CMRasiakirja

CMRasiakirja (Finnish for CMR consignment note) refers to the transport document used under the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR), a 1956 multilateral treaty regulating international road transport. The document functions as evidence of the contract of carriage and of receipt of the goods by the carrier, and it records key information such as consignor and consignee details, carrier identity, description and quantity of goods, packaging, place and date of taking over, agreed route and delivery instructions.

A CMR-asiakirja is not a document of title; it does not confer ownership of the goods and cannot be used to transfer property like a bill of lading. Its primary legal role is to facilitate claims and establish the carrier’s responsibilities and liabilities for loss, damage or delay during international road carriage. The CMR Convention also sets procedural rules for liability and specified time limits for notifying claims.

In recent decades an electronic form, e-CMR, based on a 2008 protocol to the Convention, has become increasingly used to replace paper notes. The e-CMR aims to streamline cross-border transport by reducing paperwork, improving data accuracy and enabling real-time exchange between parties and authorities. National practice and requirements for issuing CMR documents can vary, so carriers and shippers should ensure compliance with applicable international and domestic regulations when transporting goods by road.