eCMR: Revolutionising freight documentation for modern logistics

Since the official launch of the eCMR protocol in 2017, the transportation sector has undertaken a journey towards achieving paperless supply chains that is still ongoing.

As of now, 34 countries have already ratified the eCMR protocol. The EU states that have not ratified it yet are expected to do so by the end of 2026. 

It may seem that there’s still plenty of time left until implementing digital consignment notes truly becomes a necessity. However, there are clear cut monetary benefits and operational efficiency gains of jumping on the eCMR bandwagon early on. Let’s look into the benefits of becoming an early adopter, and answer the most common questions about digital consignment notes and other digital transport documents.

Prefer to watch the video? Click this link for a Q&A with Gerry Daalhuisen, Tribe Lead Dock Scheduling and Yard Management at Transporeon.

What is eCMR?

The idea of eCMR stems from CMR, which stands for the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road. This convention standardised rules for road freight transport across member countries. Part of this was the development of a standard waybill that would provide for a clear shipping process. It contained all the information that senders, carriers and receivers needed to know about their shipment.

The paper-based version of the CMR, also known as a transport consignment note, has been around since 1956. In February 2008, a new protocol was added to the CMR Convention; it specified that CMR could be managed digitally, hence the name ‘eCMR’, recognising that cutting paperwork and streamlining data entry would lead to faster problem-solving and cost savings. Before the electronic version came along, CMR relied on a lot of paperwork. With eCMR, everything is done electronically.

How eCMR Works

Before everything went digital, we used paper forms to document what’s being sent, who’s sending it and who it’s being sent to. All that information is now stored and shared online. Here’s how it works:

1. Shipment details are entered: The sender fills out the shipment details in an online system, including the type of goods, the sender’s and receiver’s information and any special instructions.

2. Digital approval: Both the sender and the transport company sign the eCMR document electronically.

3. Real-time updates: While the goods are in transit, the eCMR system can update everyone involved, i.e. sender, receiver, transport company, about the shipment’s progress.

4. Delivery confirmation: When the goods arrive, the receiver digitally signs the eCMR to confirm they got the shipment.

Benefits of eCMR for businesses

Getting rid of paper in the shipping process and using digital CMR instead is monumental for business. Here’s a few reasons why:

• Improved efficiency

eCMR eliminates the need for paper-based documentation, reducing administrative tasks and speeding up the entire shipping process.

• Reduced errors

Digital systems minimise human errors that can occur with manual data entry, such as misprints or incorrect information on paper documents.

• Faster processing

Since everything is digital, businesses can process shipments more quickly, with real-time access to consignment details.

• Cost savings

To have paperwork, you have to buy paper and have someone organise your paperwork. So by cutting that out, that’s one less expense on your balance sheet.

• Better tracking and transparency

eCMR enables real-time updates and visibility of the shipment process, allowing businesses to track shipments and stay informed of any delays or issues.

• Legal compliance

eCMR complies with international transportation laws and is legally binding, reducing legal risks for businesses involved in cross-border trade.

• Environmentally friendly

Reducing paper usage supports sustainability goals by decreasing waste and the carbon footprint associated with paper-based processes.

• Improved security

Digital signatures and encryption ensure secure handling of sensitive shipment data, reducing the risk of document tampering or loss.

• Enhanced customer experience

With quicker, smoother processes and more accurate information, customers benefit from faster deliveries and better service.

• Easier integration

eCMR can be integrated with other digital tools and systems (e.g. tracking software and inventory management), streamlining business operations.

The state of eCMR Ratification in the EU

To date, 35 countries have adopted this protocol since it came into force on 5 June 2011. It will become mandatory for all eight remaining EU Member States to join the list of eCMR convention countries by the end of 2026.

Leading the way for digitisation in the Mediterranean region, Greece has been the most recent EU country to commit to going paperless when they joined on 23 October 2023. Some of the other countries, including Italy, Belgium and Serbia have been actively working their way towards ratification.

Italy

In April 2023, the Italian government accepted a concept legislation to join the UN eCMR protocol.

Belgium

Belgium hasn’t ratified eCMR yet, however, on 5 March 2018, Benelux launched a pilot to use electronic documents at the border-crossing. The pilot framework allows the use of electronic documents for the border-crossing operations between Belgium, France and Luxemburg.

Serbia

Since 2008, Serbia has been a part of a pilot eCMR programme, together with Germany, the Czech Republic, Romania and Greece.

Clear cut ROI and accurate shipment status updates for shippers

According to an independently conducted 2020 automotive survey, the paper-based CMR process, including the issuing, distribution, use, signing, filing, Proof of Delivery (PoD) and archiving, were calculated to take over 20 minutes, at a cost of €6.23 in labour hours. The eCMR timings were calculated at 5 minutes, 30 seconds, at a cost of €1.69, a saving of over €4.50, or 72%. 

