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X12 transaction guide · Transportation

EDI 211 Motor Carrier Bill of Lading

The X12 document shippers, or the party contracting the carrier, use to give a motor carrier a legal bill of lading for a shipment.

Sent by
Shipper or party contracting the carrier
Received by
Motor carrier
Standard
ANSI ASC X12
EDIFACT equivalent
IFTMIN

What is an EDI 211?

The EDI 211 Motor Carrier Bill of Lading is the ANSI X12 transaction set shippers, or other parties responsible for contracting with a motor carrier, use to provide a legal bill of lading for a shipment. It carries the shipment's parties, references, commodities, weights and handling requirements.

The 211 is specifically the bill of lading. The standard notes it is not meant for load tenders, pickup manifests or appointment scheduling, which have their own transaction sets such as the 204 load tender and 215 pickup manifest.

How the EDI 211 worksDiagram of the EDI 211 Motor Carrier Bill of Lading. Shipper or party contracting the carrier sends it to motor carrier. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 997, 214 and 210. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BOL (Beginning Segment for the Motor Carrier Bill of Lading) and B2A (Set Purpose) and detail: the required 0200 loop with AT1 (Bill of Lading Line Item Number). 4 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 211 worksMotor Carrier Bill of Lading: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 211SENDERShipper or partycontracting the carrierRECEIVERMotor carrier997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997FunctionalAcknowledgment214Transportation CarrierShipment Status Message210Motor Carrier FreightDetails and Invoice2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code BLGS … GETransaction set 211ST … SEHEADINGBOLBeginning Segment for the Motor Carrier Bill ofLadingB2ASet Purpose+ 1 optional loop, starting with:N1DETAILRequired loop 0200 · repeats up to 9,999AT1Bill of Lading Line Item Number+ 3 optional loops, starting with:AT2LXG61Blue box: required loop. Optional loops are listed by the segment that starts them; when a loop is used, that first segment is required. Optional segmentsoutside loops are not drawn.Structure: required segments and loops in the X12 008010 listing for the 211. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 211 worksDiagram of the EDI 211 Motor Carrier Bill of Lading. Shipper or party contracting the carrier sends it to motor carrier. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 997, 214 and 210. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BOL (Beginning Segment for the Motor Carrier Bill of Lading) and B2A (Set Purpose) and detail: the required 0200 loop with AT1 (Bill of Lading Line Item Number). 4 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 211 worksMotor Carrier Bill of Lading: who sends it,where it fits and what the standard marksrequired1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 211SENDERShipper or partycontracting thecarrierRECEIVERMotor carrier997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partnersagreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997Functional Acknowledgment214Transportation Carrier Shipment StatusMessage210Motor Carrier Freight Details andInvoice2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDs (ISA… IEA)Functional group, ID code BL (GS … GE)Transaction set 211 (ST … SE)HEADINGBOLBeginning Segment for theMotor Carrier Bill of LadingB2ASet Purpose+ 1 optional loop, starting with:N1DETAILRequired loop 0200 · repeats upto 9,999AT1Bill of Lading Line ItemNumber+ 3 optional loops, starting with:AT2LXG61Blue box: required loop. Optional loops are listedby the segment that starts them; when a loop isused, that first segment is required. Optionalsegments outside loops are not drawn.Structure: required segments and loops in the X12008010 listing for the 211. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 211, to whom, and which documents usually come before and after it. The lower part shows what X12 release 008010 itself requires: the envelopes around the 211 and the segments and loops the standard marks as required, area by area. Optional loops are listed by the segment that starts them rather than drawn in full. This is the standard's minimum, not a trading partner's requirement: each partner's implementation guide usually makes some optional loops mandatory, restricts the codes and may use a different release.

Expand diagram Download SVG

When it is used

  • Sending bills of lading electronically to LTL carriers
  • Replacing paper bills of lading at pickup
  • Providing commodity and hazardous materials details

Where it fits in the document flow

This document 211 Motor Carrier Bill of Lading
Usually followed by 997 Functional Acknowledgment214 Transportation Carrier Shipment Status Message210 Motor Carrier Freight Details and Invoice

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 211 (X12 release 008010)

The segments X12 release 008010 marks as mandatory at their level, in order. Segments inside optional loops are needed only when the loop is used. This is the standard's requirement, not your trading partner's: each partner's implementation guide names the release it uses, adds the optional segments it requires and restricts the values. The requirement status comes from one published X12 reference listing and has not been checked against a second source.

  • ST
  • BOL
  • B2A
  • N1
  • AT1
  • AT2
  • LX
  • G61
  • LH1
  • SE

Practical example

The 211 in practice

A parts supplier ships several LTL orders a day. When each shipment is ready, its shipping system sends the carrier a 211 with the shipper, consignee, piece count, weight, freight class and reference numbers. The driver picks up without re-keying paperwork, and later 214 status messages and the 210 freight invoice reference the same bill of lading number.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 211

  • Use the bill of lading number consistently, because status messages and freight invoices depend on it.
  • Send accurate weights and freight classes to avoid reweigh and reclassification charges.
  • Check each carrier's requirements, as not all carriers accept the 211.

Trading partners

Integration guides that include the 211

  • Old Dominion Freight Line EDI integration

How ECOM helps

Automate the 211 with ECOM

Industry

Trucking and Transportation

Load tenders, responses, status and freight invoices for carriers, brokers and shippers, integrated with the TMS.

Industry

Manufacturing

Customer schedules, supplier connectivity and shipping integrated with the ERP for manufacturers.

Solution

EDI Integration

Exchange X12 and EDIFACT documents with partners and integrate them directly with your ERP.

More general questions about EDI are answered in the EDI FAQ.

Related transactions

Related transportation documents

All 80 transportation documents

Need help with the EDI 211?

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