Anyone who ships or receives goods by road internationally has seen a CMR consignment note at least once. It is the most widely used transport document in Europe, yet also one of the most underestimated: filling it in incorrectly can lead to disputes, rejected insurance claims and litigation that drags on for months.
In this guide we explain what the CMR is, what it is used for, how to complete it correctly and what the responsibilities of the carrier and the sender are, with practical examples for companies that ship regularly between Switzerland and Italy.
What is a CMR consignment note?
The CMR (from the French Convention relative au contrat de transport international de marchandises par route) is the international consignment note for the carriage of goods by road. It is based on the 1956 CMR Convention, signed by most European countries, including Switzerland.
The CMR is mandatory for every international road haulage operation 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.
In practice, every time a lorry crosses the border carrying goods, it must have a correctly completed CMR on board.
What is the CMR used for?
The CMR consignment note has three main functions:
- Evidence of the contract of carriage between sender and carrier
- Receipt for the goods handed over to the carrier for transport
- Liability document: it establishes who is liable for any damage, loss or delay
It is also required for customs clearance: at the border it is checked together with the commercial invoice and the other customs documents.
How the CMR is structured
The standard CMR consists of numbered boxes (1 to 24) that must be completed accurately. The essential information is:
- Sender (the party shipping the goods)
- Consignee (the party receiving the goods)
- Place of delivery
- Place and date of taking over the goods
- Documents attached (invoice, packing list, certificates)
- Description of the goods (nature, HS codes if required)
- Number of packages and type of packaging
- Gross weight
- Volume (in m³)
- Special instructions (e.g. ADR, refrigeration, fragile)
- Sender’s instructions for customs
- Sender’s signature and stamp
- Carrier’s signature and stamp
- Consignee’s signature and stamp on delivery
The document is issued in at least three original copies: one for the sender, one for the carrier and one that travels with the goods to the consignee.
The most common mistakes when completing a CMR
In our day-to-day experience at the Chiasso border, we see the same mistakes again and again:
- Incomplete or blank boxes: this makes the document open to challenge
- Weight and number of packages not matching the invoice or packing list
- Missing sender’s signature in box 22
- Carrier’s reservations not recorded when taking over the goods (e.g. damaged packaging)
- Missing customs instructions (box 13) for goods in transit
- Wrong details of the actual consignee in triangular trade transactions
Every mistake can turn into a real problem: a delay at the border, a rejected insurance claim, a legal dispute.
Carrier liability under the CMR Convention
The CMR clearly defines the carrier’s liability: from the moment the goods are taken over until delivery, the carrier is liable for:
- Total or partial loss of the goods
- Damage to the goods
- Delay in delivery
The maximum compensation for loss or damage is set by the Convention at 8.33 SDR per kilogram of gross weight of the missing or damaged goods (SDR = Special Drawing Rights, a monetary unit of the IMF, currently worth approximately CHF 1.20 per unit).
The carrier is relieved of liability in specific cases: force majeure, inherent vice of the goods, instructions from the sender, defective packaging that was not reported.
For cover above the CMR limit, you need to take out additional insurance on the actual value of the goods.
Electronic CMR (e-CMR)
Since 2008 there has also been an electronic version of the CMR, known as the e-CMR, governed by an additional protocol to the Convention. Switzerland has acceded to the protocol, as have Italy and many other European countries.
The advantage of the e-CMR is the complete digitalisation of the process: no more paper documents signed by hand, but digital signatures, real-time tracking and automatic archiving. Uptake is still limited but growing, especially on the logistics corridors between Switzerland, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands.
CMR and customs: the role of the freight forwarder
The CMR is a transport document, but it has a direct impact on customs formalities. An incorrectly completed CMR can slow down customs clearance, trigger requests for additional documents and, in the worst cases, expose the company to penalties.
An experienced customs broker:
- Checks consistency between the CMR, invoice and packing list before the goods reach the border
- Flags discrepancies in good time so they can be corrected without stopping the lorry
- Handles customs formalities so that the CMR can be used immediately for customs clearance
- Provides support in the event of disputes or damage to the goods, reconstructing the document trail
Spedimar SAGL has operated at the Chiasso border since 1993 and handles CMR shipments between Switzerland, Italy and the rest of Europe every day. Our team knows the specific requirements on both sides of the border and helps companies manage the documentation for the entire shipment correctly.
Do you have a CMR shipment to manage?
If you have questions about completing a CMR or would like to entrust the documentation for your shipment to an experienced partner, contact us for a free quote.
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📞 +41 91 682 95 79 📧 info@spedimar.ch