X12 transaction code
X12 204 Motor Carrier Shipment Information
X12 204 Motor Carrier Shipment Information: explore its business purpose, mapping identifiers, validation tests and 1 partner references across 1 listed channels.
- Standard
- X12
- Code
- 204
- Partner references
- 1
Implementation guide
X12 204 mapping and validation
X12 204 Motor Carrier Shipment Information 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.
| Document or decision | Record and matching IDs | What to test |
|---|---|---|
| Match the business record | load tender load reference, pickup and delivery stop identifiers |
|
| Update the receiving system | Processing the load tender ID assigned by the receiving system and processing result |
|
| Check the processing result | Processing status for the load tender Original document reference and matching response |
|
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.
- X12 990 Response To A Load Tender
load-tender response: a carrier responds to a tender.
- X12 214 Transportation Carrier Shipment Status Message
shipment status event: the carrier reports a transport milestone or exception.
- X12 210 Motor Carrier Freight Details And Invoice
freight invoice: transport charges are ready for audit.
Implementation steps
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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 Shipment Information 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
| 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 |
- 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
1 partner, 1 channel. Choose a channel to inspect its listed document reference and implementation context.
Catalog breakdown
Where X12 204 Motor Carrier Shipment Information appears in this catalog
The largest groups of classified 204 catalog entries are in grocery & food.
By industry
- grocery & food 1 channel
FAQ
X12 204 questions
What is X12 204 Motor Carrier Shipment Information used for?
204 is used when a shipper offers a load to a carrier. It carries information for the load tender. Match it to your business system using load reference, pickup and delivery stop identifiers.
Which partners list X12 204?
The directory on this page links 1 partner entries that list this message. Choose your partner and channel, then confirm which messages and versions your account requires.
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.
How does 204 relate to other EDI messages?
X12 990 Response To A Load Tender; X12 214 Transportation Carrier Shipment Status Message; X12 210 Motor Carrier Freight Details And Invoice are related documents linked from this page. Match these documents through their order, shipment or invoice references. Agree which response marks each business step as complete.
What is the difference between 204 and 990?
204 is used when a shipper offers a load to a carrier. 990 is used when a carrier responds to a tender. Each message represents a different business step. Keep their record references connected and track the processing result for each message.
What is the difference between 204 and 214?
204 is used when a shipper offers a load to a carrier. 214 is used when the carrier reports a transport milestone or exception. Each message represents a different business step. Keep their record references connected and track the processing result for each message.
Connect EDI to your business systems
See how Stacksync can fit your enterprise EDI workflow. Bring one partner guide and a sample exchange to plan the system mapping, exception handling and production rollout.
