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X12 transaction code

EDI 204 Motor Carrier Load Tender (X12 204)

EDI 204 is the X12 Motor Carrier Load Tender transaction set, used when a shipper offers a load to a carrier. A shipper, freight broker, or 3PL responsible for contracting the move sends the 204 to a motor carrier, for truckload or LTL freight.

Standard
X12
Code
204
Partner references
386
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At a glance

EDI 204 at a glance

What the 204 carries, who sends it to whom, when it goes out, and the segments trading partners list for it.

X12 204 Motor Carrier Load Tender summary
Document X12 204 Motor Carrier Load Tender
Business record Load tender
Who sends it to whom A shipper, freight broker, or 3PL responsible for contracting the move sends the 204 to a motor carrier, for truckload or LTL freight.
When it is sent A shipper's TMS plans a load and tenders it to the next carrier in the routing guide, requesting acceptance before the stated respond-by time.
Match on Load reference, pickup and delivery stop identifiers
Partner references 386 trading partners in this directory
Related documents X12 990 Response to a Load Tender, X12 214 Transportation Carrier Shipment Status Message, X12 210 Motor Carrier Freight Details and Invoice

Key segments in an EDI 204

The business segments that appear in at least half of the 532 partner document references listed below, most common first. The table leaves out envelope segments (ISA, GS, ST, SE, GE, IEA). Your partner guide sets which segments and elements your account must send.

Segment Name Purpose Partner references
B2 Beginning Segment for Shipment Information Transaction To transmit basic data relating to shipment information. 531 of 532
B2A Set Purpose To allow for positive identification of transaction set purpose. 531 of 532
S5 Stop Off Details To specify stop-off detail reference numbers and stop reason. 531 of 532
G62 Date/Time To specify pertinent dates and times. 528 of 532
N1 Name To identify a party by type of organization, name, and code. 528 of 532
N3 Address Information To specify the location of the named party. 527 of 532
N4 Geographic Location To specify the geographic place of the named party. 527 of 532
L11 Business Instructions and Reference Number To specify instructions in this business relationship or a reference number. 526 of 532
L3 Total Weight and Charges To specify the total shipment in terms of weight, volume, rates, charges, advances, and prepaid amounts applicable to one or more line items. 522 of 532
G61 Contact To identify a person or office to whom communications should be directed. 520 of 532

Stacksync connects EDI documents such as the X12 204 to your ERP, CRM and databases with two-way sync. Read the EDI overview, check pricing and security, or book a demo to walk through your partner guide.

Implementation guide

X12 204 mapping and validation

X12 204 Motor Carrier Load Tender is used when a shipper offers a load to a carrier. Preserve load reference, pickup and delivery stop identifiers so the load tender in your business system stays connected to the original document.

Use the version and implementation guide agreed with your trading partner to confirm required fields and responses.

Map records and test the business result
Document or decisionRecord and matching IDsWhat to test
Match the business record load tender

load reference, pickup and delivery stop identifiers
  • Define which combination of load reference, pickup and delivery stop identifiers identifies one business record, its lines and any later revision.
Update the receiving system Processing the load tender

ID assigned by the receiving system and processing result
  • Send an amended pickup appointment and retain the previous tender decision.
  • Test a multi-stop load whose stop sequence differs from address sorting.
Check the processing result Processing status for the load tender

Original document reference and matching response
  • Reconcile the load tender with the source after a timeout before sending it again. A lost response can occur after the destination has already processed the document.

How the related documents differ

Each message represents a different business event. Use shared references to connect the records while tracking each message’s outcome separately.

Implementation steps

  1. Choose the starting event and owner

    Decide which application acts when a shipper offers a load to a carrier. Name the operational owner of the load tender and the team that resolves rejected or ambiguous messages.

  2. Keep record IDs connected

    Map load reference, pickup and delivery stop identifiers. Confirm qualifiers, code lists, units and date/time meaning against the agreed X12 version and partner guide. Preserve the source reference alongside any new destination identifier.

