The CMR consignment note is the document that ultimately decides who pays when goods arrive missing or damaged. It takes a few minutes to fill in at loading and, in most cases, is filled in carelessly – and the consequences show up months later, when the claim is already on the table.
Below: what CMR is, the 24 boxes and who fills them in, the real compensation limit, claim deadlines and what CMR insurance covers. At the end you’ll find a downloadable filling-in guide.
What CMR means
CMR is the acronym for Convention relative au contrat de transport international de Marchandises par Route — the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road, signed in Geneva on May 19, 1956. Romania acceded to it by Decree No. 451/1972.
In everyday speech, “CMR” means two different things, and confusing them leads to pointless arguments:
- The CMR Convention — the legal framework that governs international road freight transport and sets out the carrier’s liability.
- The CMR consignment note — the physical document that accompanies the goods and serves as proof of the contract of carriage and of the condition of the goods when taken over.
The convention applies to any road carriage of goods for payment in which the place of loading and the place of delivery are in two different countries, at least one of which is a party to the convention. The nationality of the companies involved does not matter.
The consignment note: three copies, not one
Article 5 of the convention is explicit: the consignment note is made out in three original copies, signed by the sender and the carrier. They are distributed as follows:
- The first copy stays with the sender;
- Second accompanies the goods and goes to the consignee;
- Third stays with the carrier – and is the one the carrier uses to get paid for the trip.
Hence a practical point: the CMR note cannot be downloaded or printed. It is used in standardized, self-copying, numbered sets, obtained from professional associations or authorized printers. A PDF filled in on a computer and printed on A4 paper does not carry the value of a signed original set.
What it must contain under the convention
Article 6 sets out the mandatory particulars of the consignment note:
- the place and date of its preparation;
- the name and address of the sender and of the carrier;
- the place and date of taking over the goods and the place designated for delivery;
- the name and address of the consignee;
- the description of the nature of the goods and the method of packing;
- the number of packages, their marks and numbers;
- the gross weight or the quantity otherwise expressed;
- the charges relating to the carriage;
- the instructions for customs formalities;
- a statement that the carriage is subject to the provisions of the convention.
Box 18: the one that decides lawsuits
The standard form has 24 boxes, but a single one causes most disputes: box 18, the carrier’s reservations.
If the carrier does not enter reasoned reservations at loading, it is presumed that the goods and their packaging were in good condition when taken over, and that the packages matched the number and marks stated in the note.
The consequence: a driver who signs a clean note for goods whose packaging is already damaged shifts liability onto their own company. Reservations must be specific and reasoned — “damaged packaging on 3 pallets, left corner” works, while “goods not checked” is much weaker.
Likewise, at unloading, box 24 does the same for the consignee. A signature without remarks effectively shuts the door on claims for visible damage.
Compensation limit: 8.33 SDR per kilogram
This is where the most common error in Romanian-language materials appears. The text of the convention published in 1972 set a limit of 25 gold francs per kilogram, and many websites still quote it as such, because it is the version available on legislation portals.
That value, however, has been replaced. The Protocol of July 5, 1978 amended Article 23 of the convention, and the limit in force is:
8.33 units of account per kilogram of gross weight short. The unit of account is the Special Drawing Right (SDR), defined by the International Monetary Fund.
In practice, this means compensation is calculated as follows:
- Take the gross weight missing or damaged, in kilograms – from box 11 of the CMR note;
- Multiply it by 8,33;
- The result, expressed in SDR, is converted into lei at the SDR exchange rate published by the BNR (National Bank of Romania).
The commercial consequence is significant and often overlooked: the limit is calculated by weight, not by the value of the goods. For light, expensive goods – electronics, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics – the maximum compensation may cover only a fraction of the real value of the load. For heavy, cheap goods, the limit is usually sufficient.
When the goods are light and valuable, the solution provided by the convention itself is declaring a value for the goods or a special interest in delivery, entered in the consignment note, in return for a surcharge. Without this entry, the 8.33 SDR limit applies no matter what the goods are actually worth.
