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X12 transaction guide · Transportation

EDI 422 Equipment Order

The X12 document a rail carrier or shipper uses to order the equipment it needs for transportation.

Sent by
Shipper or rail carrier
Received by
Rail carrier or equipment provider
Standard
ANSI ASC X12

What is an EDI 422?

The EDI 422 Equipment Order is the ANSI X12 transaction set that allows a rail carrier or shipper to order the equipment it needs for its transportation requirements.

Shippers order empty cars of the right type, such as covered hoppers or boxcars, for the days they plan to load. Railroads use the orders to distribute empty cars across their networks. Ordering electronically makes demand visible earlier and lets the railroad confirm or adjust supply. Orders can be changed or cancelled as plans change.

How the EDI 422 worksDiagram of the EDI 422 Equipment Order. Shipper or rail carrier sends it to rail carrier or equipment provider. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BCQ (Beginning Segment for Shipper's Car Order), the required N1 loop with N1 (Party Identification) and the required LX loop with LX (Transaction Set Line Number) and the required F9 loop with F9 (Origin Station) and the required SCR loop with SCR (Shipper's Car Ordered Rail) and DTM (Date/Time Reference). 2 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 422 worksEquipment Order: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 422SENDERShipper or rail carrierRECEIVERRail carrier orequipment provider997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997FunctionalAcknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code DMGS … GETransaction set 422ST … SEHEADINGBCQBeginning Segment for Shipper's Car OrderRequired loop N1 · repeats up to 5N1Party Identification+ required LX (LX) and 2 optional loops, starting with:LQN7Blue 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 422. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 422 worksDiagram of the EDI 422 Equipment Order. Shipper or rail carrier sends it to rail carrier or equipment provider. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BCQ (Beginning Segment for Shipper's Car Order), the required N1 loop with N1 (Party Identification) and the required LX loop with LX (Transaction Set Line Number) and the required F9 loop with F9 (Origin Station) and the required SCR loop with SCR (Shipper's Car Ordered Rail) and DTM (Date/Time Reference). 2 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 422 worksEquipment Order: who sends it, where it fits andwhat the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 422SENDERShipper or railcarrierRECEIVERRail carrier orequipmentprovider997 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 DM (GS … GE)Transaction set 422 (ST … SE)HEADINGBCQBeginning Segment forShipper's Car OrderRequired loop N1 · repeats up to 5N1Party Identification+ required LX (LX) and 2 optional loops,starting with:LQN7Blue 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 422. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 422, 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 422 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

  • Ordering empty cars for loading
  • Specifying car type and quantities by date
  • Ordering equipment between carriers

Where it fits in the document flow

This document 422 Equipment Order
Usually followed by 997 Functional Acknowledgment

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 422 (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
  • BCQ
  • N1
  • LX
  • F9
  • SCR
  • DTM
  • LQ
  • N7
  • SE

Practical example

The 422 in practice

A plastics producer plans to load 15 covered hoppers next week. Its logistics system sends the railroad a 422 ordering the cars by type, quantity and placement date at its plant siding. The railroad allocates cars from its empty fleet and places them on the requested days.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 422

  • Order cars with enough lead time for distribution.
  • Specify car types and features precisely.
  • Track actual car placements against the orders.
  • Cancel orders that are no longer needed.

How ECOM helps

Automate the 422 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

Logistics Automation

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

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 422?

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