template

CMR Consignment Note Template

The CMR (which stands for ‘Carriage of Merchandise by Road‘) is a consignment note with a standard set of transport and liability conditions. The CMR note is similar to a Bill of Lading in the sense that it confirms that the Carrier (i.e., the road haulage company) has received the goods and that a contract for the international carriage exists between the Shipper and the Carrier.

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What is a CMR Consignment Note used for?

The CMR note contains a lot of important information that is agreed upon between the consignor and the carriage company or hauler. This document clearly states the responsibilities of both parties involved  and forms a contract between the sender and the haulage company, and details the liability and transport conditions of carriage. A CMR note is similar to a Bill of Lading, however, the CMR note does not give its holder or carrier the rights of ownership of the goods. By documenting the responsibilities of both parties the CMR will help provide protection if the goods were to be damaged or lost whilst being transported. The carriage company must have a CMR note as a transport document to be able to commercially transport goods internationally via road. The carriage company has the right to refuse to transport the goods if a complete CMR note document is not provided.

How to create a CMR Consignment Note

  1. Open IncoDocs

    Open IncoDocs in your browser and navigate to the “Export Docs” section.

  2. Choose the CMR Consignment Note template

    Click on 'New document set' and select the CMR Consignment Note template along with any other export documents you wish to create.

  3. Fill out & customize your doc

    Fill out the document, customize template fields to your needs and add your company letterhead. To save time and prevent re-entry errors, enter key shipment data into the Master File to have it sync across all other documents in your set automatically.

  4. Sign & seal

    Click on the signature box at the bottom of your document to create and place a digital signature then hit “Save & Quit”. On the document preview screen, click on the ‘More’ dropdown button and select “Add company seal” to place a digital stamp.

  5. Download or share

    Download or share documents from IncoDocs in 1-click. Documents can be downloaded as PDF or CSV which can be imported into other systems without manual re-entry.

Your questions, answered.

What is a CMR Consignment Note Document?

A CMR note is an International Consignment note that is the standard contract of carriage of goods document that is used for international road transport. The CMR note can also be known as a CMR Waybill or International Consignment Note (ICN).

The CMR Consignment note was defined under the 1956 United Nations Convention for the Contract of the International Carriage of Goods by Road, the CMR convention. CMR stands for ‘Convention relative au contrat de transport international de marchandises par route’, which can be translated to ‘Carriage of Merchandise by Road‘.

What is a CMR Consignment Note Document used for?

The CMR note contains a lot of important information that is agreed upon between the sender, the freight forwarder, and the carriage company or hauler.This document clearly states the responsibilities of both parties involved and forms a contract between the sender and the haulage company, and details the liability and transport conditions of carriage.

A CMR note is similar to a Bill of Lading, however the CMR note does not give it’s holder or carrier the rights of ownership of the goods. By documenting the responsibilities of both parties the CMR will help provide protection if the goods were to be damaged or lost whilst being transported.

The carriage company must have a CMR note to be able to commercially handle the transport of goods internationally via road. The carriage company has the right to refuse to transport the goods if a complete CMR note document is not provided.

What information is included on a CMR Consignment Note Document?

It’s important that shippers provide a completed CMR Consignment document to avoid having any issues or delays through the transport and delivery process. This document typically needs to contain the following:

Sender’s (exporter) Details - company name, address, phone numbers and personal contact details.
Consignee’s (Receiver) Details - company name, address, phone numbers and personal contact details.
Place of Delivery of the goods (place, country)
Place and date of taking over the goods (place, country, date)
Annexed documents - Any additional documentation supplied with the shipment. It’s important to include a Commercial Invoice document, a Packing List and a Certificate of Origin (in the case that the buyer can receive preferential duty treatment if a Free Trade Agreement is in place). If the goods are Hazardous Goods or Dangerous Goods the a Dangerous Goods Note should be supplier with the shipment.
Product and Packaging Details, including:
Marks and Numbers
Number of Packages
Method of Packing
Nature of the goods
Statistical Number
Gross Weight (kg)
Volume (m3)
Class, number, Letter and ADR
Sender’s Instructions - Any additional instructions related to the shipment, such as Customs clearance information, insurance etc.
Directions as to freight payment - Confirmation if the freight has been paid, or to be paid.
Cash on delivery - The amount that the Consignee must pay to the carrier at the point of delivery.
Carrier’s Details - This includes basic company contact information including company name, address, phone numbers and personal contact details.
Successive Carrier’s Details (applicable when there is more than 1 carrier involved in the shipment) - This includes basic company contact information including company name, address, phone numbers and personal contact details. This section may need to be signed by the carrier upon receiving the goods.
Carrier’s reservations and observations - This section can be completed by the carrier. They can add any notes on any observations or issues when receiving the goods. Any information added in this section must be accepted and signed by the Sender (exporter).
Special agreements (if applicable) - Any additional information the is agreed upon between the Sender and Carrier of goods must be added into this section. This can include information such as contract obligations, detailed delivery information, ferry transport details, applicable jurisdictions etc.
To be paid by: Sender, Consignee - Amounts of each charge that will be covered by the Sender or the Consignee (receiver), with the currency stated for each. Both amounts will be totaled at the bottom ‘Total to be Paid’.
Established in/on - Date that the contract is established and signed
Signature and stamp of the sender
Signature and stamp of the carrier - The signature and stamp of the carrier of the goods, and Tractor license plate and Trailer license plate details.
Signature and stamp of the consignee - The signature and stamp of the consignee (when the goods are received)

How long should CMR Consignment notes be kept?

Consignment notes, including CMR Consignment notes, should generally be kept for a minimum of six years. This retention period aligns with many national regulations for commercial and transport documentation, ensuring compliance with tax, customs, and legal requirements. Retaining these documents for six years is crucial for audits, tax filings, customs declarations, and resolving claims or disputes related to the transport of goods. Best practices include digital archiving to secure and easily retrieve documents, regular compliance checks to adhere to current legal requirements, and maintaining an organized system for storing consignment notes to provide a clear audit trail if needed

How many copies of the CMR Consignment Note are required?

Usually there are 4 copies of a CMR note:

Copy for the Sender
Copy for the Carrier
Copy for the Receiver (which accompanies the goods through to final destination)
Copy for administration

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