CMR document is not printing the material if commodity code is available

[Former Member]

Hi all,

when printing the CMR for a shipment, the material number and description is not printed if the commodity code of the material is filled in the material master.  But this CMR document is an official document for forward carrier, customer...

On the big bags are labels attached with the material number and description (e.g. EXPP121A Talcum filled 10% PP).  On the CMR document only the commodity code is printed (in this case 39023000 Polypropylene).  This is not clear for the customer nor for the forwarding agent who both have to sign off the CMR document.

This is hard coded, but can somebody explain me what the reasoning is behind this?

thanks, Jurgen

[JL23 · Accepted solution]

do a Google picture search for CMR forms

even the given forms do not ask for a material description.

Or see here the details https://www.sva.nl/sites/vervoeradres/files/PDF/6041-CMR-Verdrag%20Engels-A4web.pdf

For your customer you have actually a delivery note with all the details

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Jürgen,

you are right in terms of the CMR convention.  But the delivery note is sent to the customer, not given to the forwarding agent. 

So the customer receives a delivery note which says: 18000kg EXPP121A Talcum filled 10% PP

And the forwarding agent receives the CMR document which says: 18000kg 39023000

The driver arrives to pick up 18ton of "EXPP121A Talcum filled 10% PP" and the end customer expects "EXPP121A Talcum filled 10% PP" to be delivered.  If the driver arrives at the customer's gate with a paper stating that he is delivering 18000kg 39023000, he will be sent back.

Combine that with the fact that your forwarding agent is coming out of Eastern Europe and doesn't understand anything you say...

And that's how it works in real life.

cheers

[JL23 · Accepted solution]

Yes, in real life they come with trucks having slick tires and some do need even have a driver license, do not care about overloading and load safety.

Nevertheless the CMR is an official paper specific for the purpose of international transport and it is a kind of contract between you and your carrier, while the delivery note is the information for your customers.

Usually the delivery note, at least a copy is going with the goods, either handed over to the driver or directly attached to a package.

I can still remember my first days in the company when the carriers just gave me a CMR copy, and I struggled to find the right order to post the receipt (at that time actually writing a receipt paper and passing it to accounting). I quickly matched the inbound process to our outbound process. And as we gave CMR and delivery note to the driver, and drivers from our local carrier confirmed that most companies do this, I started asking for the delivery note and in most cases I was able to get copy from the carrier.