Which documents may accompany a freight transport

In brief

When people ask, “which documents must a truck carry?”, the right answer is it depends on the transport. A domestic journey with ordinary goods, an international trip to France, ADR carriage, waste transport and cabotage do not require the same documentation.

An SME should therefore avoid the false reassurance of a standard folder and build a matrix by type of assignment: domestic/international, own account/haulage for third parties, ordinary/special goods, EU/non-EU, vehicle weight and category, and any cabotage.

There is no identical folder for every trip

Documents can be divided into four groups:

1. documents for the goods and the commercial transaction;
2. documents for the transport contract/service;
3. licences and documents for the company, vehicle and driver;
4. special documents linked to the goods, country or regime.

The checklist must be prepared with advisers and official sources on the basis of the company’s actual activity. This article is intended as orientation, not as a substitute for regulatory verification.

Commercial and transport documents

DDT

The Documento di Trasporto (DDT) can document delivery/shipment of goods and support deferred invoicing under Presidential Decree 472/1996 and VAT rules. It is not, however, a “bill that is mandatory for every truck”.

Consignment note / CMR

In international road transport subject to the CMR Convention, the consignment note is the usual document recording the contract and the required information.

Transport order

It is useful for organisation and for reconstructing the assignment, but it does not automatically replace the required legal or tax documents.

POD

It is the proof of delivery required by the process or contract and may take different forms.

Company documents and authorisations

Specific requirements and registers apply to access to the road haulage profession and the conduct of the activity. In Italy, the Registro Elettronico Nazionale (REN) and the Albo nazionale degli autotrasportatori di cose per conto di terzi are central elements for the businesses concerned, together with the establishment, good repute, financial standing and professional competence requirements provided for by the European and national framework.

For international carriage of goods in the EU, a Community licence may be required in the cases set out by Regulation (EC) No 1072/2009. Conditions vary according to the vehicle and activity; the Mobility Package also introduced rules for light vehicles used in international transport.

Driver and vehicle documents

Depending on the vehicle and service, the following may be relevant:

• an appropriate driving licence;
• a Driver Qualification Card (CQC), where required;
• a driver card for the tachograph where applicable;
• vehicle registration documents;
• insurance cover and related documents;
• relevant inspections and authorisations;
• a driver attestation for third-country nationals in the cases provided for in EU international transport.

Not every document must necessarily be shown in the same format or kept in the same place: the applicable rules and the prescribed inspection arrangements must be followed.

Special goods and operations

Documentation increases when transport involves specific categories. Some examples:

Dangerous goods (ADR). An ADR transport document, instructions, certificates and specific equipment may be required depending on the goods, quantity, vehicle and any exemptions.

Waste. Waste traceability is governed by its own rules, now also involving the RENTRI system and the forms provided for by the environmental framework.

Customs. For goods to or from non-EU countries, customs documents and declarations, transit, TIR or other procedures may be required.

Food, animals, medicines, temperature-controlled goods, abnormal loads. Specific certificates, registers, authorisations and requirements may apply.

The list is not exhaustive: this is precisely why the first classification of an order should state the type of goods and journey.

Is the transport sheet still mandatory?

No: the transport sheet introduced in 2009 was abolished with effect from 1 January 2015. Continuing to include it in a standard checklist as a current obligation causes confusion.

This does not mean that the obligations to document transport or provide information during an inspection have disappeared: it means that this particular document is no longer the general requirement it was introduced to be.

International transport and cabotage

In EU international transport, Regulation 1072/2009 governs, among other matters, the Community licence and cabotage. After an incoming international transport operation, the regime permits, subject to the applicable conditions, up to three cabotage operations within seven days; the Mobility Package also introduced a four-day cooling-off period in the same Member State for the same vehicle after cabotage has been completed.

The rule requires the haulier to be able to provide clear evidence of the preceding international transport and of the cabotage operations. It is therefore not enough to have “any CMR”: the documents must make it possible to demonstrate the required sequence.

How to build a company checklist

Create a table with rows for each type of trip and columns for each document. For example:

The final table must be validated against your actual activity.