The Convention on the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR) has been in force since May 19, 1956. If you are not sure how to prepare international road transport contracts according to this convention, don’t worry – we have taken care of this aspect so that you can prepare the necessary documents right here on the Cargologs platform!

What is CMR?

The CMR Convention is an international convention of the United Nations (UN), which was created with the aim of creating uniform rules for contracts for the international carriage of goods by road, paying particular attention to both the documents of such transport and the responsibility of the carrier. It regulates the relationship between the sender of the cargo, its recipient, as well as the carrier.

As provided by Article 5 of the CMR Convention, the cargo waybill is prepared in three copies, and they are signed by the cargo carrier and the consignor. The first copy is issued to the sender, the second is sent with the cargo, while the third copy remains with the cargo carrier. It is important that even if there is no waybill, or it is lost or incorrectly executed, this does not change the validity or existence of the contract of carriage – it is still subject to the terms of the convention.

What information is included in the waybill?

Article 6 of the CMR Convention determines what information is included in the consignment note, and it is as follows:

• Time and place where the waybill is prepared;
• Sender’s name, address;
• Place and time of cargo acceptance, and planned place of delivery;
• Name and address of the consignee;
• Accepted designation of cargo type and cargo packaging (in relation to transportation of dangerous goods – their generally accepted designation);
• Number of packages, as well as their special marking and numbers;
• Cargo weight (gross) or quantity in other measurement units;
• Payments related to transportation;
• The necessary instructions to complete customs and other formalities;
• A statement stating that the carriage is carried out in accordance with the provisions of the relevant convention, notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary.

In relevant cases, it is possible to include various types of additional information in the waybill, for example, that transshipment is not allowed, what is the deadline by which the transportation must be completed, and other types of information that the parties to the contract consider necessary.

Article 8 stipulates that when accepting the cargo, the carrier must check the accuracy of the information recorded in the waybill about the number of packages, their numbers and designations, as well as the external appearance of the cargo and its packaging. The sender can ask the carrier to check the weight or quantity of the cargo in other units of measurement, as well as the contents of the packages. The carrier, on the other hand, is entitled to claim compensation for the relevant inspection.

What other information does the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR) contain?

Article 1 defines the cases to which this Convention does not apply, and they are:

• Shipments made in accordance with an international postal convention;
• Transportation of mortal remains;
• Moving furniture.

In this same article, it is mentioned that the term “vehicles” means motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers, tractors with semi-trailers, as defined accordingly in the Convention on Road Traffic of 19 September 1949.

The convention also defines the persons for whom the carrier is responsible; liability of the carrier; requirements; rules for carriage by successive carriers; annulment of contract terms inconsistent with the convention, and other relevant aspects. You can familiarize yourself with the CMR Convention in full in Latvian on the website www.likumi.lv (Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR)).

What does a CMR waybill look like and how to prepare it?

You don’t need to worry about what a correctly created CMR waybill or CMR form is – it is available as an additional service for Cargologs customers free of charge. We also offer to prepare other important cargo accompanying documents, as well as invoices and cargo labels. For additional security and quality monitoring, cargo photo-fixation is available, by taking a photo of the shipment both before loading and at the time of receiving the shipment or delivering it to the specific address. Consequently, you will be able to devote more time to your other duties.

If you also want your cargo to be received or shipped according to international conditions, you must follow the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR). Using the Cargologs platform, you won’t need to think too much about it, because we offer to prepare CMR waybills or forms automatically, regardless of what type of services you are interested in – land cargo, air cargo, rail or sea cargo transportation!