The waybill is a document accompanying goods and is regulated from §407 of the German Commercial Code (HGB). As a freight document, it contains, among other data, information about the goods to be transported, the senders and receivers involved, the destination and the payment.
There must be three copies of every waybill: One each for the carrier, the sender and the receiver. Every copy is signed in advance by the sender.
Since 1998, waybills are no longer mandatory within Germany. Delivery notes, bordereaux or loading lists, for example, are also legally valid. Depending on the means of transport, the waybill is also referred to as an air waybill, a sea waybill or a railway consignment note.
In international road freight transport, the CMR agreement is valid, as is the international waybill, the so-called CMR waybill.
What information does a waybill contain?
In contains the most important key data of the transport, such as:
• Name and address of the sender, receiver and carrier
• Issuing location and date
• Location and date of acceptance of goods
• Type of goods and packaging
• Customs information
• Transport information (e.g. dangerous goods information)
• Weight and quantity of the goods
• Payment and transport cost information
The sender and carrier can also agree on additional information that is recorded in the waybill.
What is the function of a waybill?
The waybill represents the contract of the transport order between all parties involved and serves as a mutual hedging of the transport risk. The carrier is, on behalf of the transport company, obligated to deliver the undamaged goods at the destination by the desired date. From a legal point of view, the carrier is the owner of the goods during the transport.
• Information carrier function
The waybill is a carrier of information regarding the properties and quantity of the cargo, its handling and the transport.
• Proof function
A signed waybill serves as proof that the transport takes place under the named conditions. It also serves as proof of the carrier’s confirmation that the quantity and state of the cargo match the specifications at handover.
• Receipt function
Due to the abovementioned proof function, the waybill also serves as a receipt, since the papers document the handover to the carrier. It is assumed that the goods are handed over in perfect condition.