Signing a CMR without an app: how links work

Who signs the CMR note

The CMR consignment note has three signature boxes:

• box 22: the sender, at loading,
• box 23: the carrier, usually the driver, on taking over the goods,
• box 24: the consignee, on delivery of the goods.

The CMR Convention requires the signatures of the sender and the carrier on the note (Article 5), while the consignee's signature confirms delivery. The Additional Protocol to the CMR Convention provides for an electronic consignment note, which the parties authenticate with an electronic signature. Check the sources at the bottom of the page for exactly what the Protocol says and which countries it applies in.

The problem: everyone would need the app

Many e-CMR systems assume that every party has an account or an installed app. In practice, a warehouse worker at loading won't create an account for a single shipment, a consignee in another country doesn't know your system, and a subcontractor's driver uses something else on their phone.

The result is that the electronic document ends up printed for signing, and we are back to paper.

That is why in eCMR One only the company running the shipment needs an account. The other parties sign from a link, and the carrier doesn't have to persuade anyone to install anything or register in an unfamiliar system.

How signing by link works in eCMR One

1. You send a signature request

In the shipment, you choose a party: sender, carrier or consignee. You enter their email address and the app sends the link. You can also copy the link and pass it on yourself, for example via a messaging app. Sending by SMS is coming soon.

2. The signer opens the link on their phone

The link opens in the phone's regular browser. The signer doesn't create an account, log in or install anything. They see the transport data and can check it before signing.

3. Signing with a finger

The signature is drawn with a finger on the phone screen, just like on paper.

4. The signature goes into the document

You see the signature immediately in the shipment and in the CMR-layout PDF. Nobody has to send back photos or the original.

The driver doesn't need an app either

The driver signs as the carrier from their own link, in the phone's browser. This matters for subcontractors and drivers who work for several companies: a phone with a browser is all they need.

The app and an account are an option for those who want all their shipments at hand, such as a dispatcher or a driver who drives for your company every day.

A typical shipment, step by step

1. The office issues the note in eCMR One using saved business partners and a saved vehicle.
2. Before loading, it sends the signature link to the sender, for example the warehouse.
3. The driver opens their link and signs as the carrier on taking over the goods.
4. At unloading, the consignee receives a link and confirms receipt.
5. The office sees the full set of signatures in the shipment and downloads the CMR-layout PDF.

The order, and who sends the link, depend on your own process. The link can be sent in advance or on the spot, when the party is standing next to the driver.

What you gain

• Signatures without being where the document is: the party doesn't need the same printout in their hands.
• Nothing to install for business partners: an email or a link in a messaging app is enough.
• The document in the office immediately: the consignee's signature is in the shipment the moment it is given, so you can prepare the invoice on the day of unloading.
• One PDF with all signatures to send to your client.

How much this saves compared with paper is covered in Paper CMR vs e-CMR.

How to prepare your business partners

The signature link works without instructions, but a first message from an unknown sender may get ignored. Before the first shipment, send a short note, for example:

“For your next shipment, you will receive an email with a link to sign the CMR consignment note. Just open it on your phone, check the details and sign with your finger. There is no need to create an account or install an app.”

Ask the driver to show the consignee where the link is at the first unloading, if they haven't opened the message yet.

Questions and answers

Does the consignee need an eCMR One account?

No. The consignee, sender and driver sign from a link in the browser, with no account and no login.

What if a party hasn't given an email address?

Copy the link and pass it on another way, for example via a messaging app. Sending by SMS is coming soon.

Is the signature visible in the PDF?

Yes. The signatures are in the shipment and in the CMR-layout PDF, which you can download and send to your client.

Does the signer need internet access?

Yes. The link opens a page in the browser, so the phone must be online when opening the link and signing.

Where signing by link works best

• Subcontractors: another company's driver doesn't need your app or an account.
• Consignees abroad: the link opens in the browser, so the consignee doesn't need to know your system.
• Warehouses with shift staff: whoever is at the loading dock signs, without you creating an account for them.
• Regular customers: after the first shipment, signing from a link becomes routine, just like signing on paper.

In each of these cases, paper requires the party and the printout to be in the same place. A link only requires a phone.

Signing by link vs signing a printout

• Location: a printout is signed wherever it is; a link opens on the signer's phone.
• Copies: on paper each party has its own copy; with e-CMR everyone sees the same document.
• Back to the office: a printout comes back with the driver or by post; a signature from a link is in the shipment immediately.
• Legibility: on carbon copies, signatures and remarks are often illegible; on screen the transport data is clear.

Things to watch out for

• The party's correct email address. The link goes wherever you send it; with a copied link, you decide who you pass it to.
• Agreement with business partners. Before the first shipment, let the sender and consignee know they will receive a link instead of paper.
• Your client's consent to an electronic document. Check whether the customer accepts a signed PDF as proof of delivery.
• A phone with internet access at the time of signing.

Try it on one shipment

The easiest way to test signing by link is on one shipment with a regular business partner. Create an eCMR One account, issue a note and send the signature link. If for now you only need a document to print, use the free CMR generator.