Does a transport order have legal status in cross-border road freight?

A transport order is an operational instruction between the ordering party and the carrier — it is not the legal freight contract for cross-border road freight. The CMR consignment note is the legally governed document under the CMR Convention, issued at collection when the carrier takes custody of the goods. The transport order initiates the freight movement; the CMR note governs it from the moment the goods are loaded and in transit.

Read more about this topic in our article

What Is a Transport Order?