eCMR Software: The Consignment Note Your Driver Never Has to Carry

Definition: eCMR (electronic consignment note) is the digital form of the CMR document under the e-CMR Protocol to the CMR Convention. In CargoMind the eCMR is generated from the transport order, carries a lifecycle (draft → issued → in transit → delivered), and is signed by sender, carrier and consignee with an advanced electronic signature based on an e-mail one-time PIN, in line with eIDAS Article 26.

What is in the CargoMind eCMR

• Generated from the order — parties, places, goods, plates and references come from the transport order; the classic CMR PDF, the transport order PDF and the e-CMR are produced for you.
• Three signatures, one method — each party appoints an e-mail address; a 6-digit PIN is sent there (10-minute validity, five attempts, resend throttle) and entering it applies the signature with the verified e-mail, timestamp, IP, user agent and the SHA-256 hash of the document.
• Reservations (observations) — the signing party can record damage or shortage remarks at signature time, as on the paper note.
• QR sharing at the ramp — the driver shows a QR code; the consignee opens a public signing page on their own phone, requests a PIN to the appointed address and signs. The link is a revocable capability and never exposes the signature audit trail, commercial terms or the driver's licence.
• Lifecycle guard — once the consignee has signed, the note is locked; manual status changes follow a strict transition map, so a delivered note cannot be silently edited.
• Ask the AI — "is the eCMR for CM-2026-0012 signed?", "which eCMRs are waiting for the consignee?" are answered from the lifecycle and signature records.

eFTI and the road to mandatory digital freight data

The EU eFTI Regulation obliges authorities to accept freight transport information electronically; Bulgaria's national CMR legislation was updated in 2025. CargoMind's e-CMR is kept in that format, and the document, its signatures and its hash remain available for inspection and for the customer portal. Carriers who move to eCMR now avoid the scan-and-e-mail routine and get their proof of delivery — and therefore their invoice — the same day.

Driver side: no paperwork, no app store

The driver app (a web app installed from a link, or the Telegram and WhatsApp bots) shows the stops, collects POD photos and presents the eCMR QR code at loading and delivery. Documents uploaded by drivers are filed automatically as CMR or POD by AI, and the driver's online folder lets them sign company paperwork with the same PIN method instead of on paper.

Frequently asked questions

Is the eCMR signature legally valid?

The signature is an advanced electronic signature: it is uniquely linked to the signer through the appointed e-mail address and one-time PIN, records the verified e-mail, timestamp, IP and user agent, and binds the SHA-256 hash of the document, in line with eIDAS Article 26. Acceptance by a specific authority or counterparty follows national rules on the e-CMR Protocol.

Can the consignee sign without a CargoMind account?

Yes. The driver shows a QR code; the consignee opens the public signing page, requests a PIN to the e-mail appointed on the note and signs. No account or app is needed.

Does CargoMind still produce the paper CMR?

Yes. The classic CMR consignment note PDF is generated from the order alongside the eCMR, for customers and countries that still require paper.

What does eCMR cost?

eCMR is part of the CargoMind TMS on every plan; there is no per-document fee for issuing or signing an eCMR. Pro is €48 per office user per month (€40 billed yearly), drivers free; each eCMR signature is 1 AI transaction.