EDI in logistics is the set of standard electronic documents that move shipment information between the companies involved in getting goods from one place to another: the brand or shipper, the retailer receiving the goods, the warehouse or 3PL that stores and ships them, and the carrier that moves them. Each handoff has its own transaction set, and a single retail order can generate a dozen documents across four companies before the freight invoice is paid.
This guide maps those documents by who sends them, walks through one shipment end to end, and covers the identifiers that tie it all together. If you want the carrier side in more depth, our step-by-step guide to EDI shipping workflows picks up where this one leaves off.
The four parties in logistics EDI
Most logistics EDI writing focuses on carriers and 3PLs. For a brand selling into retail, there are four parties to keep straight, and each speaks a slightly different set of documents.
The brand or shipper owns the goods and the customer relationship. Its ERP is usually the system of record.
The retailer orders the goods, often controls the freight through a routing guide, and scores the brand on what arrives.
The warehouse or 3PL holds inventory and picks, packs, and ships. If you run your own warehouse, this is your WMS. Our guide to 3PL services covers how that relationship works.
The carrier moves the freight, whether parcel, LTL, or truckload. Our comparison of parcel vs LTL and our guide to LTL shipping explain the modes.
Logistics EDI transactions by party
Between the brand and the retailer
Document | Direction | What it does |
|---|---|---|
Retailer to brand | The order, including ship-to DC and requested ship window | |
Brand to retailer | Tells the retailer the order is ready, with weight, cube, and pallet count, so it can assign a carrier | |
754 Routing Instructions | Retailer to brand | Assigns the carrier and pickup appointment |
Brand to retailer | Lists what shipped, carton by carton, before the truck arrives | |
Retailer to brand | Reports what the DC received (used by some partners) | |
Retailer to brand | Flags documents that failed the retailer's business rules |
Our explainer on the 753 routing request covers the most common mapping mistakes on that pair.
Between the brand and the warehouse or 3PL
Document | Direction | What it does |
|---|---|---|
Brand to 3PL | Sets up or changes item data at the warehouse | |
Brand to 3PL | Announces inbound inventory so receiving can plan | |
3PL to brand | Confirms what was received | |
Brand to 3PL | Tells the warehouse what to pick, pack, and ship | |
3PL to brand | Confirms what shipped, with cartons and tracking | |
3PL to brand | Reports inventory on hand at the warehouse | |
947 Warehouse Inventory Adjustment Advice | 3PL to brand | Reports damages, count corrections, and status changes |
Our guides to the 940, 945, and 944 go deeper on each.
Between the shipper and the carrier
Document | Direction | What it does |
|---|---|---|
204 Motor Carrier Load Tender | Shipper to carrier | Offers a load with pickup, delivery, and equipment details |
Carrier to shipper | Accepts or declines the load | |
214 Shipment Status Message | Carrier to shipper | Pickup, in-transit, delay, and delivery updates |
210 Freight Details and Invoice | Carrier to payer | Bills for the move, including accessorial charges |
Ocean carrier to shipper | Container status events for ocean freight |
When the retailer routes the freight (common on collect shipments), the retailer or its logistics provider sends the 204 and receives the 214s and 210, and the brand never sees them. When the brand pays for freight, the brand or its 3PL runs this loop. Knowing which applies to each customer tells you which documents you need to support.
Acknowledgments on every leg
Each of these documents should be answered by a 997 Functional Acknowledgment, which confirms the file arrived and was readable. A missing 997 is the earliest warning that something did not go through.
One retail shipment, end to end
Here is how a typical retailer-routed (collect) order to a big-box DC moves, with a 3PL doing the fulfillment.
The retailer sends an 850. Your ERP creates a sales order.
Your ERP sends a 940 to the 3PL with the items, ship-to DC, and the retailer's labeling and routing requirements.
The 3PL picks and packs, then reports weight, cube, and pallet count back to you. You send the 753 to the retailer.
The retailer replies with a 754 naming the carrier and pickup appointment. You pass the details to the 3PL.
The carrier picks up. The 3PL sends a 945 with carton contents, SSCCs, the bill of lading number, and tracking.
From the 945 data, you send the 856 ASN to the retailer, ideally before the truck leaves the dock.
The carrier, working for the retailer, sends 214 status updates to the retailer and bills the retailer with a 210.
