The electronic request a shipper sends to a motor carrier to book a specific load - specifying pickup location, delivery address, commodity details, and any special handling requirements before a truck is dispatched.
The EDI 204 Motor Carrier Load Tender is the transportation equivalent of a purchase order - it's a shipper's formal request to a specific carrier to pick up and deliver a defined load. When a shipper (retailer, manufacturer, distributor, or 3PL acting on behalf of a client) is ready to dispatch freight, they send a 204 to the carrier's TMS or EDI mailbox with everything the carrier needs to plan and execute the move.
A 204 captures the full logistics picture: the pickup and delivery stops with addresses and appointment windows, the commodity being shipped (description, weight, class, hazmat flags), equipment type required (dry van, reefer, flatbed), any accessorial requirements (liftgate, inside delivery, residential), and references to the purchase orders or bills of lading associated with the load. For multi-stop loads, the 204 includes a stop detail loop (S5 segment) for each stop in sequence.
The carrier's response comes back as an EDI 990 (Motor Carrier Freight Details and Invoice Response) - either accepting or declining the tender. Once accepted, the carrier dispatches a driver, and subsequent 214 (Shipment Status) messages track the load's progress through pickup confirmation, in-transit milestones, and final delivery.
Carriers receive 204s from shippers through their TMS to auto-populate load boards, assign drivers, and pre-build bills of lading. High-volume carriers process thousands of 204s daily across their fleet management systems. The 204 eliminates phone and email dispatch, reducing booking errors and improving tender acceptance tracking.
Retailers with large DC networks use 204 to manage outbound store replenishment and DTC fulfillment. When an order management system triggers a wave pick, the TMS generates 204s to carriers in the routing guide. Compliance with carrier-level SLAs - on-time pickup, correct equipment - is enforced through the tender acceptance loop.
3PLs act as intermediaries, receiving fulfillment instructions from depositors and sending 204s to carriers on their behalf. A 3PL's TMS may tender the same load to multiple carriers simultaneously (spot tender) or follow a waterfall routing guide. The 204's acceptance/decline tracking drives carrier performance scorecards.
Distributors shipping temperature-controlled loads use 204 to specify reefer set points, pre-cooling requirements, and FSMA-related commodity temperature data directly in the tender. Carriers know exactly what equipment configuration is needed before dispatch, reducing food safety incidents from improperly equipped trucks.
Opens the 204 and establishes the transaction's purpose. Key fields: B201 = standard carrier alpha code (SCAC) of the carrier being tendered, B202 = shipment ID or load number, B205 = shipment method of payment (PP = prepaid, CC = collect, TP = third party). B210 = shipment weight qualifier. This segment is the carrier's first lookup key when auto-matching tenders in their TMS.
One S5 loop per stop - pickup (S501 = 1, S502 = LD = loading) and delivery (S502 = UL = unloading). Multi-stop loads have additional intermediate stops. Contains stop sequence number, stop reason code, and weight/quantity for that stop. The address details follow in N1/N3/N4 loops within each S5 loop. Critical for LTL and multi-stop TL moves.
Identifies all parties: shipper (SH), consignee (CN), bill-to party (BT), and any notify party (NF). N1 carries the entity name and optionally a DUNS or SCAC identifier. N3 is street address; N4 is city/state/ZIP/country. Accurate consignee data is essential - carrier GPS routing and dock scheduling systems consume this directly.
Specifies pickup and delivery date/time windows per stop. G6201 = date qualifier (10 = requested pickup, 02 = delivery requested by), G6202 = date (CCYYMMDD), G6204 = time qualifier, G6205 = time (HHMM). Many carriers' systems enforce appointment windows from these values, and missed windows trigger exception codes back in 214 status messages.
Commodity description for the load or stop. L501 = lading line number, L502 = lading description (e.g., "General Merchandise"), L503 = commodity code (NMFC or STCC), L504 = commodity code qualifier. For hazmat loads, the L5 description must match DOT hazmat descriptions exactly. L507 = hazardous material code if applicable.
AT5 carries bill of lading references and special handling instructions (HM = hazmat, HS = high value, OS = oversize). OID (Order Identification) links purchase orders to stops - OID01 = agent order number, OID02 = PO number, OID05 = weight, OID06 = volume. Multiple OID segments under one stop associate multiple POs with a single pickup or delivery location.
The carrier's direct reply to a 204 tender - accepting (B305 = A) or declining (B305 = D) the load. A decline triggers the routing guide waterfall to the next carrier. Most TMS systems expect a 990 within a configurable window (15–60 minutes) before re-tendering automatically.
Sent by the carrier back to the shipper as the load moves. Confirms pickup, reports in-transit milestones, flags exceptions (late pickup, damaged freight), and provides proof of delivery. The 214's shipment ID ties back to the original 204 load number for automated status matching.
After delivery, the carrier sends a 210 to invoice for the movement. The 210 references the BOL number and shipment ID from the 204, enabling automated freight audit and payment matching in the shipper's AP system.
Sent by the shipper to the receiver (e.g., a retailer) once the 204 is accepted and freight is dispatched. The ASN references the same POs and BOL numbers as the 204, allowing the receiver to pre-check inbound freight against open orders.
Better EDI maps, tests, and certifies 204/990 integrations with carriers and TMS platforms so your load tendering runs without manual intervention.
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