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8.4 What is a CMR form and how do I complete it? (Continental European customers only)
A CMR is a consignment note. It is the document prepared by the company delivering the vehicle to you; i.e. the external transport company. You need to sign the document to prove you received the vehicle.
Three copies
There are three copies of the CMR: the proof of receipt, which is returned to the sender (e.g.: OPENLANE), the evidence of delivery, which goes to the carrier (the transport company) and the third copy goes to consignee, you.
To be included
| The CMR must include: |
Where? (see example) |
| • The name and address of the sender. (In this case that's OPENLANE) |
nr 1 |
| • The name and address of the consignee (according to the invoice). As the buyer, this is your company. |
nr 2 |
| • The address where the goods were picked up, as well as the date (+ a stamp from the parking place). |
nr 3 |
| • The final destination of the vehicle. (i.e.: where the transport company is delivering the vehicle) |
nr 4 |
| • The name and address of the carrier and the license plate of the truck on which the vehicle will be transported. |
nr 5 |
| • The make, model, chassis number and license plate of the vehicle. |
nr 10 |
| • This field is dedicated to the transport company. Check the date is filled in. |
nr 12 |
| • The pickup date and the stamp of the pickup location |
nr 14 |
| • The stamp of the transport company, the license plate of the truck and signature of the driver. |
nr 15 |
| • The date, the stamp and signature of the consignee. |
nr 16 |
Please always check your CMRs before submitting them. You can see a correctly stamped, signed and completed CMR form and CMR with 24 fields here. There is no set format for a CMR, so the numbers of the boxes can vary.
Please note: We don’t accept 'International' or 'To be confirmed' as final destination.
When you receive the vehicle, it is the responsibility of the carrier (i.e.: the transport company) to ensure the CMR is correct and the condition of the vehicle is accurately recorded. The result of these checks must be included in the CMR.
Legal
This is all required under Article 5 and Article 6 of the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR) (Geneva, 19 May 1956), and the 1978 Protocol supplement.
Remember!
You don’t need to upload the CMR anymore when you order transport to your doorstep. Hence, the field to upload the CMR in this case is not visible anymore in ‘My account’. In all other cases, you still need to upload it!
You cannot pick up Spanish and Italian cars in person. They need to be picked up by a transport company since an official transport CMR from the Seller is required to unregister these cars and release the original car documents.
Related questions:
What is a Pickup Authorization (PuA)?
Can I get EX and EUR.1 documents via OPENLANE?
