The X12 motor carrier freight details and invoice message: a carrier's invoice in EDI form, with the shipment references, weights, rates, accessorials and total due.

Does a 997 mean the invoice is approved?

No. A 997 only says the file arrived and passed syntax checks; X12 says it does not cover the semantic meaning. Approval comes from audit against the rate and the delivery record.

What is the EDIFACT equivalent of the 210?

INVOIC, the invoice message, used for freight invoices in Europe and much of the rest of the world.

Term

EDI 210 (freight invoice)

The EDI 210 is the X12 message a carrier uses to invoice a shipper, or to send the details of a shipment's freight charges: the bill of lading, weights, rates, accessorials and total. The receiver replies with a 997 functional acknowledgment. CN, for one, makes a 997 mandatory for every 210 it sends.

Also called EDI 210, 210 freight invoice, X12 210, motor carrier freight invoice, EDI 997Applies in USUpdated 13 October 2026

What it carries

X12 says the 210 is used both as a motor carrier invoice to request payment and as details of motor freight shipment charges. A 210 opens with a B3 segment, the beginning of the carrier's invoice, and closes with an L3 segment of total weight and charges; in between come the references, stops, line items and accessorials. Old Dominion sends it to the customer or third party as an invoice requesting payment.

Partner	Published rule
3M (2017)	Its bill of lading number is mandatory; it cannot accept a negative dollar amount
CN (rail carrier)	A 997 is mandatory for every 210; balance-due and corrected invoices are optional types
FedEx (2022)	997s only at transaction level, one AK2 and AK5 per invoice; payment within 15 days of invoice date

Worked example: one invoice cycle

Day 0: load delivered (214 D1) → day 1: carrier sends 210 with BOL, weight and $1,840 total → shipper returns 997 the same day → audit matches the 210 to the rate and proof of delivery → payment by day 15 on FedEx-style terms

Illustrative figures. The 15-day term is FedEx's published payment rule for its 210 invoices; other carriers set their own.

Freight audit providers live on this message: FedEx runs a programme recognising freight bill, audit and pay providers that consistently meet its standards for receiving invoices electronically.

The mistake people make

Reading a 997 as approval of the invoice. X12 describes the functional acknowledgment as reporting the results of the syntactical analysis — the file was readable — and says it does not cover the semantic meaning. A shipper that has sent a 997 has accepted the file, not the charges; disputes still go through audit.

FAQ