DeCA, CMR and e‑CMR.
Not three names for the same thing.

Step 01: Start with the route: domestic or international

The first question is not which template you have, but where the transport starts and ends. The DeCA falls within the administrative control of domestic road transport in Spain. The CMR Convention applies to international road carriage of goods when origin and destination are in different countries and the Convention's conditions are met.

• Domestic route subject to administrative control: check the DeCA and its possible exemptions.
• Origin and destination in different countries: check whether the contract falls under the CMR Convention and what the specific route requires.
• A national leg within a wider operation does not automatically make any document equivalent: identify the framework that applies to each service.

Step 02: Use the DeCA for administrative control of domestic transport

The electronic administrative control document proves the data required for certain public road freight transport. In 2026, its digital format must be generated before the service actually starts and be available during an inspection. It is an administrative document: it accompanies the goods and makes roadside control easier.

• It includes, among others, the contracting shipper, actual carrier, origin, destination, nature and weight of the goods, date and vehicle.
• The PDF must be native, legible, up to 5 MB, with a QR and a unique download URL.
• The driver presents the DeCA with its QR or, where appropriate, only the QR in an inspection.

Step 03: Use the CMR as the consignment note of the international contract

CMR refers to the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road and, in practice, also to its consignment note. Its main function is to document the contractual relationship and the data of the international transport. It is not simply the Spanish administrative document under another name.

• The CMR relates to the international transport contract, its parties and the goods carried.
• It can also be checked by authorities in cross-border operations, but its purpose does not automatically replace the administrative requirements of each country.
• If a consignment note is used as a control document in Spain, it must contain all the data required by Order FOM/2861/2012.

Step 04: Do not call a PDF sent by email an e‑CMR

The e‑CMR is an electronic consignment note under the Additional Protocol to the CMR Convention. The Protocol recognises its evidentiary equivalence with the CMR consignment note when it complies with its provisions. This implies an accessible electronic communication and an electronic certification method for the parties; attaching a static PDF to an email is not enough.

• The electronic consignment note must be able to be kept and consulted afterwards.
• The parties certify the e‑CMR with a reliable electronic signature or the procedure allowed by the applicable law.
• The procedure must make it possible to detect later changes to the certified data.

Step 05: Check whether a single document can cover both levels

The DeCA rules allow other transport document formats, including a consignment note, when they carry all the data required for the control document. For that same electronic document to cover the administrative level, it must also respect the DeCA characteristics: native PDF, QR with a specific URL, availability for inspection and retention.

• Expressly and separately identify the contracting shipper and the actual carrier.
• Do not omit origin, destination, nature and weight in the belief that the name CMR will be enough.
• Check that the driver's access and the download do not depend on logging in during the check.

Step 06: Tell the inspection moment from the contractual moment

In a roadside inspection, the immediate need is to be able to show the electronic control document or its QR. In the contractual relationship, the parties may need instructions, reservations, acceptance and certification of the transport document. They are different moments and may require different evidence, even when organised from the same system.

• For the DeCA: proof that the document existed before the service started and can be downloaded on the road.
• For the e‑CMR: proof of the electronic procedure and of the certification of the contract parties.
• For a paper CMR: check the operation agreed by sender, carrier and consignee.

Step 07: Give the driver what they need on the road

Before departure, share an accessible copy of the DeCA or the QR that leads to its download. If the service also uses a CMR or an e‑CMR, make sure the driver knows what evidence they carry, which they can present and whom to warn if the vehicle, the route or a reservation about the goods changes.

Step 08: Keep each piece of evidence with its function

Keep the electronic DeCA for at least one year and keep its download available for the parties that must retain it. Also keep the consignment note and the contractual history according to the agreed flow. Separating documents by their function makes it easier to respond to an inspection, a claim or an internal review without inventing equivalences afterwards.