General purpose papers
Many drivers are interested in what documents are needed to transport cargo, so that no problems arise in the event of an inspection with the competent authorities. The list of official papers is as follows:
- Driver's license for the right to drive a vehicle of the appropriate category.
- Waybill (Bill of Lading).
- An agreement between the sender, the recipient and the intermediary carrying out the transportation.
- Waybill.
All of the above documents are needed for the transportation of any types of goods, and cannot be replaced with other papers. It is worth noting some features of this documentation.
The invoice for the carriage of goods is one of the most important evidence that the driver will need to present during inspection. This document must be issued by the organization or person who is the sender. In this case, this paper must be officially approved by the appropriate seals. It must be made in four copies, one of which is received by the sender and the recipient, and two remain with the transport company. This document contains two important parts:
- Product section. This part indicates a complete description of the goods, which other documents for the carriage of goods do not provide.
- Transport section. This element should contain the most complete information about the route, the name of the sender and intermediary, as well as data about the driver and technical characteristics of the car.
Sample of filling out a consignment note. Product section (click on the image to enlarge)
Sample of filling out a consignment note. Transport section (click on the picture to enlarge)
In some cases, you can refuse the consignment note. Most often this happens when the buyer carries out transportation. Documents for the transportation of goods in this case do not require a specification form, since the entire process takes place between the two objects of the contract without intermediaries in the form of a transport company.
The contract must be signed. This is done by the driver or the forwarder accompanying the car. It is not necessary that this paper be original, as certified copies can be used. This confirms the legality of transportation. Instead of a contract, it is allowed to use a power of attorney if it also bears the appropriate seals of the organizations.
Rules for transporting cargo by road
Cargo transportation is carried out on the basis of a contract of carriage , under which the carrier undertakes to deliver the cargo entrusted to him by the sender to the destination and deliver it to the recipient, and the sender undertakes to pay the established fee for the carriage of cargo (clause 1 of Article 785 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation). The conclusion of a contract for the carriage of goods is confirmed by the preparation and issuance to the sender of the goods of a waybill, bill of lading or other document for the goods provided for by the transport charter or code (clause 2 of Article 785 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation). In other words, there is no need to draw up a separate agreement. The mere execution of a waybill (or other transportation document) already indicates the existence of a contract. As you can see, the Code does not require the preparation of technical specifications, but allows for “another document”. The old TTN form may well become this. According to the Rules, a contract of carriage can be concluded through the carrier’s acceptance of an order (clause 6 of the Rules). The person who needs to organize transportation (this can be either the buyer or the seller, depending on the terms of sale of the goods) sends an order to the carrier. If there is an agreement on the organization of cargo transportation, when systematic transportation is carried out (Article 798 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation), the cargo owner sends an application to the carrier. The Rules do not offer a unified order and application form. This can be any document, letter, message that would indicate the intention of the cargo owner. The submission of an order (application) does not yet indicate the conclusion of an agreement, but only the intention to conclude it. The carrier, having received the order (application), within three days informs the shipper of consent or refusal (with written justification of the reasons). Next, the shipper will issue a waybill, and this already indicates the existence of a contract. So, a waybill is drawn up when the transportation of goods is carried out under a contract for the carriage of goods. Let's consider the possible options.
Paperwork
The waybill must be issued by the company directly involved in transportation. This form must have certain elements, among which experts highlight:
- type of car and its license plate number;
- name of the organization that issued the document;
- information on the amount of fuel consumption;
- date of registration;
- cargo invoice number.
Sample of filling out a waybill (click on the picture to enlarge)
Sample of filling out a waybill (click on the picture to enlarge)
The waybill is issued together with a tear-off coupon - a special element that is issued by the customer of the cargo and certified by his own seals. This form is processed by the transport company, after which it, along with a check for the service provided, is sent to the person who ordered it.
The waybill form must be filled out by the appropriate persons, who are the medical officer of the organization, the dispatcher and the technical worker. It is important not only to correctly fill out the documents for transporting cargo, but also to give the driver the appropriate permission.
Additional Document Types
The question of what documents are needed to transport cargo is quite difficult to answer unequivocally. This is due to the fact that there are quite a lot of nuances in each specific case that should be taken into account. Without them, responsible persons may receive a fine for non-compliance with laws or have certain difficulties dealing with the competent authorities.
If necessary, the following documents must be prepared for transporting cargo by road:
- Agreement and document confirming the actual shipment of goods.
- Invoice for goods, if incomplete information about the transported cargo was indicated in the consignment note.
- Vehicle title and technical inspection.
- Document of compulsory insurance of the vehicle owner.
- An employment contract under which the driver works, if he is not the direct owner of the car (or a copy of this document).
