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X12 transaction guide · Transportation

EDI 120 Vehicle Shipping Order

The X12 document that notifies a carrier of a motor vehicle it is to ship to a destination, or on which it is to perform a service.

Sent by
Vehicle manufacturer or shipper
Received by
Rail or truck carrier, or vehicle processing facility
Standard
ANSI ASC X12

What is an EDI 120?

The EDI 120 Vehicle Shipping Order is the ANSI X12 transaction set used to notify a carrier of the impending arrival of a motor vehicle that the carrier is to ship to a specified destination, or on which it is to perform a service.

Finished vehicles leave assembly plants by rail and truck for dealers, ports and processing centers. The shipping order gives the carrier each vehicle's identification number, model, destination and any services required, so it can plan loads before the vehicles are released. The carrier reports progress back with the 121.

How the EDI 120 worksDiagram of the EDI 120 Vehicle Shipping Order. Vehicle manufacturer or shipper sends it to rail or truck carrier, or vehicle processing facility. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 121 and 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BVP (Beginning Segment for Vehicle Shipping Order) and the required G62 loop with G62 (Date/Time) and the required VC loop with VC (Motor Vehicle Control). 0 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 120 worksVehicle Shipping Order: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 120SENDERVehicle manufactureror shipperRECEIVERRail or truck carrier, orvehicle processingfacility997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY121Vehicle Service997FunctionalAcknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code VCGS … GETransaction set 120ST … SEHEADINGBVPBeginning Segment for Vehicle Shipping OrderRequired loop G62 · repeats up to 99G62Date/TimeRequired loop VC · repeats up to 999VCMotor Vehicle ControlBlue 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 120. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 120 worksDiagram of the EDI 120 Vehicle Shipping Order. Vehicle manufacturer or shipper sends it to rail or truck carrier, or vehicle processing facility. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 121 and 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BVP (Beginning Segment for Vehicle Shipping Order) and the required G62 loop with G62 (Date/Time) and the required VC loop with VC (Motor Vehicle Control). 0 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 120 worksVehicle Shipping Order: who sends it, where itfits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 120SENDERVehiclemanufacturer orshipperRECEIVERRail or truckcarrier, orvehicleprocessingfacility997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partnersagreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY121Vehicle Service997Functional Acknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDs (ISA… IEA)Functional group, ID code VC (GS … GE)Transaction set 120 (ST … SE)HEADINGBVPBeginning Segment forVehicle Shipping OrderRequired loop G62 · repeats up to99G62Date/TimeRequired loop VC · repeats upto 999VCMotor Vehicle ControlBlue 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 120. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 120, 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 120 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

  • Ordering transport of finished vehicles to dealers
  • Ordering services such as vehicle processing
  • Notifying carriers of vehicles ready for release

Where it fits in the document flow

This document 120 Vehicle Shipping Order
Usually followed by 121 Vehicle Service997 Functional Acknowledgment

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 120 (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
  • BVP
  • G62
  • VC
  • SE

Practical example

The 120 in practice

An assembly plant releases 300 vehicles a day. For each vehicle the manufacturer sends the rail carrier a 120 with the vehicle identification number, model, destination ramp and final dealer. The carrier groups the vehicles into railcar loads by destination and reports departures with 121 transactions.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 120

  • Identify every vehicle by its vehicle identification number.
  • Include destinations the carrier can plan loads against.
  • Send orders before vehicles are released to the carrier.
  • Update or cancel orders when destinations change.

How ECOM helps

Automate the 120 with ECOM

Industry

Automotive

Schedules, ship notices, labels, self-billing and multi-plant routing for automotive suppliers.

Industry

Trucking and Transportation

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

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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