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Spotlight PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0 The EU e-invoicing mandate is here — France Sept 2026, Belgium Jan 2026, Germany 2025.

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X12 404 — Rail Carrier Shipment Information

The 404 is the rail bill of lading: the consignor tenders a rail car or a group of cars to the railroad (Class I: BNSF, UP, NS, CSX, CN, CP) with the legal description of the cargo.

Purpose

The 404 transmits the rail car information to the railroad: car initial, car number, owner, content, origin and destination points, and above all a precise cargo description for regulation. For dangerous cargo (hazmat), it carries UN Number, class, packing group, and triggers rail-specific DOT / FRA obligations.

The 404 is the rail equivalent of the road BOL: it has legal-document value. The AAR (Association of American Railroads) maintains sector conventions and codes (STCC — Standard Transportation Commodity Code) referenced in the 404.

Envelope structure

The 404 travels in a functional group SR (Shipment Information — Rail). Didactic example in release 004010 for a hazmat car:

x12 example-404.x12 
ISA*00*          *00*          *ZZ*ACMECHEM      *ZZ*ACMERAIL      *260514*0700*U*00401*000000404*0*P*>~
GS*SR*ACMECHEM*ACMERAIL*20260514*0700*1*X*004010~
ST*404*0001~
ZC1*001*BOL-2026-99-A*ACMECHEM*ACMERAIL*PR*20260514~
M3*B*20260514*0700*EST~
N7*RAILCAR-77711***GATX*S~
F9*0500**HOUSTON*TX*US~
D9*0700**CHICAGO*IL*US~
N1*SH*ACME CHEMICALS LTD*92*CHEM-001~
N1*CN*ACME REFINERY DC 7*92*REF-007~
LH1*KK*1*49*1789*HYDROCHLORIC ACID SOLUTION*8***II~
SE*10*0001~
GE*1*1~
IEA*1*000000404~

The ZC1 (Beginning Segment for Data Correction or Change) or BX depending on release opens the BOL with number and type. M3 states cargo availability. N7 identifies the car (equipment). F9 and D9 carry rail origin and destination points (with SPLC or city code). LH1/LH2/LFH carry the hazmat declarations.

Common segments

  • Header — ST, ZC1 (Beginning Segment), M3 (Release).
  • Equipment — N7 (Equipment Details), N7A (Accessorial Equipment).
  • Origin / destination — F9 (Origin Station), D9 (Destination Station), R2 (Route Information).
  • Parties — N1 loop (SH = Consignor, CN = Consignee, FR = Freight Forwarder).
  • Cargo — L0/L1/L5/L7 loop for description, rate, STCC.
  • Hazmat — LH1/LH2/LH3/LFH/LEP loop.
  • Summary — SE.

Common pitfalls

  • STCC required: the STCC code (7-digit AAR) must be present in L502 for rating; a GHS or HTS code is not accepted.
  • Complete hazmat: for rail hazmat, LH1/LH2/LFH must carry UN, class, packing group, and flash point for flammable liquids — FRA / DOT 49 CFR requirements.
  • Car marking: N7 must echo the car's exact UMLER initial and number; an unregistered car blocks loading.

Documentation

The code 404 and the name Rail Carrier Shipment Information are public and listed on x12.org/products/transaction-sets. Rail conventions (STCC, UMLER, SPLC codes) are published by the AAR.