The CMR consignment note is the written evidence of the contract between the sender and the road carrier on an international movement. It looks like a shipping document; legally it is the contract of carriage itself. When goods arrive damaged, short or late, this is the first paper anyone reads — and most claims are won or lost on whether it was completed properly.
What a CMR actually proves
CMR takes its name from the 1956 Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road. Türkiye is a contracting party, so every truck leaving for Europe moves under this regime.
The note proves three things at once:
- That a contract of carriage exists — who undertook to move what, from where to where.
- That the goods were handed over — the carrier’s signature accepts the condition in which it received them.
- How delivery went — the consignee’s signature records the state the goods arrived in.
One distinction matters more than any other: a CMR is not a document of title. Unlike a bill of lading it does not represent ownership, cannot be endorsed, and does not have to be surrendered to collect the goods. Shippers who run road and sea movements on the same mental model run into trouble here.
The copies and who keeps them
| Copy | Held by | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| First (red) | Sender | Proof the goods were handed to the carrier |
| Second (blue) | Travels with the goods, stays with the consignee | The consignee’s record of delivery |
| Third (green) | Carrier | Proof of performance and of the freight owed |
| Fourth (black) | Customs or the file | Not required by the Convention; used in practice |
Three copies are mandatory; the fourth comes from practice. A sender should never release a vehicle without a signed first copy — claiming against a carrier that never signed for the goods is very hard after the fact.
The boxes that decide claims
A CMR has 24 boxes, but disputes keep returning to the same handful:
| Box | Why it decides the outcome |
|---|---|
| 4 – Place and date of loading | The starting point for every transit-time and delay argument |
| 6-9 – Description, packages, weight | On a short delivery, only these lines prove what went missing |
| 13 – Sender’s instructions | Customs instructions, delivery terms and payment basis live here |
| 18 – Carrier’s reservations | No reservation means the carrier is presumed to have taken the goods in apparent good order |
| 19 – Charges | Who owes the freight; if it contradicts the Incoterms rule, an invoice dispute follows |
| 24 – Consignee’s signature | A signature with no stamp or date makes the delivery date unprovable |
Box 18 deserves its own article. If the carrier sees a problem with the packaging or the piece count when taking over, it must write a reservation on the note. If it does not, the law presumes it received the goods in apparent good order. The entire argument about whether damage happened at loading or in transit usually ends there.
CMR liability insurance is not cargo insurance
This is the most expensive misunderstanding in road freight. CMR insurance covers the carrier’s liability, and only up to the Convention’s ceiling: compensation is capped at 8.33 SDR per gross kilogram of the goods lost or damaged.
On light, high-value cargo that ceiling leaves a real gap. A 200 kg electronics shipment worth €40,000 recovers a fraction of its value under CMR liability alone. If you want the actual value covered you need separate cargo (marine) insurance — the two are not interchangeable.
The ceiling can be exceeded in two situations: the sender declares the value on the note and pays a surcharge, or the loss results from the carrier’s wilful misconduct or equivalent default. Proving the second is not easy.
Notice periods and time bar
- Apparent damage: must be noted on the CMR at the moment of delivery.
- Hidden damage: written notice within 7 days of delivery, Sundays and public holidays excluded.
- Delay: written notice within 21 days of the goods being placed at the consignee’s disposal, or the claim is lost.
- Time bar: one year as a rule; three years where there is wilful misconduct.
In practice the 21-day delay notice is the right most often lost. The consignee complains by phone, nobody puts it in writing, the period runs out.
How CMR sits next to customs and transit
A CMR is not a customs document. Customs moves on a T1 transit declaration or a TIR carnet. The two travel together, though, and the data on them has to agree. If the CMR says 24 packages and the T1 says 22, the vehicle waits at the border.
On shipments into the EU the file also carries an A.TR or EUR.1 certificate for preferential duty. That is why we check the whole document set before loading: a missing paper that stops the truck at the gate costs a day, and one that stops it at the border costs three.
What we handle
- International road freight — full and part loads on the Türkiye–Europe corridor.
- Pre-loading check of the full document set, cross-verifying package count, weight and instructions against the T1 and the invoice.
- Customs clearance and transit handled by the same team that moves the goods.
- Collection of the dated and stamped CMR copy after delivery, filed against the shipment.
- Correct entry of dangerous goods data for ADR shipments.
Frequently asked questions
What is a CMR consignment note?
It is the document that evidences the contract of carriage on an international road movement, under the 1956 CMR Convention. It records that the goods were handed over, on what terms they travel, and in what condition they were delivered.
What is the difference between a CMR and a bill of lading?
A bill of lading is a document of title: it represents ownership, can be endorsed, and normally has to be surrendered to collect the cargo. A CMR is not a document of title; it only evidences the contract and the delivery. Goods moving by road are released without surrendering the CMR.
How many copies of a CMR are issued?
Three are mandatory: one stays with the sender, one travels with the goods to the consignee, one stays with the carrier. A fourth is commonly issued for customs and the file.
Does CMR insurance cover the value of my goods?
Often not. CMR insurance covers the carrier’s liability and compensation is capped at 8.33 SDR per gross kilogram lost or damaged. On light, high-value cargo that is far below the commercial value. Separate cargo insurance is needed to cover the goods themselves.
How quickly must damage be reported?
Apparent damage has to be noted on the CMR at delivery. Hidden damage requires written notice within 7 days. A claim for delay must be notified in writing within 21 days — the deadline most often missed.
Does a CMR replace a customs document?
No. Customs formalities run on a T1 declaration or a TIR carnet. The package count, weight and description on the CMR must match the customs document, or the vehicle is held at the border.
What happens if the carrier makes no reservation?
If box 18 carries no reservation about packaging or piece count, the carrier is presumed to have received the goods in apparent good order. Damage found at destination is then attributed to the carriage.
What is the time bar for a CMR claim?
One year as a rule, extended to three years in cases of wilful misconduct. Time runs from delivery, or from the date delivery should have taken place where the goods never arrived.
If you have a shipment heading for Europe, send us the loading and delivery points, the piece count and the weight: we build the document set and check the CMR against the customs declaration before the truck loads. The service page is international road freight; to start an enquiry use the quote form.