CMR — Consignment Note (Sender) Template
A CMR note is the consignment note for international road transport under the CMR Convention. Three copies are made: this one stays with the sender. Its value is evidential. It is what proves you handed the goods to the carrier, in what condition, and on what terms, which is the question that matters if anything goes wrong later.
Copy 1 — for the sender (red) — 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.
What the sender's copy proves
Signed by the carrier on collection, this copy is your evidence that the goods were received and that they appeared to be in good order. If the carrier makes no reservation in box 18, the goods are presumed to have been received in apparent good condition. The burden then shifts to the carrier if they arrive damaged. Getting a signed copy back at collection is therefore worth insisting on.
The sender is liable for the details
Boxes 1 to 15 are the sender's responsibility: the parties, the description, the marks, the weight, and the documents attached for customs. Under the Convention the sender is liable for loss caused by inaccuracy in those particulars. An understated weight that causes an axle overload, or a wrong description that delays clearance, lands on you. Not on the haulier.
The sender's right to redirect
Until the second copy is handed over at destination, the sender generally retains the right to stop the goods in transit, change the delivery address or nominate a different consignee. That right passes to the consignee once the goods arrive and the second copy is delivered. Know it before you need it, because the right is exercised through the carrier and against this copy.
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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 a CMR note?
The consignment note used for international road haulage between countries that are party to the CMR Convention. It records the contract of carriage, the goods, and the condition they were in when handed over.
+How many copies are there?
Three as standard. The first stays with the sender, the second travels with the goods to the consignee, and the third is retained by the carrier. Some carriers use additional copies for their own administration.
+Does a CMR prove ownership of the goods?
No. Unlike a bill of lading it is not a document of title, so possessing it does not confer ownership and it cannot be traded. It evidences the contract of carriage and the condition of the goods.
+Is a CMR required by law?
The Convention applies to qualifying international road carriage whether or not a note is issued, but the note is the practical evidence of the contract. Hauliers will not normally load without one.
+What should I do if the driver refuses to sign?
Do not release the goods without a signature or a recorded reason. An unsigned note leaves you unable to prove what was handed over, which is precisely what the document exists to establish.
Try it with a real shipment.
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