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UCP 600 article 24 covers three separate and distinct types of transport documents - those covering road, rail and inland waterway. Of these, road transport is probably the most common in documentary credits with the CMR document used widely within Europe and surrounding countries. Inland waterway transport documents can take the form of a bill of lading, but will be examined under article 24, as is the case for a road or rail transport document.

Limited rules are given in respect of these three modes of transport and it is often left to the documentary credit to provide the more detailed rules that will be applicable to the examination of the presented document. As such, the terms and conditions of a documentary credit may require additional data to be stated. However, it is advisable for beneficiaries to ensure that the data is kept to the minimum as required by the rules and the terms and conditions of the documentary credit.

These documents are not documents of title, except when an inland waterway transport document is issued in the form of a bill of lading. In this respect, ISBP 745 paragraph J8 (c) states "When a credit requires an inland waterway transport document, paragraphs J8) (a) and (b) will apply except when the document is issued in the form of a bill of lading. In such event, the consignee field is to be completed according to the requirements of the credit."

Perhaps, not surprisingly, due to the greater prevalence of these modes of transport for shipping goods at the time, these types of transport document can be tracked as far back as UCP 82, which was published in 1933.

When preparing this type of document, the following considerations must be borne in mind:

• Signed as required by article 24, noting that if an agent signs on behalf of a carrier, the agent must be named and indicate the capacity in which it is signing i.e., ABC Co. as agent for the carrier, DEF Co.
• Appear to indicate the name of the carrier.
• Indicate the place of shipment and the place of destination stated in the documentary credit.
• Indicate receipt of the goods by signature, stamp or notation.
• Goods description does not conflict with the documentary credit.
• Indication of freight payment is in accordance with the requirements of the documentary credit.
• If the document does not state the number of originals, the number presented will be taken as the full set.
• Road transport documents must appear to be the original for consignor or shipper.
• Rail transport documents marked ‘duplicate' will be accepted as originals.
• Rail or inland waterway transport documents do not need to be marked as original in order to be accepted as original.
• Corrections and alterations on a RRIW require authentication. Such authentication is to appear to have been made by the carrier or any one of its named agents, who may be different from the agent that may have issued or signed the RRIW, provided it is identified as an agent of the carrier.
• Data is not to conflict with that shown in any other document.
• Otherwise meets the requirements of article 24.

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