The CMR Transport Document constitutes a proof of the contract of carriage by road, determines the scope and responsibility of the operation performed and identifies the parties involved and the goods being transported. Its use implies adherence to the CMR Contrat de Transport International de Marchandises par Route that governs this document. This document includes the instructions that the exporter or the importer gives to the carrier, so it necessarily has to accompany the goods in road shipments. WHO ISSUES THE DOCUMENT? The issue of this document should be made by the carrier the driver of the truck with all the necessary information to formalize the collection of the goods; however, it will normally be the exporter sender , who completes the document on the arrival of the truck to his store, always in case of full loads; in case of groupage this document is normally handled by the forwarding agent because there is an internal transport to collect the goods grouped with other goods from different exporters to send them jointly to the final destination in a foreign country. The is issued in four originals sender, consignee, carrier and administration which must be signed by the sender and the carrier at delivery and the consignee at destination. Each issue has different color edges: sender red , consignee blue , carrier green and administration black. Usually, it is a nominative document, i. FUNCTIONS Sometimes is the own exporter who fills the document or is done in conjunction with the carrier driver of the truck at the time of collection of the goods, so it is advisable to know how to complete the main boxes of the CMR. The following explains how to complete all the boxes of the document: Box 1. Sender: Information of the company that sends the goods exporter-seller , that as part of the contract of carriage delivers them to the carrier at the origin. Consignee: Details of the company to which the carrier must deliver the goods at the destination; usually is the buyer of goods. Loading place of the goods: The place where the carrier collects and takes charge of the goods at the origin. Usually coincides with the sender address, but not always. Documents attached: Documents that are delivered to the carrier and whose storage and presentation will be responsible; usually: commercial invoice, packing list, certificates, etc. Boxes 6 to 9. Marks and numbers, number of packages, method of packing, nature of the goods: the sender must identify all that shipment data. It is customary to indicate the trademarks that identify and that are observed in the packing, the number of packages and packing mode i. It is important that the driver of the truck check, before signing the CMR, that the description of the goods matches the shipment loaded into the vehicle. Statistic No: When completed, it usually indicates the combined nomenclature code or TARIC code EU customs tariff code of the goods. In practice, this box is usually left blank. Boxes 11 and 12. Gross weight and volume: Gross weight in kg. Normally the volume is not indicated. Sender´s instructions: This box is important; it usually includes all kinds of instructions regarding aspects such as customs formalities, transfer prohibition, transport insurance, temperature, hours of arrival and departure in the warehouses, information about the exchange of pallets and, with increasing frequency, deadline transport date and time range to deliver the goods on arrival. This box usually indicates the Incoterms EXW, FCA, CPT, DAP, DDP applied to the sale transaction. Boxes 16 and 17. Carrier and successive Carriers: Includes data of the carrier. If successive carriers are used, these can also be identified. It is customary, but not mandatory, to insert the license plates numbers of all trucks involve in the transportation of the goods. Carrier´s reservations and observations: The carrier may indicate here any reservations about the goods or the conditions of the contract. Special agreements: May includes clauses of submission to jurisdiction Courts or Arbitration Board Transportation , insurance conditions, time of transport, etc. This box is also appropriate to insert value declarations of the goods or special interest in delivery. Charges: usually left blank. Place and date of issue: The place is usually repeated in box 4; the box indicate the date of issue of the document. Block 22 and 23. Signature and stamp of the sender and the carrier: With the signature of both the place and date of issue, the CMR document is formalized. Goods received signature and stamp of the consignee : This box serves to proof the delivery of the goods at destination. Economista, director de Global Marketing Strategies y socio fundador del portal. Está especializado en negocios internacionales con un énfasis en comercio exterior, marketing y negociación internacional. Tiene su residencia en Madrid, España. Economist, managing director of Global Marketing Strategies and founding partner of the website. He specializes in international business with an emphasis on trade, marketing and negotiation.