CMR Convention
The CMR Convention (from the French Convention relative au contrat de transport international de marchandises par route) is the international treaty that governs contracts for the international carriage of goods by road. Widely adopted across Europe and beyond, it standardises the rights, obligations and liabilities of the parties whenever goods are carried by road across at least one international border.
Its key features include the CMR consignment note (the standard document evidencing the contract and the goods' receipt and condition), rules on the carrier's liability for loss, damage and delay, and a limit on that liability (a maximum per kilogramme of gross weight), together with claim procedures and time limits. The CMR does for international road freight what the Hague-Visby Rules do for sea and the Montreal Convention for air — providing a uniform, predictable legal framework. It applies automatically to qualifying international road carriage regardless of the parties' wishes. Understanding the CMR is important for anyone arranging cross-border trucking, as it determines the carrier's liability and the documentation for the road leg.
Cross-border trucking needs a common rulebook, and the CMR is it — setting the carrier's liability, the claim rules and the standard consignment note for international road freight, just as Hague-Visby does at sea. It applies automatically, so anyone arranging cross-border road transport is governed by it whether they know it or not, making it essential knowledge for the road leg.
What is a CMR note?
The standard consignment note under the CMR Convention, evidencing the road-carriage contract and the goods' receipt and condition.
What does the CMR govern?
The rights, liabilities and documentation for international road freight, including carrier liability limits and claim procedures.