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X12 transaction guide · Catalogs and pricing

EDI 494 Rail Scale Rates

The X12 document used to transmit rail scale rate tables with commodities, conditions, geography, routes, divisions and mileage blocks.

Sent by
Railroad or rate publisher
Received by
Shippers and other rate users
Standard
ANSI ASC X12

What is an EDI 494?

The EDI 494 Rail Scale Rates is the ANSI X12 transaction set used to transmit rail scale rate tables, which include commodities, qualifying conditions, geographic data, routes, divisions and mileage blocks.

A scale rate varies with distance: the rate for a shipment is found by its mileage block. Scale rates cover many origin and destination pairs with one table, which shippers and auditors use with mileage data to rate shipments. Mileage blocks group distances into ranges. Rates are found by distance band.

How the EDI 494 worksDiagram of the EDI 494 Rail Scale Rates. Railroad or rate publisher sends it to shippers and other rate users. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 463 and 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: REN (Rate Request Information), DK (Docket Header), PI (Price Authority Identification), SA (Status Action) and the required LX loop with LX (Transaction Set Line Number) and PI (Price Authority Identification). 2 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 494 worksRail Scale Rates: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 494SENDERRailroad or ratepublisherRECEIVERShippers and otherrate users997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY463Rail Rate Reply997FunctionalAcknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code TPGS … GETransaction set 494ST … SEHEADINGRENRate Request InformationDKDocket HeaderPIPrice Authority IdentificationSAStatus ActionRequired loop LX · repeats up to 1LXTransaction Set Line NumberPIPrice Authority Identification+ 2 optional loops, starting with:R9SCLBlue 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 494. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 494 worksDiagram of the EDI 494 Rail Scale Rates. Railroad or rate publisher sends it to shippers and other rate users. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 463 and 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: REN (Rate Request Information), DK (Docket Header), PI (Price Authority Identification), SA (Status Action) and the required LX loop with LX (Transaction Set Line Number) and PI (Price Authority Identification). 2 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 494 worksRail Scale Rates: who sends it, where it fits andwhat the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 494SENDERRailroad or ratepublisherRECEIVERShippers andother rate users997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partnersagreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY463Rail Rate Reply997Functional Acknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDs (ISA… IEA)Functional group, ID code TP (GS … GE)Transaction set 494 (ST … SE)HEADINGRENRate Request InformationDKDocket HeaderPIPrice Authority IdentificationSAStatus ActionRequired loop LX · repeats up to1LXTransaction Set LineNumberPIPrice AuthorityIdentification+ 2 optional loops, starting with:R9SCLBlue 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 494. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 494, 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 494 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

  • Publishing distance-based rate tables
  • Updating scale rates
  • Supporting rating and freight audit

Where it fits in the document flow

This document 494 Rail Scale Rates
Usually followed by 463 Rail Rate Reply997 Functional Acknowledgment

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 494 (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
  • REN
  • DK
  • PI
  • SA
  • R9
  • R2B
  • LX
  • SCL

Practical example

The 494 in practice

A railroad publishes a scale rate table for a commodity group, with rates per car by mileage block. It sends the table to shippers with a 494. A shipper's audit system calculates each shipment's mileage and applies the matching block rate when checking freight bills.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 494

  • Use the same mileage source as the railroad.
  • Load conditions and divisions with the rates.
  • Version scale rate tables with their effective dates.
  • Acknowledge rate loads with a rate reply where agreed.

How ECOM helps

Automate the 494 with ECOM

Industry

Trucking and Transportation

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

Solution

Financial Document Automation

Automate invoices, remittances, payment files and bank statements from capture to posting.

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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