How to fill in a CMR consignment note: the boxes that cause disputes

Who fills in which part

The CMR Convention expects the sender to supply the particulars of the goods and the parties, and makes the sender liable for costs caused by wrong or incomplete information. The sender, or its forwarder, usually prepares the note before the truck arrives. The driver checks what can reasonably be checked at loading: the number of packages, their marks and their apparent condition. The consignee completes the receipt box at delivery.

Box numbers follow the widely used standard layout. Printed versions differ slightly, so check the labels on your form.

The boxes, one by one

• Box 1, sender, and box 2, consignee: full legal names, addresses and countries. The consignee is not always the buyer on the invoice.
• Box 3, place of delivery, and box 4, place and date of taking over: the real unloading address and the real loading place and date.
• Box 5, documents attached: invoices, packing lists, certificates or customs papers handed to the driver.
• Boxes 6 to 12: marks and numbers, number of packages, method of packing, nature of the goods, statistical number where used, gross weight in kilograms and volume in cubic metres.
• Box 13, sender's instructions: customs formalities, temperature, handling.
• Payment and cash-on-delivery boxes: who pays the carriage and any amount to collect on delivery.
• Box 16, carrier, with truck and trailer plates; box 17, successive carriers.
• Box 18, carrier's reservations and observations.
• Box 19, special agreements, such as a declared value, a delivery deadline or a ban on transhipment.
• Box 21, place and date of issue; boxes 22 and 23, signatures and stamps of sender and carrier; box 24, the consignee's receipt with signature, stamp, date and time.

The boxes that cause disputes

Parties in boxes 1, 2 and 16. If the names do not match the contract and invoices, the first argument is about who the parties were. Use legal names and name the carrier that actually drives, not only the forwarder.

Goods in boxes 6 to 9 and weight in box 11. «General cargo» or «goods as per invoice» proves almost nothing. Write the number and type of packages, for example 18 pallets, what is on them and the gross weight. The carrier is normally not obliged to check weight or contents, so box 11 is the sender's statement unless the sender asked for a check and the result was entered.

Reservations in box 18. This is the carrier's main protection: without a reservation, the goods and packaging are presumed to have been in good apparent condition and the count as stated. Make it concrete and give the reason. «2 pallets with torn stretch film, count not verifiable because the trailer was sealed by the shipper» is useful; «loaded without control» is weak. A reservation binds the sender only if the sender expressly accepts it, so ask the shipper to sign next to it.

Special agreements in box 19. A declared value can raise the carrier's liability above the standard limit of 8.33 SDR per kilogram of gross weight, but only if it is written into the note and agreed, usually for a surcharge. The same goes for a delivery deadline you want to rely on.

Signatures and receipt in boxes 22 to 24. An unsigned note is weak evidence. At delivery the consignee signs, stamps and writes the date and time, and visible shortage or damage goes into box 24 there and then. For loss or damage that is not apparent, the Convention allows seven days, excluding Sundays and public holidays, for a written reservation. Check your case with a lawyer.

Worked example (illustrative numbers)

A shipper loads 18 pallets of tiles with a stated gross weight of 9,450 kg, or 525 kg per pallet. Two pallets have torn film, so the driver writes in box 18: «2 of 18 pallets with torn stretch film, contents not checked», and the shipper countersigns.

At delivery the consignee counts 17 pallets and writes in box 24: «17 of 18 pallets received, 1 missing; 2 with torn film as noted at loading», with date, time and stamp. The shortage is documented at delivery, and the torn film as an existing condition rather than new damage.

Without a declared value, liability for the missing pallet is capped at about 525 × 8.33 = 4,373 SDR. Whether that covers the tiles depends on their price and the SDR rate. If not, the answer was a declared value in box 19 or cargo insurance, arranged before loading.

Step by step: filling in and handing over

1. Before the truck arrives, fill in boxes 1 to 13 from the transport order and commercial documents, and check names against the contract.
2. Describe the goods by packages, marks and gross weight, not by reference to the invoice.
3. Write any agreed declared value or delivery deadline into box 19.
4. At loading, let the driver count the packages and inspect them, and complete box 16.
5. Enter each discrepancy as a concrete reservation with its reason in box 18, and ask the shipper to countersign.
6. Complete box 21, sign and stamp boxes 22 and 23, and hand out the three originals.
7. At delivery, have the consignee check the goods and sign box 24 with stamp, date, time and any visible shortage or damage.
8. File the signed copies and photos with the trip, and send the originals to whoever invoices or pays the freight.

How it works in OrgLines

The OrgLines logistics module is built around the Ukrainian TTN for domestic trips and has no dedicated CMR form, but the same discipline applies. Each trip has its own document set, stored with versions, and the document date is the one printed on the paper, not the upload date. Drivers connected to the logistics Telegram bot send photos from the road, which are attached to their active trip. The driver's licence expiry is shown when a trip is created.

Paperwork is grouped into envelopes per order and per carrier batch, the accountant tracks when originals were sent and came back, and an order counts as completed only when the paper is in place.

Common mistakes

• Describing the goods as «as per invoice» instead of packages, marks and weight.
• Naming the forwarder as carrier when another company actually drives the truck.
• Leaving box 18 empty although the driver saw damaged packaging.
• Reservations without a reason, such as «loaded without control».
• No date or time in box 24, so nobody can tell when the goods were really delivered.

Checklist

• Legal names in boxes 1, 2 and 16 match the contract and invoices.
• Packages, marks, nature of goods and gross weight are stated.
• Reservations at loading are concrete, with a reason, and countersigned where possible.
• Special agreements are written in box 19, not only in email.
• Boxes 22, 23 and 24 are signed, stamped and dated.
• Signed copies and photos are filed with the trip.

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