The standard CMR form has 24 numbered boxes: the sender mainly fills in boxes 1–5 and 9–15, the carrier boxes 6–8 and 16–21, and the consignee signs box 24 on delivery. The template used in Europe is the one developed by the IRU (International Road Transport Union), not one imposed by law.
The CMR Convention specifies what data the consignment note must contain (Art. 6), but it does not number any boxes. The numbering comes from the IRU standard form — and this is exactly where the costliest confusion starts, which we clear up right away. If you want the legal context first, you’ll find it in our guide on what CMR is and what compensation it covers.
Heads-up: two versions of the form are in circulation, with different numbering
The IRU issued its first consignment note template in 1976 and revised it in 2007. The two versions do not have the same box order, and both are still used in practice — including in Romania, where many preprinted forms and many online guides still describe the old template.
| Box | IRU 2007 template | Old template (1976) |
| 3 | Place and date of taking over the goods | Place designated for delivery |
| 4 | Place designated for delivery | Place and date of taking over the goods |
Rule of thumb: read the box label, don’t go by the number. A dispatcher used to one preprinted form and a driver handed another can fill in the loading place and the delivery place exactly the wrong way around. All the explanations below follow the current IRU 2007 template, in line with the official IRU completion guide.
How many copies the form has and what color they are
Article 5 of the Convention requires three original copies: one for the sender, one that travels with the goods and one for the carrier. The printed IRU form, however, has four colored sheets, the fourth being for administrative use:
- Red — the sender’s copy;
- Blue — the consignee’s copy, which travels with the goods throughout the journey;
- Green — the carrier’s copy;
- Black — copy reserved for administrative procedures.
All copies are filled in identically. If some details are not known when the note is drawn up — for example, successive carriers — they can be added later on the available copies. The consignment note number appears in two places, top right and bottom left, and the country where it was issued goes in the header.
CMR template: what goes in each box
| No. | Box | What to fill in | Who |
| 1 | Sender | Full name and address of the party shipping the goods | Sender |
| 2 | Consignee | Full name and address of the party receiving the goods | Sender |
| 3 | Place and date of taking over | Where and when the carrier takes over the goods. Also enter the time of arrival for loading and the time of departure | Sender / carrier |
| 4 | Place of delivery | Place designated for delivery of the goods. Ask for the unloading warehouse’s opening hours | Sender |
| 5 | Special instructions | Customs formalities, transshipment ban, cargo insurance, other instructions | Sender |
| 6 | Carrier | Full name and address, other references | Carrier |
| 7 | Successive carriers | Filled in when the transport is performed successively by several carriers | Successive carrier |
| 8 | Carrier’s reservations | Remarks on taking over: number of packages, marks, condition of packaging | Carrier |
| 9 | Documents attached | List of documents handed over by the sender: loading list, certificates of origin, etc. | Sender |
| 10–15 | Description of the goods | Marks, number of packages, packaging, nature of the goods, gross weight, volume; for dangerous goods, the generally recognized name | Sender |
| 16 | Special agreements | Declared value, special interest in delivery, agreed time limit, open vehicle, pallets, who loads/stows/unloads, ferry, jurisdiction | Sender + carrier |
| 17 | To be paid by | Amounts relating to the transport contract and who pays them | Carrier |
| 18 | Other useful particulars | License plate number, capacity, net weight, TIR carnet number or other customs document | Carrier |
| 19 | Cash on delivery | Amount to be collected from the consignee on delivery | Sender |
| 20 | Preprinted statement | The mandatory reference to the overriding application of the CMR Convention — already printed | — |
| 21 | Established in | Place and date the consignment note is drawn up | Carrier |
| 22 | Sender’s signature | Signature or stamp, at the sender’s choice | Sender |
| 23 | Carrier’s signature | Signature or stamp, at the carrier’s choice | Carrier |
| 24 | Goods received | Consignee’s signature and stamp, place, date, time of arrival and time of departure after unloading | Consignee |
Box 8: the field that decides who pays for the damage
If you remember just one thing from this guide, make it this. Box 8 is where the carrier records its reservations when taking over the goods — the number of packages, their marks and numbers, the apparent condition of the goods and the packaging.
The reason lies in Art. 9(2) of the Convention: in the absence of reasoned reservations, the goods and packaging are presumed to have been in apparent good condition when taken over and the number of packages is presumed to have matched. A driver who signs off without reservations on a pallet with torn wrap has created evidence against their own company.
The IRU guide adds a condition many people miss: reservations must be validated by the sender to have any effect. A note written by the driver that the sender does not countersign carries much less weight in a dispute.
