From signed CMR to invoice: closing the gap between delivery and payment

Where the days go

• The signed CMR travels back with the driver, or by post, before anyone in the office sees it.
• Someone checks it against the order: the weight, the pallets, the plates, the signature and any remarks.
• The charge is worked out and typed into the invoicing software.
• A mismatch found at the end sends the whole process back to the start.

The CMR as proof of delivery

The CMR consignment note, signed by the consignee, is the carrier's proof that the goods were delivered and in what condition. Remarks written on it, such as damage or missing pallets, matter for the invoice and for any claim. That is why the CMR has to be checked, not just filed.

Photograph it at the dock

The fastest CMR is one that never waits for the post. When the driver photographs the signed CMR at the delivery, the office has it within minutes. A clear photo of the whole sheet, with the signature and stamp visible, is enough to start the checks.

Check it against the order

The checks are always the same: does the gross weight match, are the pallets all there, are the tractor's and trailer's plates the ones on the run, is it signed. Reading these from the photo and comparing them with the order is exactly the kind of work software does well, as long as it leaves a field empty when it cannot read it, rather than guessing.

Invoice from the run

Once the delivery is checked, the charge is known. Making the invoice from the run, instead of typing it again, removes the last copy of the figures and the last chance of a typo. The invoice then waits in what customers owe, linked to its run, until it is paid.

What about the e-CMR?

The electronic CMR is allowed under the additional protocol to the CMR Convention, and it is growing across Europe. Many customers and consignees still sign paper, though, so most carriers handle both. The steps above apply to either: proof of delivery comes back fast, it is checked against the order, and the invoice is made from the run.

How Truvio does it

In Truvio, the driver photographs the signed CMR in the driver app. Truvio reads it and checks the gross weight, pallets, both plates and the signature against the order. The run closes and its charge waits in Charges ready to invoice; one click makes the invoice. Truvio reads paper CMRs today and does not issue e-CMRs yet.