What it is and why the signature matters
The CMR is the consignment note of international road transport, governed by the CMR Convention. It evidences that a contract of carriage exists, that the goods were handed to the carrier and in what condition, and that they arrived at destination.
Unlike a bill of lading, the CMR is not a document of title: holding it gives no right to collect the goods. Its value is evidentiary, and that is where all its weight lies. Three original copies are issued — sender, carrier and consignee — and the pickup and delivery signatures are what later decides a claim.
The box that moves the most money is 18, the carrier’s reservations. If on loading they observe broken pallets, loose film or wet packages and note it, that annotation protects them. If they note nothing and sign, the goods are presumed to have been received in good condition.
The boxes worth looking at
The CMR has twenty-four boxes. These are the ones that decide something.
- 1 · Sender
- Whoever contracts the transport and hands over the goods. Normally you.Southern Oils Ltd, Seville
- 2 · Consignee
- Who it is delivered to. This person’s signature in box 24 is the proof of delivery.Nordic Foods AB, Stockholm
- 3 · Place of delivery
- Exact address, with postcode. A later change is a new instruction and it is charged for.Kungsgatan 12, 11122 Stockholm
- 4 · Place and date of loading
- Where and when it was actually loaded. It starts the transit period.Seville, 06/10/2026
- 5 · Documents attached
- Which papers travel with the goods: invoice, packing list, proof of origin, certificates.Invoice FC-2026-0312, packing list, EUR.1
- 6 to 12 · Goods
- Marks, number of packages, packaging type, nature, tariff heading, gross weight and volume. The same figures as the packing list.8 pallets · olive oil · HS 150920 · 3,912 kg · 11.14 m³
- 13 · Sender’s instructionsOptional
- What the carrier has to do or know: temperature, unloading order, customs office en route.Keep between 12 and 18 °C
- 14 and 15 · Charges and terms
- Prepaid or payable, and the Incoterm of the transaction. It has to match the invoice.Carriage paid · CPT Stockholm
- 18 · Carrier’s reservations
- What the carrier observes on loading. Empty means they received everything in order. Read it before the truck leaves.(empty)
- 22 · Sender’s signature
- Your signature and stamp when you hand over the goods.Signed and stamped at origin
- 23 · Carrier’s signature
- Their signature on taking charge. It is the moment their liability begins.Signed by the driver
- 24 · Consignee’s signature
- With date, time and stamp on receipt. If there is visible damage, it is noted here and then, not afterwards.Received in order 09/10/2026
The mistakes that show up in a claim
- Signing for delivery “unexamined”Signing as in order is acknowledging it arrived fine. If it cannot be checked on the spot, that qualification is noted in box 24 before signing.
- Weights differing from the packing listAt a roadside check or at the exit customs office, a mismatch between documents travelling together is the first thing spotted.
- Leaving box 18 unreadA reservation noted by the carrier moves the problem to your packaging. If you disagree, that is the moment to argue it.
- Not keeping your copyWithout your original, proving the contract and its terms depends on the carrier producing theirs.