MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT DOCUMENTCentral

Section 9 of The Multimodal Transportation of Goods Act, 1993

The multimodal transport document shall contain the following particulars, namely:--- 1[(a) the general nature of the goods, the leading marks necessary for identification of the goods, the character of the goods (including dangerous goods), the number of packages or units and the gross weight and quantity of the goods as declared by the consignor;]

(b)apparent condition of the goods;
(c)the name and principal place of business of the multimodal transport operator;
(d)the name of the consignor;
(e)the name of the consignee, if specified by the consignor;
(f)the place and date of taking charge of the goods by the multimodal transport operator;
(g)the place of delivery of the goods; 2[(h) the date or the period of delivery of the goods by the multimodal transport operator as expressly agreed upon between the consignor and the multimodal transport operator;]
1. (i)whether it is negotiable or non-negotiable;
(j)the place and date of its issue; 3[(k) freight payable by the consignor or the consignee, as the case may be, to be mentioned only if expressly agreed by both the consignor and the consignee;]
(l)the signature of the multimodal transport operator or of a person duly authorised by him;
(m)the intended journey route, modes of transport and places of transhipment, if known at the time of its issue;
(n)terms of shipment and a statement that the document has been issued subject to and in accordance with this Act; and
(o)any other particular which the parties may agree to insert in the document, if any such particular is not inconsistent with any law for the time being in force: 4[Provided that the absence of any of the particulars listed above shall not affect the legal character of the multimodal transport document.]

Summary

The multimodal transport document must list specific details, including the nature, identification marks, weight, quantity, and package count of the goods as declared by the sender.
It must state the apparent condition of the goods, names of the parties, places and dates of taking charge, delivery, and issue of the document.
It must clearly indicate whether the document is negotiable or non-negotiable, and contain the signature of the operator or their authorized representative.
Shipping fees (freight) are only mentioned if both the sender and the receiver have expressly agreed to include them.
It should show the planned route, modes of transport, and places where goods will be transferred between vehicles, if these are known when the document is issued.
Importantly, if any of the required details are missing from the document, its legal validity and character as a multimodal transport document remain fully intact.

Practical examples

1When issuing a document for a shipment of coffee beans on May 15, 2026, operator Karan notes that the 50 sacks are in apparent good condition, lists his principal office in Mumbai, and adds a statement that the shipment is governed by the Act. Even though he leaves out the intended route because it is not yet known, the document remains legally valid.

2Sunder ships 100 laptop computers to a client in Kenya. The document lists Sunder as the sender, and since Sunder and his client agreed to state the freight of 2,000 dollars, operator Meera includes it in the document. She signs the document and clearly marks it as Non-Negotiable.

FAQ

1. What happens if some of the required details are missing from the transport document?

The absence of any listed details does not affect the legal character or validity of the multimodal transport document.

2. Under what condition can the shipping cost (freight) be written in the document?

The freight can only be mentioned in the document if both the sender (consignor) and the receiver (consignee) have expressly agreed to it.

3. Are details like the route and the modes of transport always mandatory?

The intended journey route, modes of transport, and places of transshipment must be included only if they are known at the time the document is issued.

Test yourself

Q1.Under Section 9 of The Multimodal Transportation of Goods Act, 1993, what is the legal effect if one or more of the listed particulars are missing from the transport document?

Q2.Under Section 9 of The Multimodal Transportation of Goods Act, 1993, when can the freight payable by the consignor or consignee be mentioned in the document?

Q3.Under Section 9 of The Multimodal Transportation of Goods Act, 1993, which of the following is NOT a mandatory detail that the transport document must contain if known at the time of issue?

Q4.Under Section 9 of The Multimodal Transportation of Goods Act, 1993, how must the journey route, modes of transport, and transshipment places be handled in the document?

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