According to legislation, starting September 1, 2026, all participants in cargo transportation will be required to use electronic consignment notes (ECWLs).
Experts note that the paper version will remain in use only in exceptional cases. In all other situations, all participants must use electronic documentation.
The goal of this transition is to reduce costs and improve transparency and integration with the state information system.
At the same time, experts emphasize that farmers’ readiness for this transition varies greatly and directly depends on the level of digitalization.
For example, large holdings with long-standing in-house logistics systems will benefit, while small and medium-sized businesses will face a more difficult time.
At the same time, an experiment was recently conducted in preparation for the widespread transition to electronic consignment notes: one platform generated over 670 electronic consignment notes, enabling approximately 20,000 tons of grain to be transported paperlessly.
Such testing also helped identify the system’s weaknesses, the most important of which is the need for offline operation in the absence of a connection. The effectiveness of the entire new system largely depends on how well and quickly this issue is resolved, analysts note.
A key technological challenge is working «in the field» without a stable internet connection. The Ministry of Transport is already seeking to have the GIS EPD included in the «white list» of socially significant resources and is developing an emergency mode to overcome this difficulty.
Furthermore, another serious challenge for businesses is restructuring internal processes, training employees, and obtaining electronic signatures.
All of this requires additional costs. Small carriers with a fleet of up to five vehicles, which, as experience shows, dominate regional routes and are involved in, among other things, food transportation, are particularly vulnerable.
It is possible that some of them may leave the market.
To prevent this, plans include simplifying the process of obtaining an electronic signature, for example, through the Gosklyuch service.
Experts note that one must be prepared for the short-term costs of the transition: purchasing signatures, tokens, software, and employee training.
However, in the long term, the ETRN will reduce paper, courier, and archive costs. Manual processing will disappear, settlements will be accelerated, and downtime will be reduced.
Finally, instant document signing allows carriers to receive payments 3-20 days faster. Therefore, ultimately, all market participants will likely view this reform positively.
