# Waybill > A waybill is a transport document issued by a carrier that lists the goods, the route, and the parties involved, accompanying a shipment as a record of carriage. A waybill does three jobs: it is a receipt showing the carrier has taken over the goods, it is evidence of the contract of carriage, and it tells everyone handling the freight who the sender and receiver are and what is being carried. Unlike a bill of lading, a waybill is not a document of title: it cannot be traded, and the goods are released to the named consignee without the original being presented. Each mode has its own form. Road freight uses a consignment note — internationally the [CMR](https://transportial.com/en/glossary/cmr) under the 1956 CMR Convention, made out in three originals for sender, consignee and carrier. Air freight uses the air waybill (AWB); sea freight uses a sea waybill when no negotiable bill of lading is needed; international rail uses the CIM consignment note. Parcel and courier services print their own waybill on every label. The waybill number is the unique reference on that document, and the number you use to track the shipment. An air waybill number has 11 digits: a three-digit airline prefix followed by an eight-digit serial number, so the prefix alone tells you which airline carries the cargo. In road freight the CMR number and the carrier's own order or tracking number play the same role. Paper is giving way to electronic documents. For road freight the [e-CMR](https://transportial.com/en/glossary/e-cmr) has had a legal basis since the Additional Protocol to the CMR Convention entered into force in 2011. A TMS generates the right document from the order data — the free [CMR generator](https://transportial.com/en/tools/cmr-generator) does the same for a single shipment — and stores it with the order for a complete document trail. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is a waybill? A waybill is the document that accompanies freight and records who sends it, who receives it, what the goods are and which carrier moves them. It serves as a receipt and as evidence of the transport contract, but — unlike a bill of lading — not as proof of ownership. ### What is a waybill number? The unique reference number on a waybill, used to identify and track the shipment. In air freight it is the 11-digit air waybill number (a three-digit airline prefix plus a serial number); for parcels it is the tracking number on the label; in road freight it is the CMR or consignment note number. ### What is the difference between a waybill and a bill of lading? A bill of lading, used mainly in sea freight, is a document of title: whoever holds the original can claim the goods, so it can be traded or used under a letter of credit. A waybill is non-negotiable: the goods are delivered to the consignee named on it. Waybills are faster and simpler whenever ownership does not need to change hands in transit. ### Is a CMR a waybill? Yes. The CMR consignment note is the waybill of international road transport between countries that are party to the CMR Convention; in Dutch it is called the CMR-vrachtbrief. Its digital version is the e-CMR. --- Canonical page: https://transportial.com/en-us/glossary/waybill