Trucking and transportation
Transportation EDI for carriers, brokers and shippers
Freight moves on four documents. A shipper or broker tenders a load, the carrier accepts or declines, reports status as the freight moves and bills when it is delivered. ECOM connects those documents to your transportation management system, whichever side of the tender you are on, and onboards each partner that requires EDI or APIs.
What is transportation EDI?
Transportation EDI is the set of standardized documents that shippers, brokers and carriers use to tender loads, respond to tenders, report shipment status and bill for freight. In ANSI X12 the core documents are the 204 motor carrier load tender, 990 response to a load tender, 214 shipment status message and 210 motor carrier freight invoice. Many partners also offer APIs for tracking and rating, so carriers and shippers often run EDI and APIs side by side.
Who it's for
Different roles, different workflows
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Carriers and trucking companies
You receive 204 tenders from shippers and brokers, answer each with a 990 inside the partner's response window, report pickup and delivery with 214s and bill with 210s, ideally straight from your TMS.
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Freight brokers
You sit in the middle. Tenders come in from shippers and go out to carriers, status flows back in both directions, and freight invoices are received from carriers and issued to shippers.
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Shippers
You tender loads to contracted carriers and brokers, track the responses and status messages, and audit the freight invoices you receive before paying them.
How the workflow runs
From load tender to freight invoice
The same four documents run in both directions depending on your role. What makes them work is a shipment reference that every partner carries from the tender to the invoice.
- 204Load tenderShipper or broker offers the loadStops, dates, equipment, weight
- 990Tender responseCarrier accepts or declinesWithin the partner's response window
- 214Shipment statusCarrier reports milestones
X3Arrived at pickupAFDeparted pickupX1Arrived at deliveryD1Delivered
- 210Freight invoiceCarrier bills the loadAudited against tender and status
Shipment ID · SCAC carried through every document so tender, status and invoice can be matched
- 01
Tender the load (204)
The shipper or broker sends stops, dates, equipment, weights and references. Updates and cancellations use a purpose code on a new 204 rather than a new load.
- 02
Respond in time (990)
The carrier accepts or declines, echoing the shipment identification and SCAC. Many tendering processes move the load to another carrier if no 990 arrives within the window.
- 03
Report status (214)
Pickup, in-transit, appointment and delivery events with status and reason codes, times and locations. Each partner may use the codes differently, so they are mapped to consistent milestones.
- 04
Bill the load (210)
The carrier invoices with base freight and accessorial charges, referencing the same shipment, so the payer can audit it against the tender and status history.
- 05
Reconcile and pay
Invoices that match tenders, rates and status are paid. Mismatched references, unapproved accessorials or duplicates go back to the carrier for correction.
Challenges
Integration challenges in trucking and transportation
Tenders that expire
A tender without a timely 990 is often re-tendered to another carrier. Manual review of tenders costs loads and damages scorecards.
Status codes that mean different things
Shippers and brokers expect different 214 events and codes. Without consistent mapping, customers lose visibility and carriers lose credibility.
Freight invoices that cannot be matched
A 210 that does not carry the tender's references cannot be audited automatically, so payment waits for manual review.
Every partner onboards differently
Each shipper or broker has its own implementation guide, versions, connection method and test process, and some prefer APIs.
How we help
How ECOM supports trucking and transportation companies
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TMS integration
204 tenders created in your TMS or loaded into it, 990 responses from TMS decisions, 214 events from dispatch and tracking data, 210 invoices from billing.
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Partner onboarding
Specifications, connections, test documents and scenario testing for each shipper, broker or carrier that requires EDI.
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Reference integrity
Shipment identification, SCAC, PRO and bill of lading references carried consistently across tender, status and invoice.
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Status code mapping
Each partner's 214 status and reason codes mapped to the milestones your customers and systems expect.
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EDI and APIs together
Carrier and shipper APIs for tracking or rating alongside EDI where a partner offers them.
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Monitoring
Unanswered tenders, missing status updates and rejected invoices visible as exceptions before a partner calls about them.
