Glossary of freight transport
What is the eCMR? And the DeCA, the ADR or a TMS? Short, clear definitions of the terms, documents and regulations that affect your fleet — with a focus on tankers and bulk — explained by people who run a logistics ERP in production and checked against official sources.
eCMR
The electronic consignment note for international transport. What it is, its validity and how it differs from Spain's DeCA.
See definition → DocumentsDeCA
The Documento electrónico de Control Administrativo (electronic administrative control document), mandatory for domestic transport in Spain since 5 October 2026.
See definition → InvoicingVeriFactu
Verifiable invoicing under Spain's Real Decreto 1007/2023: what it requires of your software, its two modes and the 2027 timetable.
See definition → InvoicingSII
Spain's Suministro Inmediato de Información (Immediate Supply of Information): VAT record books through the tax agency's online portal, within four days. And why it excludes you from VeriFactu.
See definition → DocumentsTransport control document
The documents that must accompany every road shipment in Spain, and their legal basis.
Read the guide → EU regulationseFTI
The European regulation (EU 2020/1056) that requires authorities to accept transport information in electronic form.
Read the guide → SoftwareTransport ERP
The system that runs the whole transport company: orders, fleet, documents and invoicing.
See the service → Dangerous goodsADR
The ADR is the UN international agreement that governs the carriage of dangerous goods by road: how they are classified, packaged, labelled and transported, and what requirements the vehicle and the driver must meet.
See definition → ADR tanksADR tank
An ADR tank is the approved tank for carrying dangerous goods — liquids, gases or powders — in line with the ADR's construction, approval and inspection requirements.
See definition → DocumentsCMR
The CMR is the international convention that governs the contract for the carriage of goods by road when origin and destination are in different countries and at least one of them is party to the convention.
See definition → SoftwareTMS
A TMS (Transportation Management System) is the software a company uses to plan, execute and control the movement of goods: routes, loads, vehicle and driver allocation, real-time tracking and freight settlement.
See definition → Social rulesDigital tachograph
The digital tachograph is the on-board device that automatically records the driver's driving times, breaks and rest periods — as well as speed and distance — to check compliance with the European social rules.
See definition → Regulations (Spain)ROTT
The ROTT is the Reglamento de la Ley de Ordenación de los Transportes Terrestres, the regulation implementing Spain's Land Transport Act: the royal decree that puts the LOTT into practice — licences, access requirements, periodic renewals (visados) and infringements.
See definition → Regulations (Spain)LOTT
The LOTT is the Ley de Ordenación de los Transportes Terrestres (Ley 16/1987), Spain's Land Transport Act: the framework law governing road and rail transport in Spain — who may carry goods, with which licences and authorisations, under what conditions and with what inspection and penalty regime.
See definition → LicencesTarjeta de transporte
The tarjeta de transporte is the Spanish administrative authorisation required to carry goods by road for hire or reward.
See definition → CustomsDUA
The DUA (Documento Único Administrativo, the Spanish name for the EU Single Administrative Document) is the customs declaration lodged to import, export or place in transit goods traded with countries outside the European Union.
See definition → TechnologyFleet telematics
Fleet telematics is the technology that combines GPS and communications to track in real time where vehicles are and how they are performing: position, route, consumption and diagnostics.
See definition → DocumentsHoja de ruta
In Spanish law, the control document for coaches carrying passengers; in road haulage, the everyday name for the goods control document, now the DeCA.
See definition → TankersTank cleaning certificate
The industry's standard document for proving that a tank has been cleaned is the ECD (EFTCO Cleaning Document), which the tank cleaning station issues after cleaning it.
See definition → OperationsTrailer swap
A trailer swap (drop-and-swap) means leaving a tank trailer at a site — while it is being loaded, unloaded or cleaned — and hitching a different one to the tractor unit, so the driver doesn't have to wait.
See definition → DocumentsElectronic delivery note
The delivery note is the document that accompanies the delivery of goods and proves they were received, detailing what was delivered (it works as proof of delivery, or POD).
See definition → Chemical qualitySQAS
SQAS (Safety and Quality Assessment for Sustainability) is the assessment system created by Cefic, the European chemical industry council, to evaluate the safety, quality, environmental and sustainability performance of logistics service providers to the chemical industry in a uniform way.
See definition →Do you need to digitalise your transport documents?
We run an ERP/TMS in production that generates the documents required by regulations — consignment note, DeCA, delivery notes — straight from the transport order. Tell us how you work and we'll show you how.