With the intention of harmonising and simplifying international road transport, the IRU developed a
model of the CMR consignment note, the first version of which was issued in 1976. In order to take into
account the advances in the field of transport and to use the learning gathered of over 30 years of experience in the use of the first model of the consignment note, the IRU has revised the 1976 model and issued a new model in 2007.
The CMR letter is printed in 4 copies:
– red (the copy for the sender of the goods);
– blue (the copy for the consignee accompanying the goods throughout the period of transport);
– green (carrier specimen),
– black (the copy reserved for administrative inquiries).
All copies of the consignment note must be filled out in the same way. It is possible that at the time the consignment note is established, certain data will be unknown (for example: information concerning successive carriers). This data can be added later in the available copies.
Box 1 Name and complete address of the consignor of the goods
Box 2 Name and complete address of the consignee of the goods
Box 3 Place and date when the goods are taken into charge by the carrier. It is recommended that the carrier indicate the hour of arrival of the vehicle at the place of loading and the hour of departure. These annotations are useful in the event that the vehicle remains standing over a period of time due to the consignor of the goods, so as to enable the carrier to obtain remuneration.
Box 4 The foreseen place of delivery of the goods. It is recommended to ask the consignor to indicate the opening hours of the warehouse or depot where the delivery will take place. This mention will avoid the carrier having an expensive and unnecessary wait if he arrived outside of opening hours.
Box 5 Particular instructions of the consignor. If necessary, the consignor is expected to indicate instructions that could affect the transport, such as the instructions concerning Customs procedures, the ban on transhipment of the goods, insurance of the goods or any other instruction he deems useful.
Box 6 Name and complete address of the carrier, other references if applicable.
Box 7 Successive carrier(s). This box is intended for the eventuality that the transport is carried out by several carriers who carry out the voyage successively. This box, if applicable, should be filled in at the moment when the successive carrier takes the goods into charge – these indications will be noted at least on the consignment note intended for the consignee (second copy) and on the copy intended for administrative
procedures).
If it is foreseen that the transport be carried out by several successive carriers, it is important that the copy of the consignment note intended for the consignee has at least a record of the carrier who will deliver the goods.
Box 8 Reservations and observations of the carrier at the time of taking the goods into charge, such as the
number of packages, their identifying marks and numbers and their packaging. These reservations must
be validated by the consignor if they are to be valid.
Box 9 List of the documents handed by the consignor to the carrier (for example: loading list, certificates of origin of the goods etc.).
Boxes 10-15 correspond to the usual description of the transported goods, including, if applicable, special
indications concerning dangerous goods.
Box 16 Particular agreements between the consignor and the carrier such as the declared value of the goods and the amount representing special interest at time of delivery, the agreed time limit within which the transport must be carried out, the possibility of using open nonsheeted vehicles, the use of palettes, the record of the person responsible for loading, stowing and unloading, the admission of the transport onto a ferry, the applicable jurisdiction or any other indication deemed to be useful by the parties to the transport contract.
Box 17 Indications concerning the amount of the different payments relating to the transport contract
established as well as the indication of the party who is bound to carry out the payment. If the carrier is not
capable or if he judges it irrelevant to indicate the exact amount of the payments due, he is strongly advised to at least indicate the party responsible for the payment in order to avoid future discussions in this respect.
Box 18 Other useful indications: the parties may add any indication of use to other parties or to the competent authorities. This could be the license plate number of the vehicle, load capacity, the net weight of the goods, the number of the TIR Carnet or any other Customs document used during the transport etc.
Box 19 The indication of the amount of reimbursement transferred by the consignee and to be received by the carrier at the time of the delivery of the goods. Warning:in accordance with the CMR Convention (Article 21), the carrier is bound to remunerate the consignor for the exact amount of the reimbursement if the goods were
delivered to the consignee without the said reimbursement being settled at delivery.
Box 20 (already filled in): obligatory reference reflecting the prevalent value of the provisions of the CMR Convention
Box 21 Place and date of the establishment of the consignment note
Box 22 Signature or stamp of the consignor (choice leftto the consignor)
Box 23 Signature or stamp of the carrier (choice left to the carrier)
Box 24 Signature and stamp of the consignee confirming delivery of the goods, indicating the place,the date and particularly quoting the time of arrival of the vehicle at the place of delivery and subsequent departure following the unloading. These remarks are useful in the case where the vehicle remains standing due to the consignee of the goods, in order to, if necessary, remunerate the carrier.
The consignment note also has at the bottom of the page a “Non-Contractual Part” field, reserved for the use of the carrier (for example: Customs offices used, distances covered, etc., i.e. records that do not entail contractual obligations for the concerned carrier).
