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X12 transaction guide · Transportation

EDI 417 Rail Carrier Waybill Interchange

The X12 document that gives a rail carrier the detailed movement instructions for a shipment, exchanged between rail carriers.

Sent by
Rail carrier
Received by
Connecting rail carrier
Standard
ANSI ASC X12

What is an EDI 417?

The EDI 417 Rail Carrier Waybill Interchange is the ANSI X12 transaction set that gives a rail carrier detailed movement instructions for a rail shipment. The standard notes that it is used by all Class I rail carriers in the United States and Canada.

Many rail shipments travel over more than one railroad. The origin railroad creates the waybill from the shipper's bill of lading (404) and passes it to each connecting carrier with the 417, so every railroad in the route knows the car, the commodity, the route and the destination before the car arrives.

How the EDI 417 worksDiagram of the EDI 417 Rail Carrier Waybill Interchange. Rail carrier sends it to connecting rail carrier. It usually follows 404. It is usually followed by 418 and 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: the required N7 loop with N7 (Equipment Details), N8 (Waybill Reference), F9 (Origin Station), D9 (Destination Station), the required N1 loop with N1 (Party Identification), R2 (Route Information) and the required LX loop with LX (Transaction Set Line Number) and L5 (Description, Marks and Numbers). 8 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 417 worksRail Carrier Waybill Interchange: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWS404Rail Carrier ShipmentInformationEDI 417SENDERRail carrierRECEIVERConnecting rail carrier997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY418Rail Advance InterchangeConsist997FunctionalAcknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code WBGS … GETransaction set 417ST … SEHEADINGRequired loop N7 · repeats up to 500N7Equipment DetailsN8Waybill ReferenceF9Origin StationD9Destination StationRequired loop N1 · repeats up to 15N1Party IdentificationR2Route Information+ required LX (LX) and 8 optional loops, starting with:VCE1REFS1L0T1LH1Blue 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 417. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 417 worksDiagram of the EDI 417 Rail Carrier Waybill Interchange. Rail carrier sends it to connecting rail carrier. It usually follows 404. It is usually followed by 418 and 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: the required N7 loop with N7 (Equipment Details), N8 (Waybill Reference), F9 (Origin Station), D9 (Destination Station), the required N1 loop with N1 (Party Identification), R2 (Route Information) and the required LX loop with LX (Transaction Set Line Number) and L5 (Description, Marks and Numbers). 8 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 417 worksRail Carrier Waybill Interchange: who sends it,where it fits and what the standard marksrequired1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWS404Rail Carrier Shipment InformationEDI 417SENDERRail carrierRECEIVERConnecting railcarrier997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partnersagreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY418Rail Advance Interchange Consist997Functional Acknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDs (ISA… IEA)Functional group, ID code WB (GS … GE)Transaction set 417 (ST … SE)HEADINGRequired loop N7 · repeats up to500N7Equipment DetailsN8Waybill ReferenceF9Origin StationD9Destination StationRequired loop N1 · repeats up to15N1Party Identification+ required R2, LX (LX) and 8 optionalloops, starting with:VCE1REFS1L0T1LH1Blue 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 417. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 417, 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 417 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

  • Passing waybills to connecting railroads
  • Sharing movement instructions for interline shipments
  • Updating waybill data after changes

Where it fits in the document flow

Usually follows 404 Rail Carrier Shipment Information
This document 417 Rail Carrier Waybill Interchange
Usually followed by 418 Rail Advance Interchange Consist997 Functional Acknowledgment

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 417 (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
  • N7
  • VC
  • N1
  • E1
  • REF
  • L0
  • PI
  • N8
  • F9
  • D9
  • S1
  • R2
  • LX
  • L5
  • T1
  • LH1
  • SE

Practical example

The 417 in practice

A chemical shipper tenders a tank car to its origin railroad with a 404. The railroad creates the waybill and, because the car will be interchanged to a second railroad halfway, sends that railroad a 417 with the car, commodity, hazardous materials details, route and consignee. The connecting railroad plans the car's handling before interchange.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 417

  • Keep waybill data consistent across every carrier in the route.
  • Include hazardous materials information completely.
  • Send waybills before cars reach the interchange point.
  • Follow rail industry implementation guidelines.

How ECOM helps

Automate the 417 with ECOM

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.

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.

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