What is the difference between an EDI 204 and a 990?

The 204 is the load tender — the shipper's offer of a load. The 990 is the carrier's response, accepting or declining it.

How fast must a carrier answer an EDI 204?

Whatever the shipper's guide says. Ryder's 2010 guide asked for a 990 within one hour, after which the load could go to another carrier; CN generates its 990 within half an hour.

Is the EDI 204 used for LTL?

Not for LTL bills of lading. X12 describes the 204 as a tender to a full-load carrier and says it is not for less-than-truckload bills of lading, pickup notifications or manifests.

Term

EDI 204 (motor carrier load tender)

The EDI 204 is the X12 message a shipper or broker uses to offer a truckload shipment to a motor carrier, with the scheduling, stops, equipment, commodities and reference numbers. The carrier replies with an EDI 990, accepting or declining. Shippers set deadlines for that reply: Ryder's guide assumes a decline if no 990 arrives within an hour.

Also called EDI 204, 204 load tender, X12 204, EDI 990, load tender responseApplies in USUpdated 13 October 2026

What it carries

X12 describes the 204 as the message used to offer, or tender, a shipment to a full-load motor carrier, including detailed scheduling, equipment requirements, commodities and shipping instructions — and says it is not for less-than-truckload bills of lading, pickup notices or manifests. Ryder's carrier guide lists the origin, destination, Ryder load number and other reference numbers, with each stop coded by what happens there.

Field	Codes
Purpose	00 Original · 01 Cancellation · 04 Change
Stop reason	LD Load · PL Part Load · CU Complete Unload · PU Part Unload · UL Unload
990 answer	A Reservation Accepted · D Reservation Cancelled

Codes from Ryder's 204 implementation guide, version 3.0, 2015

Worked example: one tender, start to finish

09:00 shipper sends 204 (purpose 00) → 09:20 carrier returns 997 acknowledgment → 09:40 carrier returns 990 'A' accepted → 13:00 shipper sends 204 purpose 04 with a changed delivery time

Illustrative times. Ryder requires the 997 within one hour of the 204, and its 2010 guide the 990 within one hour, after which the load may be tendered to another carrier. CN, a rail carrier, says it generates a 990 within half an hour of receiving each 204.

A change does not cancel the tender: Ryder's guide says it will no longer send a cancellation and then re-tender a corrected load, but sends a change instead. Old Dominion describes the same flow from the carrier's side — it receives the 204 to request a freight pickup and sends a 990 to accept or reject it.

The mistake people make

Accepting with the 997 and forgetting the 990. The 997 only confirms the file arrived and parsed; the 990 is the answer. A carrier that sends one without the other has, in the shipper's system, not replied — and past the deadline the load moves to the next carrier in the routing guide.

FAQ