Electronic transport bills become mandatory

From September 1, 2026, Russian logistics is moving to a new stage of digitalization: electronic consignment note (ETR) It will become mandatory for all types of cargo transportation - road, rail and aviation. This decision is enshrined in a large-scale reform that covers the entire transport sector and is aimed at increasing transparency, reducing paperwork and accelerating business processes.

What is an electronic transport consignment note

Electronic consignment note (ETR) This is a digital analogue of a paper document that accompanies the cargo during transportation.

It contains all the necessary information:

• information about the consignor and consignee;
• description of the cargo (weight, volume, characteristics);
• Conditions of transportation and route;
• data of the carrier and forwarder;
• signatures of the parties (in electronic form).

Unlike paper forms, ETRN is fixed and stored in State Information System of Electronic Transport Documents (GIS EPD).

GIS EPD: How does it work?

The state information system of electronic transportation documents has been operating since 2022. It unites participants of the transportation process in a single digital environment.

The main functions of GIS EPD are:

• registration, signing and storage of ETRN;
• automatic verification of data correctness;
• integration with the systems of carriers and forwarders;
• Remote access to documents for all parties.

This eliminates duplication, reduces errors in filling and simplifies interaction between participants in transportation.

Why you need to switch to ETRN

The main objectives of the introduction of electronic consignment notes:

• Reducing costs The refusal of paper workflow will save up to 170 billion rubles by 2030.
• Accelerating processes Processing documents will take minutes, not days.
• Transparency of transport - the possibility of forgery and loss of invoices is excluded.
• Analytics and monitoring The state and business will receive up-to-date data on cargo flows.
• Environmental impact Reduction of paper documents will reduce the burden on nature.

Electronic register of forwarders

Another important innovation is related to freight forwarding. S March 1, 2026 begin forwarderRegistration will become mandatory.

Objectives of the registry:

• confirm the legality of freight forwarders;
• Increase confidence in their services;
• reduce the risks to shippers and recipients;
• Create a transparent system of responsibility for market participants.

How to prepare a company n

The transition to the new rules will require business to take preliminary steps. To avoid disruption after September 1, 2026, it is recommended that:

1. Examine regulatory requirements - get acquainted with the regulations of the FCS, the Ministry of Transport and the FTS.
2. Implementing IT solutions Integrate corporate ERP and logistics systems with GIS EPD.
3. Register in the forwarding register - for companies engaged in freight forwarding activities.
4. Training staff - to establish the practice of working with digital signatures, ETRN and electronic archives.
5. Conduct test transportations - issue invoices in electronic form until the mandatory transition.

Possible difficulties

Despite the obvious advantages, the reform has potential difficulties:

• the need to purchase or modify software;
• increasing the burden on IT departments of companies;
• training of employees and adaptation of business processes;
• technical failures during the mass launch of the system.

However, the experience of the pilot projects of 2023-2025 shows that these problems are solvable and gradually reduced to a minimum.

Since 2026 consignment note It will become an integral part of logistics in Russia. For business, this is not just a new form of documentation, but a step towards the complete digitalization of the transportation process.

Those companies that prepare in advance will win: they will establish integration with GIS EPD, train employees and register in the forwarding register.

ETRN is not only a requirement of the law, but also an optimization tool, which in the coming years will become the standard of work in the cargo transportation market.