Claim deadlines
Article 30 makes the distinction that matters most in practice:
| Situation | Deadline for reservations |
|---|---|
| Loss or damage apparent | At the latest at the time of delivery of the goods |
| Loss or damage not apparent | 7 days from delivery, excluding Sundays and public holidays |
| Limitation of actions | 1 year; 3 years in the case of willful misconduct or equivalent default |
The difference between “apparent” and “non-apparent” is the difference between a visibly crushed package and goods damaged inside intact packaging. For the first category, reservations are made on the spot, in box 24. For the second, there is a 7-day window – but the period runs from delivery, not from when someone opened the box.
CMR insurance: what it covers and what it doesn’t
CMR insurance is carrier’s liability insurance, not cargo insurance. The distinction completely changes what happens when there is a loss:
- CMR insurance covers the carrier’s liability, within the limits set by the convention – so, as a rule, up to 8.33 SDR per kilogram. It applies when the carrier is liable.
- Cargo insurance is taken out by the owner of the goods and covers their value, regardless of who is at fault.
A sender who believes the carrier’s CMR policy fully covers their light, expensive goods is in for an unpleasant surprise. Conversely, a carrier without a CMR policy is liable out of its own assets, within the same limits.
The convention itself does not make a CMR policy mandatory, but in practice almost all customers and freight forwarders require one before assigning a trip. Checking a subcontractor’s documents – including the CMR policy and certified true copy – is part of the minimum due diligence before passing a trip on.
Downloadable CMR filling-in guide
We have prepared a document covering all 24 boxes, who fills them in and what goes in each one, plus the five mistakes that cause the most losses and a table of claim deadlines.
Download the CMR filling-in guide (DOCX)
It is useful as training material for new drivers and as a dispatch checklist. Keep in mind that it does not replace the standardized set – the actual CMR note is used in numbered self-copying forms.
If you already use digital documents in your fleet, the same logic applies to other transport documents: the trip sheet and the UIT code have their own rules for completion and retention.
Frequently asked questions
What does CMR mean in transport?
CMR is the acronym for the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road, signed in Geneva on May 19, 1956, which Romania acceded to by Decree No. 451/1972. The term refers both to the convention and to the consignment note that accompanies the goods.
How many copies of the CMR note are made?
In three original copies, signed by the sender and the carrier, under Article 5 of the convention. The first stays with the sender, the second accompanies the goods to the consignee, and the third stays with the carrier.
What is the compensation limit if goods are lost?
8.33 units of account (SDR) per kilogram of gross weight short, under Article 23 of the convention, as amended by the Protocol of July 5, 1978. The value of 25 gold francs, which still appears in many sources, comes from the original 1956 text and has been replaced.
Can I download and print a CMR form?
Not for actual use. The CMR consignment note is used in standardized, self-copying, numbered sets, obtained from professional associations or authorized printers. A form printed at home does not carry the value of an original set signed in three copies.
What goes in box 18 of the CMR note?
The carrier’s reservations at loading: damaged packaging, missing packages, goods that cannot be checked. If there are no reservations, it is presumed that the goods and packaging were in good condition when taken over, and liability passes to the carrier.
How soon must damage be claimed?
For apparent damage, reservations must be made no later than at the time the goods are delivered. For non-apparent damage, the deadline is 7 days from delivery, excluding Sundays and public holidays. Actions are time-barred after one year, or three years in the case of willful misconduct.
Does CMR insurance cover the value of the goods?
No. CMR insurance covers the carrier’s liability within the limits of the convention – as a rule, up to 8.33 SDR per kilogram. The value of the goods is covered by cargo insurance, taken out by the owner of the goods.
When does the CMR Convention apply?
To road carriage of goods for payment where the place of loading and the place of delivery are in two different countries, at least one of which is a party to the convention. The nationality of the companies involved is irrelevant.