The DC receives against your ASN. Mismatches show up as an 824, a receiving discrepancy, or a chargeback.
You send the 810 invoice, and the retailer pays with an 820 remittance.
The steps where brands lose money are 5 and 6. If the 945 is late or incomplete, the 856 is late or wrong, and the retailer's receiving team sees a truck with no matching ASN. Our ASN accuracy guide covers how to tighten that handoff.
The identifiers that tie it together
Logistics EDI works because every party references the same identifiers. When one is missing or mistyped, documents stop matching each other.
PO number, from the 850, carried on the 940, 856, and 810.
Bill of lading number, created at pickup and carried on the 945, 856, and carrier documents. See our bill of lading guide.
SCAC, the carrier's four-letter code. See our SCAC code guide.
PRO number, the carrier's tracking number for the shipment.
SSCC, the 18-digit serial number on each carton's GS1-128 label, which links the physical carton to its line in the ASN.
GLN, which identifies ship-from and ship-to locations for many partners. See our GLN guide.
How the documents travel
Logistics partners use the same transport options as the rest of EDI: AS2 for most large retailers, SFTP for many 3PLs and mid-size partners, and VANs where a partner still requires one. Carriers and newer logistics platforms increasingly offer APIs alongside EDI, especially for tracking. Our AS2 guide explains the most common setup, and this post on EDI and API covers when each fits.
Where logistics EDI usually breaks
The 945 arrives after the truck leaves, so the 856 goes out late.
Carton contents on the ASN do not match what was packed, usually because labels were printed before picking finished.
753 requests miss the retailer's cutoff, which pushes the pickup and risks missing the ship window.
Weights and dimensions are wrong in the item master, so the 753 reports the wrong cube and the carrier sends the wrong equipment. Our Ti-Hi guide and weight guide help here.
Gaps in 214 updates leave customer service guessing about delivery.
210 accessorial charges do not match the agreed rates, and nobody reconciles them before payment.
Most of these show up as deductions on the retailer side. The EDI compliance guide for food and beverage lists the common triggers, and the on-time shipping and order cycle time calculators help you measure the impact.
What good logistics EDI gets you
When the documents flow cleanly, your team stops rekeying shipment data between the 3PL portal, the ERP, and the retailer's system. ASNs go out on time because they are built from the warehouse's own confirmation. Inventory in the ERP matches the warehouse because receipts and adjustments post automatically. And when something goes wrong, the 997s, 824s, and 214s tell you where, instead of the chargeback report telling you weeks later. For 3PLs, the case is similar: automated data speeds up warehouse work and cleaner data improves order accuracy.
Frequently asked questions
What is EDI in logistics?
It is the electronic exchange of standard shipping, warehouse, and freight documents between shippers, retailers, 3PLs, and carriers, so shipment information moves between their systems without manual entry.
What are the most common EDI transactions in logistics?
For carriers: the 204, 990, 214, and 210. For warehouses and 3PLs: the 940, 945, 943, 944, 846, and 947. For brands shipping to retailers: the 753, 754, and 856. All of them are acknowledged with a 997.
What is the difference between the EDI 204 and 990?
The 204 is the load tender a shipper sends to offer a load to a carrier. The 990 is the carrier's reply accepting or declining it.
What is an EDI 214?
The 214 is the carrier's shipment status message. It reports events such as pickup, in transit, delays, and delivery.
What is the difference between the EDI 210 and 810?
The 210 is a carrier's freight invoice for transportation services. The 810 is a general invoice for goods, such as a brand billing a retailer.
Does a 3PL need EDI?
Most 3PLs that serve retail brands support EDI, because their clients need warehouse documents like the 940 and 945 to flow into their ERPs and to build retailer ASNs.
How does EDI work with a TMS or WMS?
The TMS or WMS generates and receives the documents for its part of the process (load tenders and status for a TMS, shipping orders and confirmations for a WMS), and an EDI integration translates them to and from each partner's format.
Do I need to support carrier EDI if the retailer routes my freight?
Usually not. On collect shipments the retailer or its logistics provider tenders the load and handles the 204, 990, 214, and 210. You still need the 753, 754, and 856.
Connect your logistics partners in one place
Surpass connects your ERP to retailers, 3PLs, and carriers through one managed EDI service, so warehouse confirmations turn into on-time ASNs without anyone rekeying them. Browse our integrations, see the retailers we already support, or talk to our team.
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