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X12 transaction guide · Transportation

EDI 420 Car Handling Information

The X12 document a receiving railroad uses to redirect a car's home route or pre-block it before it is interchanged.

Sent by
Rail carrier that will receive the car
Received by
Rail carrier delivering the car
Standard
ANSI ASC X12

What is an EDI 420?

The EDI 420 Car Handling Information is the ANSI X12 transaction set that gives a carrier about to receive a rail car from another carrier the means to redirect a home route or pre-block the car before the actual interchange.

Pre-blocking groups cars by destination before they arrive, so they can move straight to the right outbound train without extra switching. Redirecting an empty car's home route sends it where it is most useful. Both reduce yard handling and transit time.

How the EDI 420 worksDiagram of the EDI 420 Car Handling Information. Rail carrier that will receive the car sends it to rail carrier delivering the car. It usually follows 419. It is usually followed by 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: the required E6 loop with E6 (Advance Car Disposition) and E8 (Blocking and Response Information). 0 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 420 worksCar Handling Information: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWS419Advance Car DispositionEDI 420SENDERRail carrier that willreceive the carRECEIVERRail carrier deliveringthe car997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997FunctionalAcknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code CHGS … GETransaction set 420ST … SEHEADINGRequired loop E6 · repeats up to 150E6Advance Car DispositionE8Blocking and Response InformationBlue 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 420. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 420 worksDiagram of the EDI 420 Car Handling Information. Rail carrier that will receive the car sends it to rail carrier delivering the car. It usually follows 419. It is usually followed by 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: the required E6 loop with E6 (Advance Car Disposition) and E8 (Blocking and Response Information). 0 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 420 worksCar Handling Information: who sends it, whereit fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWS419Advance Car DispositionEDI 420SENDERRail carrier thatwill receive thecarRECEIVERRail carrierdelivering thecar997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partnersagreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997Functional Acknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDs (ISA… IEA)Functional group, ID code CH (GS … GE)Transaction set 420 (ST … SE)HEADINGRequired loop E6 · repeats up to150E6Advance Car DispositionE8Blocking and ResponseInformationBlue 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 420. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 420, 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 420 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

  • Pre-blocking cars before interchange
  • Redirecting empty cars to a different destination
  • Responding to advance car disposition notices

Where it fits in the document flow

Usually follows 419 Advance Car Disposition
This document 420 Car Handling Information
Usually followed by 997 Functional Acknowledgment

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 420 (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
  • E6
  • E8
  • SE

Practical example

The 420 in practice

A receiving railroad learns from a 419 that 20 empty grain cars are coming. It sends the delivering railroad a 420 asking it to block the 12 cars destined for a loading point together, ahead of the eight returning to their owner. The delivering railroad builds the train in that order, saving switching at the receiving yard.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 420

  • Send handling instructions before the train is built.
  • Use the blocking codes both carriers recognize.
  • Confirm redirections with the car owner where required.
  • Track whether instructions were followed.

How ECOM helps

Automate the 420 with ECOM

Industry

Trucking and Transportation

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

Solution

Logistics Automation

Automate tenders, status updates, freight invoices and warehouse orders with logistics partners.

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

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