Short answer
An EDI 204 is the X12 Motor Carrier Load Tender, the electronic message a shipper or broker sends to offer a shipment to a carrier. It carries reference numbers, stops, dates, equipment, weight and often the rate. The carrier replies with an EDI 990 to accept or decline, then reports progress with EDI 214 status messages.
Why the 204 matters
Shippers with steady truckload volume don’t want to email every load. They send tenders from their own system straight into the carrier’s or broker’s system. X12 describes the 204 as a transaction set that “can be used to allow shippers or other interested parties to offer (tender) a shipment to a full load (truckload) motor carrier” (see the X12 transaction set list).
For a broker, winning EDI freight often means being able to receive 204s and answer them fast. A tender that sits unanswered usually moves to the next provider in the shipper’s routing guide. More on the process in our load tender entry.
Where the 204 fits in the EDI load cycle
| Transaction set | X12 name | Sent by | Purpose on the load |
|---|---|---|---|
| 204 | Motor Carrier Load Tender | Shipper or broker | Offers the load |
| 997 | Functional Acknowledgment | Receiver of any set | Confirms the file arrived and parsed |
| 990 | Response to a Load Tender | Carrier or broker | Accepts or declines the tender |
| 214 | Transportation Carrier Shipment Status Message | Carrier or broker | Reports pickup, transit and delivery status |
| 210 | Motor Carrier Freight Details and Invoice | Carrier or broker | Bills the load |
What's inside a 204
Trading partners publish their own implementation guides, but most 204s use the same core segments. From the 004010 segment reference:
- B2: basic shipment data, including the shipper’s shipment ID
- B2A: the purpose of the message. Code 00 is original, 01 is cancellation and 04 is change, per the transaction set purpose codes
- L11: reference numbers such as PO, BOL or pickup numbers
- S5: stop-off details, one loop per pickup or delivery, with G62 dates and times and N1 names and addresses
- AT8: weight and handling unit counts
- L3: total weight and charges, where the rate appears if the shipper sends one
Example
Example (illustrative): at 9:12 AM a shipper sends a 204 with purpose code 00 for a two-stop dry van load from Dallas to Memphis, pickup tomorrow at 7:00 AM. The broker’s system returns a 997 within a minute. A carrier sales rep confirms a truck and the broker sends a 990 accepting at 10:05 AM. At 2:30 PM the shipper sends a second 204 for the same shipment ID with purpose code 04, moving the second stop’s appointment.
Common mistakes
- Creating a new load from a change. A 204 with code 04 updates an existing tender. Treating it as new creates a duplicate.
- Missing the response window. Partners set their own deadline for the 990. Late responses can count as rejections.
- Accepting before capacity is real. A tender accepted and then dropped hurts your standing with that shipper.
- Mapping stops wrong. Stop sequence, time zones and reference numbers per stop need to land on the right stop in your TMS.
FreightVero doesn’t send or receive EDI today. EDI is on the roadmap as a planned integration. Our EDI guide for freight brokers covers setup questions to ask a trading partner.