  3. Test failures before launch

    Run the failure cases in the mapping table against realistic load tender data. Check how the receiving system reports a rejection and how your team corrects it without creating a duplicate.

  4. Track every document to completion

    Record transport delivery and document validation separately from successful load tender processing. Give unresolved errors an owner and check the receiving system before approving retries.

Go-live checklist

  • An approved 204 sample and the agreed version and partner guide are available.
  • The mapping tests pass with realistic load tender data.
  • Each submitted document can be traced through delivery, validation and processing in the receiving system.
  • Your team knows how to investigate and recover a rejected or timed-out load tender without processing it twice.

Document structure

X12 204 Motor Carrier Load Tender at the element level

The X12 204 reference contains 82 segment entries and 470 data elements; 63 are marked mandatory in this reference. Use the version and partner guide agreed for your account to confirm required fields.

Segments
82
Data elements
470
Mandatory elements
63
Segments with elements marked mandatory in this reference
Segment Elements Mandatory
B2 12 1
B2A 2 1
MS3 5 2
PLD 4 1
NTE 2 1
N1 6 1
N2 2 1
N3 2 1
G61 5 2
N7 24 1
M7 5 1
S5 11 2
Key identifiers in 204
  • Shipment Method of Payment
  • Transaction Set Purpose Code
  • Standard Carrier Alpha Code
  • Routing Sequence Code
  • Quantity of Pallets Shipped
  • Description
  • Entity Identifier Code
  • Name

Find your trading partner for X12 204

386 partners, 534 channels. Choose a channel to inspect its listed document reference and implementation context.

Catalog breakdown

Where X12 204 Motor Carrier Load Tender appears in this catalog

The largest groups of classified 204 catalog entries are in logistics & transport, grocery & food and consumer goods.

By industry

  • logistics & transport 402 channels
  • grocery & food 52 channels
  • consumer goods 15 channels
  • retail 14 channels
  • building & hardware 11 channels
  • manufacturing & industrial 8 channels

By network

  • E2open 41 channels
  • MercuryGate 35 channels
  • Manhattan Associates 17 channels
  • Ryder 16 channels
  • Blue Yonder 14 channels
  • BluJay 5 channels
Partner entries with the most listed channels

FAQ

EDI 204 questions

What is an EDI 204?

EDI 204 is the X12 Motor Carrier Load Tender transaction set. Trading partners use it when a shipper offers a load to a carrier. It carries the data for the load tender, and your system matches it on load reference, pickup and delivery stop identifiers.

Who sends an EDI 204 and who receives it?

A shipper, freight broker, or 3PL responsible for contracting the move sends the 204 to a motor carrier, for truckload or LTL freight. Your trading partner agreement confirms the direction and version for your account.

When is an EDI 204 sent?

A shipper's TMS plans a load and tenders it to the next carrier in the routing guide, requesting acceptance before the stated respond-by time. Your partner guide sets any deadline or schedule for the document.

What are the key segments in an EDI 204?

Across 532 partner document references listed here, the business segments that appear most often include B2 (Beginning Segment for Shipment Information Transaction), B2A (Set Purpose), S5 (Stop Off Details), G62 (Date/Time), N1 (Name), N3 (Address Information). Each partner guide sets which segments and elements your account must send.

What is the difference between EDI 204 and EDI 990?

The 204 offers a load to a carrier. The 990 is the carrier's answer: it accepts or declines that tender.

What is the difference between EDI 204 and EDI 214?

The 204 tenders the load. Once the carrier has it, the 214 reports the shipment's status: pickup, in transit, delays and delivery.

What should I map for X12 204?

Start with load reference, pickup and delivery stop identifiers and the target load tender. Define duplicate detection, allowed updates and response correlation before mapping individual fields. Use the partner guide to check required fields and their formats.

How should I test 204 error handling?

Send an amended pickup appointment and retain the previous tender decision. Test a multi-stop load whose stop sequence differs from address sorting. Also test a lost response after destination processing so that a retry cannot create an unintended duplicate or repeated adjustment.

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