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X12 transaction guide · Finance

EDI 859 Freight Invoice

The X12 document a carrier uses to invoice charges, allowances and details for transportation services it performed.

Sent by
Carrier
Received by
Shipper, payer or government payment office
Standard
ANSI ASC X12

What is an EDI 859?

The EDI 859 Freight Invoice is the ANSI X12 transaction set a carrier uses to invoice charges, allowances and details for transportation services. It can also exchange invoices for services provided under government transportation rules, and is used by US civilian agencies, the Department of Defense and their carriers for freight, household goods and passenger movements.

Commercial motor carriers usually bill with the 210, and rail and ocean carriers have their own invoices (410, 310). The 859 is a general freight invoice used where the partner's implementation calls for it, often paired with the 858 shipment information it bills.

How the EDI 859 worksDiagram of the EDI 859 Freight Invoice. Carrier sends it to shipper, payer or government payment office. It usually follows 858. It is usually followed by 820 and 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: B3 (Beginning Segment for Carrier's Invoice) and detail: the required LX loop with LX (Transaction Set Line Number). 7 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 859 worksFreight Invoice: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWS858Shipment InformationEDI 859SENDERCarrierRECEIVERShipper, payer orgovernment paymentoffice997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY820PaymentOrder/Remittance Advice997FunctionalAcknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code FBGS … GETransaction set 859ST … SEHEADINGB3Beginning Segment for Carrier's Invoice+ 4 optional loops, starting with:H1N7N1S5DETAILRequired loop LX · repeats up to 999LXTransaction Set Line Number+ 3 optional loops, starting with:N1L0H1Blue 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 859. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 859 worksDiagram of the EDI 859 Freight Invoice. Carrier sends it to shipper, payer or government payment office. It usually follows 858. It is usually followed by 820 and 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: B3 (Beginning Segment for Carrier's Invoice) and detail: the required LX loop with LX (Transaction Set Line Number). 7 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 859 worksFreight Invoice: who sends it, where it fits andwhat the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWS858Shipment InformationEDI 859SENDERCarrierRECEIVERShipper, payeror governmentpayment office997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partnersagreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY820Payment Order/Remittance Advice997Functional Acknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDs (ISA… IEA)Functional group, ID code FB (GS … GE)Transaction set 859 (ST … SE)HEADINGB3Beginning Segment forCarrier's Invoice+ 4 optional loops, starting with:H1N7N1S5DETAILRequired loop LX · repeats up to999LXTransaction Set LineNumber+ 3 optional loops, starting with:N1L0H1Blue 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 859. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 859, 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 859 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

  • Billing a government agency for a shipment
  • Invoicing transportation services where the 859 is specified
  • Rebilling corrected freight charges

Where it fits in the document flow

Usually follows 858 Shipment Information
This document 859 Freight Invoice
Usually followed by 820 Payment Order/Remittance Advice997 Functional Acknowledgment

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 859 (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
  • B3
  • H1
  • N7
  • N1
  • S5
  • LX
  • L0
  • SE

Practical example

The 859 in practice

After delivering a government shipment, a carrier sends the payment office an 859 referencing the bill of lading from the 858, with the linehaul charge, fuel surcharge and accessorial charges. The payment office audits the invoice against the shipment data and the carrier's rates, and schedules payment.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 859

  • Reference the bill of lading or shipment identifier exactly as issued.
  • Itemize accessorial charges with the codes the payer accepts.
  • Know which freight invoice (210, 410, 310 or 859) each customer expects.
  • Track audit adjustments so that short payments can be reconciled.

How ECOM helps

Automate the 859 with ECOM

Industry

Trucking and Transportation

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

Solution

Financial Document Automation

Automate invoices, remittances, payment files and bank statements from capture to posting.

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.

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