Another study conducted by the University of Hasselt in Belgium confirmed that companies can save over €13 per consignment note when using electronic CMRs compared to the paper version. In total, quitting paper documentation is calculated to save two to eight billion pieces of paper yearly across the EU.

According to Transporeon’s Transportation Pulse Report 2024, which surveyed 216 participants, from Indago members and Transporeon’s shipper and carrier community, representing shippers, carriers and logistics service providers, ‘Document Generation & Distribution’ is one of the top five biggest opportunities for process automation in transportation management today. Since both shippers and carriers have chosen this answer equally as often, it’s clear that the desire to proactively digitise transport documents in a scalable, cost-effective way is universal across the industry.

Shipper respondents selected ‘Shipment Delivery/Status Notification’ as the second biggest opportunity for process automation in transportation management today. Transporeon’s Digital Transport Documents module allows all parties involved to easily connect and have a clear overview of their shipment’s latest status, and see any discrepancies or areas of potential delay. Real-time insights and collaboration have always been important, but the growing complexity of operations and the ever-accelerating pace of business have made the digitisation of transport documents a real necessity.

10 Questions on eCMR and Digital Transport documents answered

Gerry Daalhuisen, Dock Scheduling and Yard Management Tribe Lead at Transporeon, answered the most burning questions submitted by our customers about digital transport documents and their impact on the logistics industry in our popular 10 Questions on… series. 

Read on to discover how digital documents save up to 75% of time typically spent per document, and learn the best practices for implementing digital documents based on the experience of Transporeon customers. Or, you can watch the video here.

Adrian Gonzalez (AG): What is a digital transport document, and how is it different from a paper document?

Gerry Daalhuisen (GD): It’s a common misconception that digital documents are simply PDF versions of print documents. A true digital transport document offers a lot more than that.

Digital transport documents enable all parties in the supply chain to access and collaborate on the electronic version of the document in real time so that they can share and enrich information in the document at each step throughout the process and have a single overview for all the parties involved. The output can be saved as a PDF file, but the real advantage is collaborating on the same piece of information, enriching the information available to all parties in each step, and using it to your advantage in the process.  

AG: What types of digital documents do you offer today? 

GD: At Transporeon, we have recently launched a product called Digital Transport Documents. It’s a module that can be used as a container to work with all kinds of logistics documents in a digital form. The first document we’ve delivered since April is eCMR, the electronic consignment note. e-CMR replaces the paper consignment note that has been used in Europe since 1956.

The e-delivery note will be added next, and we’re also looking into a cleaning certificate—a typical document in the chemical industry—as well as some customs and tax documents.

AG: Are digital document solutions universally recognised and accepted in different countries and regions?

GD: It depends on the type of document and the domestic regulations in each country. We initially started with eCMR because it follows a ratification process recognised by all the countries currently using the paper CMR. From 2026, all the countries in the European Union will be accepting the eCMR. Right now in Europe, almost every country has ratified eCMR, and the remaining countries are expected to ratify by 2026. And that provides a good background to get started. Acceptance is coming, and that means that the infrastructure is being built up. Then, adoption comes into play.

AG: Is sign-on-glass considered an authorised digital signature?

GD: The European Commission advises following their regulation that states that a digital signature must be logically linked to the person who signs the document. With sign-on-glass, that information is not available, but there are solutions for this, such as using a username and password to identify the person who has signed the document, or using a QR code with a two-factor PIN code sent to a mobile device to identify people securely using multi-factor authentication. Telematics inside the driver’s cabin or data from self-service kiosks at the yard entrance can also be used for this purpose.

AG: What are the primary benefits of implementing a digital document solution for businesses and the logistics industry?

GD: Surveys have shown that with a document like CMR, the average time spent on creating the document is 20 minutes. When you move to a digital version of it, you can save 15 minutes. So, 75% of the time that you would normally spend on a paper document can be saved and used elsewhere. Beyond that, there are a lot of indirect advantages. Since both the carrier and the shipper have access to the same data in real time, this can increase real-time visibility enormously. The moment the recipient has signed for the goods, the shipper and the carrier know that they have arrived. And if the goods are well-received, the carrier can directly submit the transport invoice. So invoicing is sped up, which is even more important to a carrier than saving time. In the case of shortages or damages, the shipper can directly take action to resend the goods that were damaged and start the dispute process in real time.

‘With a document like CMR, the average time spent on creating the document is 20 minutes. When you move to a digital version of it, you can save 15 minutes. So, 75% of the time that you would normally spend on a paper document can be saved and used elsewhere.’