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EDIFACT message guide · Transport

IFTSTA International multimodal status report

The UN/EDIFACT message carriers and logistics providers use to report the transport status of a consignment, or a change in status.

Sent by
Carrier, forwarder or terminal
Received by
Shipper, consignee or other agreed party
Standard
UN/EDIFACT · Batch message
X12 equivalent
214 Transportation Carrier Shipment Status Message

What is the EDIFACT IFTSTA message?

IFTSTA is the UN/EDIFACT international multimodal status report. The directory defines it as a message reporting the transport status, or a change in transport status (an event), between agreed parties. Events include pickup, departure, arrival, delivery and exceptions such as delays or damage, with the time and location of each.

Status reports feed shipment visibility for shippers and consignees across road, rail, sea and air. They are the main input to tracking portals, customer notifications and carrier performance measurement, across every mode of transport.

How the EDIFACT IFTSTA message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT IFTSTA International multimodal status report message. Carrier, forwarder or terminal sends it to shipper, consignee or other agreed party. It usually follows IFTMIN. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message). 4 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT IFTSTA message worksInternational multimodal status report: who sends it, where it fits and what the directory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSIFTMINInstructionIFTSTASENDERCarrier, forwarder orterminalRECEIVERShipper, consignee orother agreed partyCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYNo business reply expected2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDsUNB … UNZMessage IFTSTAUNH … UNTSTART OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPS+ 4 conditional groups, starting with:RFFNADEQDCNIBlue box: mandatory segment group. Conditional groups are listed by the trigger segment that starts them; a group is sent only when its data applies.Conditional segments outside groups are not drawn.Structure: mandatory segments and groups in the UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A listing for IFTSTA. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.
How the EDIFACT IFTSTA message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT IFTSTA International multimodal status report message. Carrier, forwarder or terminal sends it to shipper, consignee or other agreed party. It usually follows IFTMIN. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message). 4 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT IFTSTAmessage worksInternational multimodal status report: whosends it, where it fits and what the directorymarks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSIFTMINInstructionIFTSTASENDERCarrier,forwarder orterminalRECEIVERShipper,consignee orother agreedpartyCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYNo business reply expected2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDs(UNB … UNZ)Message IFTSTA (UNH … UNT)START OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPS+ 4 conditional groups, starting with:RFFNADEQDCNIBlue box: mandatory segment group. Conditionalgroups are listed by the trigger segment thatstarts them; a group is sent only when its dataapplies. Conditional segments outside groups arenot drawn.Structure: mandatory segments and groups in theUN/EDIFACT directory D.21A listing for IFTSTA.Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends IFTSTA, to whom, and which messages usually come before and after it. The lower part shows what the directory D.21A itself requires: the envelopes around IFTSTA and the segments and segment groups it marks mandatory. Conditional groups are listed by their trigger segment rather than drawn in full. This is the directory's minimum, not a trading partner's requirement: a message implementation guide, such as an industry subset or a partner’s own guide, usually makes some conditional groups mandatory, restricts the codes and may use an older directory.

Expand diagram Download SVG

When it is used

  • Reporting pickup, transit and delivery events
  • Reporting delays and exceptions
  • Providing proof of delivery information

Where it fits in the message flow

Usually follows IFTMIN Instruction
This message IFTSTA International multimodal status report

Structure

Mandatory segments in IFTSTA (directory D.21A)

In UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A, the IFTSTA message has 89 segment positions arranged in 29 segment groups. These are the segments and segment groups marked mandatory at message level, in order; a mandatory group is shown with the segment that starts it. Segments inside conditional groups are needed only when the group is used. This is the directory’s requirement, not your trading partner’s: each partner’s message implementation guide names the directory it uses, often an older one such as D.96A or D.01B where the structure can differ, makes some conditional segments mandatory and restricts the codes.

  • UNH
  • BGM
  • UNT

Practical example

IFTSTA in practice

A road carrier moves pallets from a factory in Poland to a retailer's warehouse in Spain. It sends the shipper IFTSTA messages when the goods are collected, when they cross the border, when delivery is delayed by a road closure and when they are delivered and signed for. The shipper's visibility tool updates the customer's expected arrival automatically.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for IFTSTA

  • Map carrier status codes to your own milestones.
  • Reference the consignment numbers the shipper used in its instructions.
  • Report exceptions promptly; they are the most valuable events.
  • Measure missing events as well as reported ones.

How ECOM helps

Automate IFTSTA with ECOM

Solution

Supply Chain Visibility

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

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.

Compare X12 and EDIFACT, or see answers to general questions in the EDI FAQ.

Related messages

Related transport messages

All 36 transport messages

Need help with IFTSTA?

ECOM maps, tests and monitors EDIFACT messages for your trading partners and integrates them with your ERP.

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