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X12 transaction guide · Transportation

EDI 160 Transportation Automatic Equipment Identification

The X12 document used to share automatic equipment identification data from readers at interchange points.

Sent by
Railroad or equipment reader operator
Received by
Other railroads and participants
Standard
ANSI ASC X12

What is an EDI 160?

The EDI 160 Transportation Automatic Equipment Identification is the ANSI X12 transaction set that allows participants to share automatic equipment identification (AEI) information and data at interchange points.

Rail cars and locomotives in North America carry radio tags read by trackside readers. The reads show exactly which equipment passed a point and when. Sharing the data at interchanges gives both railroads an accurate record of what was exchanged, which supports car hire and tracking. It improves the accuracy of interchange records, since tag reads replace manual reporting of equipment numbers.

How the EDI 160 worksDiagram of the EDI 160 Transportation Automatic Equipment Identification. Railroad or equipment reader operator sends it to other railroads and participants. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BAX (Beginning Segment for Advance Consist and Transportation Automatic Equipment ID), AES (Automatic Equipment Identification Site Information), YNQ (Yes/No Question) and the required EI loop with EI (Automatic Equipment Identification). 1 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 160 worksTransportation Automatic Equipment Identification: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marksrequired1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 160SENDERRailroad or equipmentreader operatorRECEIVEROther railroads andparticipants997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997FunctionalAcknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code SJGS … GETransaction set 160ST … SEHEADINGBAXBeginning Segment for Advance Consist and Transportation Automatic Equipment IDAESAutomatic Equipment Identification Site InformationYNQYes/No QuestionRequired loop EI · repeats up to 500EIAutomatic Equipment Identification+ 1 optional loop, starting with:TSIBlue 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 160. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 160 worksDiagram of the EDI 160 Transportation Automatic Equipment Identification. Railroad or equipment reader operator sends it to other railroads and participants. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BAX (Beginning Segment for Advance Consist and Transportation Automatic Equipment ID), AES (Automatic Equipment Identification Site Information), YNQ (Yes/No Question) and the required EI loop with EI (Automatic Equipment Identification). 1 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 160 worksTransportation Automatic EquipmentIdentification: who sends it, where it fits andwhat the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 160SENDERRailroad orequipmentreader operatorRECEIVEROther railroadsand participants997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partnersagreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997Functional Acknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDs (ISA… IEA)Functional group, ID code SJ (GS … GE)Transaction set 160 (ST … SE)HEADINGBAXBeginning Segment forAdvance Consist andTransportation AutomaticEquipment IDAESAutomatic EquipmentIdentification SiteInformationYNQYes/No QuestionRequired loop EI · repeats up to500EIAutomatic EquipmentIdentification+ 1 optional loop, starting with:TSIBlue 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 160. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 160, 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 160 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

  • Sharing trackside reader data at interchanges
  • Confirming which cars passed a point
  • Supporting car hire and interchange records

Where it fits in the document flow

This document 160 Transportation Automatic Equipment Identification
Usually followed by 997 Functional Acknowledgment

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 160 (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
  • BAX
  • AES
  • YNQ
  • EI
  • TSI
  • QTY
  • SE

Practical example

The 160 in practice

A train passes a reader at the interchange between two railroads. The reader records each tag, and the delivering railroad sends the receiving railroad a 160 with the equipment identifications, their order and the time. Both railroads use the data to confirm the interchange and start car hire on the receiving side.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 160

  • Reconcile tag reads with the train consists.
  • Handle missed or unreadable tags with manual checks.
  • Use reader locations agreed between railroads.
  • Report reads promptly to the receiving railroad.

How ECOM helps

Automate the 160 with ECOM

Industry

Trucking and Transportation

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

Solution

Supply Chain Visibility

Track orders, shipments and invoices across partners and catch exceptions early.

Solution

EDI Integration

Exchange X12 and EDIFACT documents with partners and integrate them directly with your ERP.

More general questions about EDI are answered in the EDI FAQ.

Related transactions

Related transportation documents

All 80 transportation documents

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