A CMR consignment note records information about an international road shipment carried under the relevant CMR framework. It identifies the parties, goods and carriage details and provides an important record of handover and any reservations entered during transport.
What information does it usually contain?
- Sender, carrier and consignee details.
- Collection and delivery locations.
- Description, package count and identifying marks of the goods.
- Gross weight or other agreed quantity information.
- Relevant documents and carriage instructions.
- Signatures and observations recorded at handover.
Check these details against the actual shipment. The contracting buyer, invoice recipient and physical delivery warehouse may not all be the same entity or address.
Why accurate reservations matter
If accessible packaging is visibly damaged or the received unit count differs, the relevant handover record should describe the observed issue specifically. A vague phrase gives less useful evidence than identifying the affected pallet and visible condition.
For example, state which package has a torn side or which unit is missing. Do not guess when or why the issue occurred if that is unknown.
What a CMR does not replace
It is not a commercial invoice, proof that import duty has been paid or a full cargo-insurance policy. Those records have separate purposes. The existence or absence of a particular paper form also needs to be distinguished from the underlying transport contract.
Before collection
Ask which party prepares the transport document and which information must accompany the driver. Keep a copy of the completed record with the booking documents.
Read CMR versus delivery note, electronic CMR and recording visible damage.