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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 423 — Rail Industrial Fuel Surcharge

The 423 transmits the fuel surcharge applicable to industrial rail rates: amount or percentage indexed to HDF (Highway Diesel Fuel) or another index.

Purpose

The 423 documents the fuel surcharge to apply to industrial-rate rail shipments. It carries the surcharge per car (mileage-based) or per mile, the index used (HDF, IFC), the application period.

It feeds the 410 (Rail Freight Invoice) calculation and is typically published monthly by the railroad. Acknowledged by 997. Heavily regulated since STB Decision Ex Parte 661 (2007) on fuel surcharge transparency.

Envelope structure

The 423 travels within the three X12 envelope levels (ISA/IEA, GS/GE with functional group GU, and ST/SE). Didactic example in release 004010:

x12 example-423.x12 
ISA*00*          *00*          *ZZ*RAILROAD      *ZZ*INDUSTRIAL    *260515*1130*U*00401*000000423*0*P*>~
GS*GU*RAILROAD*INDUSTRIAL*20260515*1130*1*X*004010~
ST*423*0001~
BGN*00*FSC-2026-06*20260515~
N1*RR*BNSF RAILWAY*24*EIN-BNSF~
DTM*RT*20260601~
DTM*RT*20260630~
REF*ZZ*INDEX-HDF~
AMT*FS*0.32~
MSG*PER MILE - ALL TARIFFS~
SE*8*0001~
GE*1*1~
IEA*1*000000423~

Common segments

  • Header — ST, BGN.
  • Railroad — N1*RR.
  • Period — DTM*RT (start / end).
  • Index — REF*ZZ (HDF, IFC).
  • Surcharge — AMT*FS (per mile or per car), MSG for scope.
  • Summary — SE.

Common pitfalls

  • STB Ex Parte 661 compliance: since 2007 the fuel surcharge must reference a public index; an internal custom FSC is challengeable.
  • Trigger price: the formula typically carries a neutral zone (e.g., HDF between $2.30 and $2.50 = 0 FSC). Omitting the trigger price leads to overbilling.
  • Tariff scope: a 423 published for "all tariffs" does not include private contracts (which carry their own FSC) — confusing both causes disputes.

Documentation

The code 423 and the name Rail Industrial Fuel Surcharge are public and listed on x12.org/products/transaction-sets. The complete structure of loops, qualifiers and code lists is distributed by DISA via the proprietary Implementation Guides (TR3). ediverse.io covers only public concepts, the envelope and didactic examples.