- Sanitary passport if food products are transported.
- Certificate confirming the quality of the product.
- A book indicating the temperature of the refrigerator-refrigerator if perishable products are transported.
- Veterinary passport if animals are transported.
- A certificate issued for products containing alcohol if alcoholic beverages are transported.
What accompanying documents are needed to transport cargo is determined directly by the type of cargo. In each specific case, this may be an individual, unique package of papers, so it is very important to be extremely careful when receiving and filling them out.
Source documents
The main and main document is considered to be the consignment note - this is a transportation document that confirms the conclusion of the contract concluded between the cargo carrier and the consignee. A consignment note can be drawn up for each consignment of cargo separately, or for the entire cargo as a whole. It is drawn up in 3 copies for each party to the agreement: cargo carrier, consignor and consignee.
The consignment note has a unified form and must contain a number of data, including:
- data on the concluded transportation contract, which indicates the details of the carrier, the date and time of dispatch and receipt by the consignee;
- requirements for the transportation process from the technological side;
- list of documents that were transferred to the carrier;
- turnaround time;
- obligations of the parties to the contract;
- instructions for the carrier, as well as a place where comments can be indicated if the client is dissatisfied with the quality of the work.
- additional data that is entered at the discretion of the parties to the cargo transportation agreement.
Primary documents also include a waybill. This document provides the driver with the opportunity to leave the garage in a vehicle. In the waybill, the driver must indicate the following information: driver’s full name, characteristics of the vehicle with confirmation of its serviceability, task for the driver, data on the cargo being transported, calculation and control of fuel.
Special cases of transportation
In some cases, special documents are required for the transportation of goods by road. These include the following official papers:
- A certificate confirming the company’s right to transport large or dangerous goods.
- Certificate indicating the driver’s preparatory process for carrying out work transporting dangerous goods. In it, the total driving experience must exceed three years without interruption of this work activity. If the driver does not have the appropriate experience, the collected and executed documents for the transportation of goods are of no importance.
- A certificate confirming the safety and quality characteristics of cargo packaging.
- Special identification mark for dangerous goods.
- A certificate confirming the preparation of a vehicle for the carriage of dangerous goods.
- Pre-created route sheet with transportation permission period.
- Telephone numbers and addresses of all persons concerned with the transportation of these dangerous goods.
- A specially designed waybill, which indicates the hazard number of the cargo in accordance with UN standards.
The above documents for the carriage of goods by road are considered mandatory only under certain circumstances. In addition, such transportation still needs to be coordinated with the traffic police. The following cases that contribute to this should be highlighted: transportation of high-risk cargo; transportation in difficult road and climatic conditions; traveling in a convoy with more than 3 cars.
Documents for the transportation of cargo that has unusually large dimensions or weight are supplemented with special papers authorizing these actions. In this case, you will also have to pay a certain amount of money as a state fee.
Transportation of secret documents is carried out according to special rules. This is due to the fact that their design, reproduction, development and handling are much more difficult than with ordinary papers. Transportation of secret documents requires a strictly guarded vehicle and special storage conditions.
Documents required for road freight transportation across Russia
No commercial cargo transportation can be carried out without documentary support. Documents for the cargo, firstly, confirm the very fact of transportation and the fact that the driver carrying the cargo did not steal it or take it out without permission from some warehouse. Secondly, they determine the cost of transportation (which, by the way, is included in the final cost of the goods!), regulate relations with the carrier and are the basis for settlements with him.
Since cargo transportation involves the movement of goods from one owner to another, then, thirdly, documents are necessary for accounting: write-off and receipt of goods. Fourthly, they can generally serve as evidence that the vehicle is allowed to travel on roads, and the cargo it transports satisfies mandatory requirements. And fifthly, the necessary documentation helps to maintain statistical records and other types of control.
Mandatory set of documents
In principle, different documents may be required in different cases: it all depends on what kind of cargo the car is carrying. However, at the same time, there is a standard set of documents
, which must accompany every commercial cargo transportation across the territory of the Russian Federation. It includes:
- transport (or goods-transport) waybill;
- waybill;
- agreement between the shipper (or consignee) and the carrier.
Consignment note
(or invoice in form 1-T) is the main document that performs a dual function: on the one hand, it contains all the necessary information about the cargo and serves as the basis for writing off and recording the goods, and on the other hand, it keeps records of the transport work done and determines the relationship the shipper (or consignee) with the carrier and establishes the procedure for payment for transport services provided.
However, at the same time, the consignment note is not the only document that can accompany and regulate the cargo transportation process. From July 25, 2011, after the Government of the Russian Federation approved the “Rules for the transportation of goods by road”, a new form began to be used - the waybill
.
