972-836-7750 Request a demo Talk to an expert
Talk to an expert Request a demo Call sales 972-836-7750

X12 transaction guide · Transportation

EDI 404 Rail Carrier Shipment Information

The X12 document a shipper uses to tender a shipment to a rail carrier, release equipment and provide the bill of lading information.

Sent by
Shipper (consignor) or its agent
Received by
Rail carrier
Standard
ANSI ASC X12

What is an EDI 404?

The EDI 404 Rail Carrier Shipment Information is the ANSI X12 transaction set used to transmit rail-carrier-specific bill of lading information to a railroad. It is the initial tender of a shipment between a consignor and a rail carrier, and it can serve as notification that loaded equipment is released for movement, as a legal bill of lading, or both.

Rail shippers, such as chemical, grain and manufacturing companies, use the 404 to release railcars without paper. The data drives routing, waybilling and hazardous materials handling on the railroad.

How the EDI 404 worksDiagram of the EDI 404 Rail Carrier Shipment Information. Shipper (consignor) or its agent sends it to rail carrier. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 997 and 410. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: M3 (Release), N9 (Extended Reference Information), the required N7 loop with N7 (Equipment Details), F9 (Origin Station), D9 (Destination Station), the required N1 loop with N1 (Party Identification), R2 (Route Information) and the required LX loop with LX (Transaction Set Line Number) and L5 (Description, Marks and Numbers). 8 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 404 worksRail Carrier Shipment Information: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 404SENDERShipper (consignor) orits agentRECEIVERRail carrier997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997FunctionalAcknowledgment410Rail Carrier Freight Detailsand Invoice2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code SRGS … GETransaction set 404ST … SEHEADINGM3ReleaseN9Extended Reference InformationRequired loop N7 · repeats up to 500N7Equipment DetailsF9Origin StationD9Destination StationRequired loop N1 · repeats up to 15N1Party IdentificationR2Route Information+ required LX (LX) and 8 optional loops, starting with:VCE1REFS1L0T1LH1Blue 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 404. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 404 worksDiagram of the EDI 404 Rail Carrier Shipment Information. Shipper (consignor) or its agent sends it to rail carrier. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 997 and 410. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: M3 (Release), N9 (Extended Reference Information), the required N7 loop with N7 (Equipment Details), F9 (Origin Station), D9 (Destination Station), the required N1 loop with N1 (Party Identification), R2 (Route Information) and the required LX loop with LX (Transaction Set Line Number) and L5 (Description, Marks and Numbers). 8 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 404 worksRail Carrier Shipment Information: who sendsit, where it fits and what the standard marksrequired1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 404SENDERShipper(consignor) orits agentRECEIVERRail carrier997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partnersagreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997Functional Acknowledgment410Rail Carrier Freight Details and Invoice2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDs (ISA… IEA)Functional group, ID code SR (GS … GE)Transaction set 404 (ST … SE)HEADINGM3ReleaseN9Extended ReferenceInformationRequired loop N7 · repeats up to500N7Equipment DetailsF9Origin StationD9Destination StationR2Route Information+ required N1 (N1), LX (LX) and 8optional loops, starting with:VCE1REFS1L0T1LH1Blue 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 404. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 404, 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 404 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

  • Releasing loaded railcars for movement
  • Providing rail bills of lading electronically
  • Declaring hazardous materials carried by rail

Where it fits in the document flow

This document 404 Rail Carrier Shipment Information
Usually followed by 997 Functional Acknowledgment410 Rail Carrier Freight Details and Invoice

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 404 (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
  • M3
  • N9
  • N7
  • VC
  • N1
  • E1
  • REF
  • L0
  • PI
  • F9
  • D9
  • S1
  • R2
  • LX
  • L5
  • T1
  • LH1
  • SE

Practical example

The 404 in practice

A plastics producer loads three hopper cars at its plant. Its shipping system sends the railroad a 404 for each car with the equipment number, weights, commodity code, consignee and route. The railroad waybills the cars and moves them, and later bills the freight with a 410.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 404

  • Use correct equipment numbers and commodity codes, because railroads validate them strictly.
  • Include complete hazardous materials data where required.
  • Reconcile the 410 freight invoice against the 404 shipments and agreed rates.

How ECOM helps

Automate the 404 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 404?

ECOM maps, tests and monitors X12 documents for your trading partners and integrates them with your ERP.

Request a Demo Contact us