PRISM products
Which PRISM products apply
Each partner connects in the way it can support. These products cover the connections and visibility this industry needs most.
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PRISM-EDI
Exchange of 204, 990, 214 and 210 documents with each partner over AS2, SFTP or a VAN, translated to and from your TMS.
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PRISM-API Gateway
API integration and connectivity for partners that offer tracking, tendering or rating APIs alongside or instead of EDI.
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PRISM-SCV
Monitoring of transactions and exceptions such as tenders without responses or loads without recent status.
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PRISM-DriveSync
ECOM's product for routing and delivery optimization. Ask ECOM how it applies to your delivery operations.
Systems integration
What transportation EDI connects to
The documents are only as good as the systems behind them. Integration typically covers these.
| System | What flows | What to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| TMS | Loads, tenders, acceptances, status events and freight bills. | ECOM integrates TMS environments including Oracle Transportation Management. Connector availability depends on the product and version. |
| Dispatch, telematics and tracking | Pickup, departure, arrival and delivery events for 214s. | Event timing and time zones matter; partners measure on-time performance from them. |
| ERP and accounting | Freight invoices, payments and remittance. | Shippers audit 210s against rates and tenders; carriers reconcile payments against invoices. |
| Partner APIs and portals | Tracking, tendering or rating where partners offer APIs or require portal entry. | Partners differ; the connection method is chosen per partner. |
Implementation
What to plan for in a transportation EDI project
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Know your role in each relationship
A broker sends and receives the same documents on different sides of each load. Maps and processes are designed per direction and per partner.
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Agree the response window and events
Each shipper or broker defines how fast 990s must arrive and which 214 events it expects. These requirements drive the TMS integration design.
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Keep references consistent
The shipment identification from the 204 has to reach the 214 and 210 unchanged, so it must be stored and reused, not re-keyed.
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Test with each partner
Most partners test documents before production. Plan scenario tests for updates, cancellations, partial deliveries and rejected invoices.
Documents and standards
Common transactions
Core X12 transportation documents. Partners may also use others, such as the 211 bill of lading.
| Code | Document | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 204 | Motor Carrier Load Tender | Offers a load to a carrier. |
| 990 | Response to a Load Tender | Accepts or declines the tender. |
| 214 | Transportation Carrier Shipment Status Message | Reports shipment events. |
| 210 | Motor Carrier Freight Details and Invoice | Bills for freight. |
| 997 | Functional Acknowledgment | Confirms receipt of each document. |
Scenarios
Typical integration scenarios
Carrier adding a new shipper
Meet a shipper's or broker's EDI requirement quickly, with responses and status sent from the TMS rather than typed into a portal.
Broker connecting both sides
Exchange tenders, status and invoices with shippers and carriers of very different technical capability.
Shipper standardizing carriers
Receive consistent responses, status and invoices from every carrier, by EDI or API, and audit freight bills automatically.
Trading partners
Trucking and Transportation partners we connect with
Examples of carriers trading partners ECOM can connect your business with.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the 204, 990, 214 and 210?
The 204 offers a load to a carrier, the 990 accepts or declines it, 214 messages report the shipment's status as it moves, and the 210 invoices for the freight after delivery.
How quickly must a carrier answer a 204?
It depends on the shipper or broker. Each sets a response window in its requirements, and loads without a timely 990 are often tendered to another carrier.
Can small carriers meet EDI requirements?
Yes. Requirements can be met through an integrated TMS connection or, where a partner allows it, through simpler file, API or browser-based options. The right approach depends on volume and the partner's rules.
Do tracking APIs replace the 214?
Not always. Many partners accept or prefer APIs for tracking, while others still require 214 messages. Carriers and shippers often support both.
Which TMS platforms does ECOM integrate?
ECOM integrates transportation management systems including Oracle Transportation Management environments. Integration options for your TMS and version are confirmed during scoping.
Connect your next shipper, broker or carrier
Tell us which partner requires EDI, what TMS you run and when you need to be live. An ECOM specialist will outline the documents, testing and timeline.