As the name suggests, this document is “responsible” only for transport services, and therefore is not used for accounting and write-off of goods. For these purposes, a consignment note
(form TORG-12) is used. By the way, it is not among the documents required to accompany the cargo. Since this consignment note is intended specifically for the shipper and consignee, it is issued in two copies and can be transmitted both through the driver and through other communication channels (mail, Internet).
However, due to the fact that the validity of the consignment note has not yet been cancelled, two options can be used equally for commercial cargo transportation: either a consignment note or a transport consignment note (supplemented by a consignment note - TORG-12). By the way, the confusion in the documentation is such that it is often recommended to fill out both forms for one flight.
Waybill
is intended for settlements within the carrier company: calculating wages to the driver, writing off fuel costs, depreciation, etc., as well as to confirm the fact of cargo transportation. It is handed to the driver and contains information such as: information about the vehicle, its owner and driver, route, cargo weight and transport/waybill number, speedometer readings, number of trips completed, start and end time of the task. etc. In addition, a waybill is a document that the transport inspectorate has the right to require to verify the legality of cargo transportation.
Agreement between the shipper (consignee) and the carrier
as a document accompanying the cargo, it primarily confirms that the transportation of this cargo is entrusted to this particular carrier.
Plus, it, of course, determines the rights, obligations and responsibilities of the parties, terms and conditions of delivery, payment procedure, etc. power of attorney for the carriage of goods, issued by the consignor or consignee in the name of the driver, can be used in the same way
What other documents may be needed when transporting cargo across the Russian Federation?
As already noted, it all depends on what kind of cargo is being transported. For hazardous substances, large and heavy cargo, food, etc. Additional, but no less mandatory, accompanying documentation will be required. Namely:
- Permission to travel on roads:
obtained when transporting dangerous, large and/or heavy cargo. - ADR certificate:
confirms the fact that the vehicle is approved for the carriage of dangerous goods.
In addition, the driver
transporting dangerous goods must also have an ADR certificate of completion of appropriate training. - Written instructions:
are drawn up when transporting dangerous goods and describe the threat posed by the substance/article being transported, as well as the necessary measures that must be taken in the event of a particular emergency. - ATP certificate:
issued for a vehicle approved for transportation of perishable goods. - Checklist for checking the temperature of the cargo and the air in the body of the car:
its presence is a prerequisite if perishable goods are transported. - Safety data sheet for chemical products:
issued for a hazardous substance (product), describes its composition, characteristics, chemical and physical properties, potential threats, as well as general principles for handling it, and therefore is necessary both for drawing up a transportation plan and directly for loading -unloading, warehousing and transportation. - Veterinary certificate:
confirms the absence of pathogens of dangerous diseases in transported products of animal origin (or, in fact, in the animals themselves). - Quarantine certificate:
indicates the safety of products of plant origin and is required if these products are exported outside the established quarantine phytosanitary zone.
In addition, other certificates may accompany the cargo: sanitary and epidemiological conclusion, fire safety certificate, radiation control certificate, declaration of conformity, environmental certificate... Depending on the type of cargo, they can be either mandatory or voluntary, but for transportation directly inside Russia, as a rule, does not require their presence: they are needed after the cargo becomes a commodity and arrives for sale.
, an invoice is also attached to the package of documents for the cargo
and a contract between supplier and buyer, but in fact their requirement is unnecessary.
Naturally, in no case should we forget about driver’s documents and vehicle documents.
, which are mandatory regardless of whether the car is traveling empty or loaded and what kind of cargo it is carrying. This:
- driver's license;
- vehicle registration certificate;
- technical inspection certificate;
- compulsory civil liability insurance policy (OSAGO);
- a copy of the employment contract between the driver and the transport company (if the driver is not the owner of the vehicle).
Regarding cargo insurance
, then this measure is not mandatory when carrying out domestic Russian road freight transportation, and therefore entirely depends on the will of the consignee or consignor and cannot be required by any regulatory authority.
Fines for violations of transportation rules
The Ministry of Transport has adopted another law that concerns road transportation. According to the bill, penalties for transportation without the appropriate accompanying papers will be increased. It is worth noting that both the drivers themselves and the company will be subject to fines. If the driver does not have a bill of lading, a work order, a cargo bill of lading and a work order, then the driver will be forced to pay up to 1,500 rubles, and as for officials, the amount will increase to 20,000 rubles. Transport companies, in turn, will pay a fine of up to 250 thousand rubles.
Transporting cargo without accompanying documents may result in a fine or deprivation of your driver's license. That is why it is very important to carefully fill out all the paperwork in each of the authorities that are responsible for this procedure.
