What is the difference between a carrier and a transporter in European road freight?

In everyday logistics usage, carrier and transporter are interchangeable. In CMR Convention and EU road freight law, the transporter is the specific entity that signed the CMR consignment note as carrier at the loading address — accepting legal custody of the goods and responsibility for their condition at delivery. A company operates as both a carrier and a transporter simultaneously, but the terms carry different legal precision in cross-border freight documentation and claims processes.

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Logistics Concepts in European Freight