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X12 transaction guide · Transportation

EDI 418 Rail Advance Interchange Consist

The X12 document used to send advance information on rail equipment being interchanged to a connecting carrier, or from a consignor or to a consignee.

Sent by
Delivering rail carrier or consignor
Received by
Receiving rail carrier or consignee
Standard
ANSI ASC X12

What is an EDI 418?

The EDI 418 Rail Advance Interchange Consist is the ANSI X12 transaction set used to transmit advance information on equipment being interchanged to a connecting rail carrier, from a consignor, or to a consignee.

A consist lists the cars in a train or cut of cars in order, with their identification, loaded or empty status and key shipment references. The receiving railroad uses the advance consist to plan crews, yard work and onward trains before the cars physically arrive. It is one of the core rail interchange messages.

How the EDI 418 worksDiagram of the EDI 418 Rail Advance Interchange Consist. Delivering rail carrier or consignor sends it to receiving rail carrier or consignee. It usually follows 417. 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). 2 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 418 worksRail Advance Interchange Consist: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWS417Rail Carrier WaybillInterchangeEDI 418SENDERDelivering rail carrieror consignorRECEIVERReceiving rail carrieror consignee997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997FunctionalAcknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code ICGS … GETransaction set 418ST … SEHEADINGBAXBeginning Segment for Advance Consist and Transportation Automatic Equipment ID+ 2 optional loops, starting with:NM1W1Blue 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 418. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 418 worksDiagram of the EDI 418 Rail Advance Interchange Consist. Delivering rail carrier or consignor sends it to receiving rail carrier or consignee. It usually follows 417. 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). 2 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 418 worksRail Advance Interchange Consist: who sendsit, where it fits and what the standard marksrequired1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWS417Rail Carrier Waybill InterchangeEDI 418SENDERDelivering railcarrier orconsignorRECEIVERReceiving railcarrier orconsignee997 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 IC (GS … GE)Transaction set 418 (ST … SE)HEADINGBAXBeginning Segment forAdvance Consist andTransportation AutomaticEquipment ID+ 2 optional loops, starting with:NM1W1Blue 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 418. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 418, 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 418 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

  • Notifying a connecting railroad of cars coming in interchange
  • Giving advance train consists to receiving yards
  • Informing consignees of incoming cars

Where it fits in the document flow

Usually follows 417 Rail Carrier Waybill Interchange
This document 418 Rail Advance Interchange Consist
Usually followed by 997 Functional Acknowledgment

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 418 (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
  • NM1
  • W1
  • W2
  • LH1
  • N1
  • SE

Practical example

The 418 in practice

A railroad will hand a 90-car train to a connecting railroad at an interchange point in the evening. A few hours before, it sends a 418 listing each car in order with its initials, number, load status, weight and waybill reference. The receiving railroad's yard plans the switching of the cars before the train arrives.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 418

  • List cars in their actual order in the train.
  • Update the consist when cars are set out or added.
  • Match consist entries to the waybills already sent.
  • Send consists early enough for yard planning.

How ECOM helps

Automate the 418 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

Supply Chain Visibility

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

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

Related transactions

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