- How to write it correctly: “Pallets 3 and 7 with wrap undone; package no. 12 damaged at the corner; 19 packages instead of 20 as per documents” — followed by the sender’s signature next to the note.
- How not to write it: “subject to reservation,” “goods not checked,” “as per delivery note” — wording that describes nothing specific.
- If you can’t check: note the specific reason — “loading done by sender, driver not allowed on the dock, packages not counted.”
Box 16: where you declare the things that change the compensation
The “special agreements” box looks like a formality, but that’s exactly where you enter the statements that change the liability regime:
- The declared value of the goods and the special interest in delivery — the only way to exceed the standard compensation cap (Art. 24 and 26 of the Convention);
- The agreed delivery time limit — without it, it’s hard to claim a delay later on;
- The use of open vehicles, without tarpaulins — the exemption under Art. 17(4)(a) applies only if it was expressly agreed and and stated in the consignment note;
- Who is responsible for loading, stowing and unloading — this determines whether the carrier is exempt under Art. 17(4)(c);
- The use of pallets, acceptance on a ferry, the applicable jurisdiction.
Box 19: the cash-on-delivery trap
If a cash-on-delivery amount is entered in box 19, the carrier is required to collect it on delivery. Under Art. 21 of the CMR Convention, if the goods were released to the consignee without the cash on delivery being collected, the carrier owes the sender that amount — out of its own pocket, regardless of whether it recovers it from the consignee.
Common mistakes when filling in the CMR
- Swapping boxes 3 and 4, because of the two form templates in circulation;
- Box 8 left blank or filled in with vague wording, without the sender’s validation;
- Copies filled in differently — all four sheets must be identical; differences between the sender’s copy and the carrier’s copy will be used against you;
- Arrival and departure times not entered in boxes 3 and 24 — they are the only proof of waiting time, and therefore of the right to compensation for time lost at the dock;
- Dangerous goods without the generally recognized name in the description boxes, as expressly required by Art. 6(1)(f);
- Consignee’s signature without date and time in box 24, which makes it impossible to establish the moment of delivery — the reference point from which the claim deadlines run.
Arrival and departure times are the most frequent source of disputes, because they are filled in by hand and can be contested. A GPS Fleet Tracking system automatically records the moment of entering and leaving the loading or unloading site, and the resulting report backs up exactly what you wrote in boxes 3 and 24. Talk to the CargoTrack team if you want to see what these reports look like.
Where to get a CMR template
Preprinted forms can be obtained from authorized printers and from haulier associations, in carbonless sets with the four colored sheets. There is no official template imposed by law in Romania: what matters is that the document contains the data required by Art. 6 of the Convention and the statement that the transport is subject to the CMR regime.
The modern alternative is the electronic consignment note (e-CMR), allowed under the 2008 Additional Protocol, which Romania joined through Law no. 29/2019, in force since June 12, 2019. It eliminates lost copies and allows signing on a tablet at the dock.
Frequently asked questions about filling in the CMR
How many boxes does the CMR form have?
The standard IRU form has 24 numbered boxes, plus a “Non-contractual part” area at the bottom of the page, reserved for the carrier. The CMR Convention does not number boxes: in Art. 6 it only sets out what data the document must contain.
Who fills in the CMR consignment note?
The sender fills in the details about the parties, places, instructions and goods; the carrier fills in its own details, the reservations on taking over, the payments and the date of issue; and the consignee signs box 24 on receiving the goods, with the place, date and times of arrival and departure.
What goes in box 8 of the CMR?
The carrier’s reservations and remarks when taking over the goods: the number of packages, their marks and numbers, the apparent condition of the goods and the packaging. According to the IRU guide, reservations must be validated by the sender to be valid, and in their absence the goods are presumed to have been taken over in good condition.
Why does box numbering differ between forms?
Because two IRU templates are in circulation: the 1976 one and the one revised in 2007. In the 2007 template, box 3 is the place and date of taking over and box 4 is the place of delivery; in the old template, the two are swapped. Always read the box label, not just the number.
How many copies of the CMR are filled in?
Art. 5 of the Convention requires three original copies. The IRU preprinted form has four colored sheets: red for the sender, blue for the consignee (travels with the goods), green for the carrier and black for administrative procedures. All are filled in identically.
Where do you declare the value of the goods on the CMR?
In box 16, “special agreements.” That’s where you enter the declared value of the goods and the amount representing the special interest in delivery — the only way compensation can exceed the standard cap, under Art. 24 and 26 of the CMR Convention. The agreed delivery time limit and the consent to open vehicles also go there.
