CMR — Consignment Note (Carrier) Template
This is the carrier's copy of the CMR consignment note, the one the haulier retains. From the carrier's side the document does two jobs. It records the instructions being accepted, and through the reservations box it is the only opportunity to note that the goods did not look right when collected.
Copy 3 — for the carrier (green) — Issued subject to the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR)
| 6 Marks and Nos | 7 No. of packages | 8 Method of packing | 9 Nature of the goods | 10 Statistical number | 11 Gross weight (KG) | 12 Volume (CBM) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Parties, ports, container and line items carry across every document.
Reservations are the carrier's protection
Box 18 is where the carrier records anything wrong at collection. Damaged packaging, an unverifiable count, a load they could not inspect. Without a reservation, the Convention presumes the goods were received in apparent good order, and the carrier carries the burden of showing otherwise later. A reservation recorded at collection is worth far more than an assertion made after a claim.
Limits on carrier liability
The CMR Convention caps compensation for lost or damaged goods by weight, using a unit of account rather than a currency, unless a higher value was declared and a surcharge paid. Senders shipping high-value goods on an ordinary CMR are usually insured well below the value of the cargo, which is a conversation to have before loading rather than after a loss.
Checking what the sender declared
The carrier is expected to check the apparent condition of the goods and their packaging, and the accuracy of the number of packages and their marks where reasonably possible. Weight and contents generally are not verifiable at the roadside, which is why the sender remains liable for those. Noting what could not be checked is itself a reservation.
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Exporters
Make the invoice, packing list and certificate of origin for a shipment in one go, without typing the consignee's address four times.
Freight forwarders
Turn a client's spreadsheet into a clean set of documents that a customs broker will accept.
Customs brokers
Rebuild a missing or unusable document from the details you already have.
One shipment in, every document out
| FreightStow | Typical alternative | |
|---|---|---|
| Enter the details once for every document | Yes | Retype for each document |
| Document types | 33 | Varies |
| Statutory forms (CMR, ISF, USMCA origin) | Included | Often missing |
| Add, rename or remove line-item columns | Yes | Fixed templates |
| Download formats | PDF, Excel, Word | PDF only |
| Try it without an account | Yes | Usually not |
The right-hand column describes the general pattern in this category, not one named vendor. Features and plans change — check any provider’s current terms before deciding.
Commercial documents · 12
- Packing List — DetailedFull itemised packing list with HS codes, marks and numbers, package types and per-item dimensions.
- Packing List — SimpleMinimal packing list: what is in the shipment, how many packages, and what it weighs. No HS codes or dimensions.
- Packing List — ContainerPacking list broken down by container, for FCL shipments where each line must be traced to a container and seal.
- Packing List — ConsolidatedOne packing list covering several orders or invoices consolidated into a single shipment.
- Commercial InvoiceThe primary customs valuation document: what was sold, to whom, on what terms, and for how much.
- Proforma InvoiceA binding quotation in invoice form, issued before shipment so the buyer can open a letter of credit or arrange an import licence.
- Tax InvoiceInvoice showing the tax charged on a supply, in the form required for the buyer to reclaim input tax.
- Credit NoteCancels or reduces a previously issued invoice, for returns, short shipments or agreed price adjustments.
- Purchase OrderThe buyer's formal instruction to supply goods on stated terms, prices and delivery dates.
- QuotationA priced offer to supply, stating validity, lead time and the Incoterms the price is quoted on.
- Request for QuotationInvites a supplier to price a specified list of goods against stated delivery terms and a response deadline.
- Sales ConfirmationThe seller's acceptance of an order, confirming goods, price, terms and shipment schedule back to the buyer.
Declarations & instructions · 10
- Non Asbestos DeclarationCertifies that the goods contain no asbestos in any form — required by Australia, Saudi Arabia and other markets that ban asbestos outright.
- New and Unused DeclarationCertifies that the goods are new and have never been used — required where the destination restricts imports of second-hand goods.
- Packing DeclarationDeclares the timber packaging and container cleanliness of a consignment — required for Australian and New Zealand biosecurity clearance.
- DeclarationA blank declaration on letterhead, for the one-off statements a buyer, bank or customs authority asks for that have no standard form.
- Declaration of OriginA self-certified origin statement made by the exporter, used where a full chamber-stamped certificate of origin is not required.
- Verified Gross Mass DeclarationThe SOLAS VGM certificate. No container may be loaded to a vessel without a signed verified gross mass from the shipper.
- Shipper's Letter of InstructionThe exporter's instructions to their freight forwarder, including the authority to act as agent for customs purposes.
- Shipping InstructionTells the carrier exactly how the bill of lading should read: parties, routing, cargo description and freight terms.
- Forwarding InstructionBooks a consignment with a freight forwarder: collection details, routing, cargo particulars and who pays which charges.
- Sales ContractThe agreement itself: goods, price, delivery terms, payment and the clauses both parties sign against.
Statutory & customs forms · 11
- CMR — Consignment Note (Sender)The sender's copy of the international road consignment note, retained as proof of what was handed to the carrier.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Carrier)The carrier's copy of the road consignment note, evidencing the contract of carriage.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Consignee)The consignee's copy of the road consignment note, travelling with the goods and signed on delivery.
- Bill of LadingThe carrier's receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage, and a document of title the consignee must surrender to collect the cargo.
- Certificate of OriginCertifies where goods were produced. Usually stamped by a chamber of commerce and required to claim tariff treatment or satisfy a letter of credit.
- Certification of Origin (USMCA/CUSMA/T-MEC)The free-trade certification for US–Mexico–Canada shipments. Has no prescribed form, but must carry all nine required data elements.
- Importer Security FilingThe ten data elements a US importer must file with CBP at least 24 hours before cargo is laden aboard a vessel bound for the United States.
- Phytosanitary CertificateCertifies that a consignment of plants or plant products meets the importing country's phytosanitary requirements.
- Form 6 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document accompanying a transboundary shipment of hazardous waste, tracking it from exporter to disposal facility.
- Form 9 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document for transboundary shipments of hazardous recyclable material, tracking custody through to the recovery facility.
- Bill of ExchangeAn unconditional written order requiring the drawee to pay a fixed sum on demand or at a stated future date — the instrument behind documentary collections.
+What is box 18 for?
The carrier's reservations and observations. Anything noted there at collection limits the presumption that the goods were received in good order. That covers damaged cartons, unverified counts, and a sealed load that could not be inspected.
+How is CMR liability calculated?
By the gross weight of the goods lost or damaged, up to a limit per kilogram set by the Convention in special drawing rights, unless a higher value was declared in the note and the agreed surcharge paid.
+Is the carrier liable for delay?
The Convention provides for compensation for delay, generally capped at the carriage charges, and subject to notice being given within a set period. It is a different and narrower remedy than for loss or damage.
+Does the carrier have to check the weight?
Not usually, because it is rarely verifiable at collection. The sender remains liable for the accuracy of the weight declared, and a carrier who cannot check it should record that fact rather than accept it silently.
Try it with a real shipment.
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Create a cmr — consignment note (carrier)