CMR regulations just stipulate “three original copies”. That doesn’t mean that the notes themselves have to be purchased in NCR sets or whatever, it just means that you can’t use, for example, two faxed copies of the first page. I’ve seen CMRs printed off a laser printer with all the consignment details completed.
Despite the usual received wisdom there’s no requirement to use ‘a CMR note’ at all, just a consignment note that supplies the details as listed in the CMR regulations. There’s no legal requirement that the notes have to be of a particular format. I’d imagine that it makes it a bit easier when dealing with foreign officials if you use standard notes, but there’s no legal requirement to do so.
I’ve put a link to the IRU standard CMR note here.
Posted under Courier Basics
Posted by Alec at 7:50 am, May 10, 2008
There’s nothing in the Carriage of Goods by Road Act 1965 which specifies the format of the note, just what details appear on it.
The law says 3 original copies, not 4, and I’m not saying that it doesn’t need 3 copies, I’m just saying that it doesn’t have to be a ‘CMR note’ in the standard format and it doesn’t need to be an NCR set.
That’s the legal position anyway, personally I wouldn’t like to take the chance that some jobsworth official will know the rules well enough to accept that anything other than a standard CMR note is acceptable.
I can’t see an issue with printing off the 4 part set from the link I provided though. I’d maybe want an original signature on each sheet but appart from that I don’t see a problem.
But then again it wouldn’t be me that had the problem if I’m wrong…..
It’s pretty easy to alter just one sheet of an NCR set though, so I can’t see what difference it makes.