Digitizing the consignment note increases data quality, enables faster throughput and saves resources. Across the EU, around 400 million paper documents and a large amount of valuable working time could be saved by using eCMR1.
The longstanding collaboration between the international transport organization LKW WALTER and EDITEL, a leading international provider of EDI solutions, has now evolved into a strategic partnership focused on the digital consignment note. The digitization of the CMR (CMR = international agreement on cross-border transport) represents the next logical step in optimizing logistics processes, according to both companies. Their joint project, the "Blockchain Initiative Logistics" for the digital consignment note, was already recognized as the Blockchain Project of the Year in 2019.
The implementation of eCMR not only ensures faster and more secure processes but also enhances data quality for customers, providing deeper transparency and additional integration possibilities. This includes transport management systems (TMS), customs, billing, transport damage settlement, and archiving. The introduction of the digital consignment note is supported by the EU’s eFTI regulation, which initially mandates that authorities in member states—and from 2027 onwards, all market participants—must accept or provide legally required transport information in electronic form.
Focus on sustainability, process optimization, and data quality
The digitization of the consignment note (eCMR) could save around 400 million paper documents annually within the European Union alone, equivalent to approximately 166,000 trees. Resource consumption (paper, labor hours) is significantly reduced across the entire value chain. At the same time, data quality improves, forming the foundation for automated transport execution processes and further efficiency gains for all stakeholders involved.
As an expert in full truckload transport, LKW WALTER brings extensive expertise and practical experience in logistics to the partnership. EDITEL, as a leading service provider for optimizing digital supply chain solutions, contributes its solution-oriented expertise. Both companies share core values such as stability and reliability, ensuring long-term benefits for customers. The collaboration is based on the powerful and innovative eCMR platform "FreightLogs," which is operated by EDITEL and utilized by LKW WALTER to enable the digital integration of freight documents for its customers today.
Michael Gschwandtner, Director of Digital Business, explains: “By fully integrating the eCMR solution operated by EDITEL into our processes, we are creating a highly scalable solution for our customers that can be deployed independently of specific freight forwarders across all overland transport. We ensure that the necessary data for process optimization is provided in high quality and in real-time, allowing our customers to utilize it for subsequent processes. In doing so, we continue to drive process automation forward and generate added value for our customers and partners.”
Advancing the digitization of freight documents together
Gerd Marlovits, CEO of EDITEL, comments on the new partnership: “Our expertise in digital supply chains and LKW WALTER’s extensive logistics know-how are a perfect match. That’s why we are very proud to support LKW WALTER as an innovative industry leader in digital consignment notes. eCMR is just the first step—the integration of additional digital transport documents will follow. Together, we ensure that all stakeholders benefit sustainably from optimized processes.”
The partners have set themselves the goal of significantly advancing the digitization of freight documents in the coming years, particularly through innovative solutions and the utilization of shared synergies. At the heart of this effort is service quality at the highest level. The collaboration between these two companies extends to all European countries in which they operate.
Note:
1: eCMR
eCMR refers to an additional protocol to the CMR. It establishes regulations for the electronic consignment note. The abbreviation CMR (from the French "Convention relative au contrat de transport international de marchandises par route") denotes an international agreement that governs cross-border road transport throughout Europe. As a result, the digital consignment note (eCMR) is equivalent to the physical CMR consignment note, provided that the requirements set forth in the additional protocol are met.
