X12 990 — Response to a Load Tender

Formal, machine-readable carrier reply to a transport order (Load Tender 204): accepted, declined, or declined with a counter-proposal.

Purpose

The 990 is the carrier's explicit, machine-readable response to a received 204. Its key element is B1, which carries a one-letter reservation action code: A Accept, D Decline or U Pending Acceptance/Decline. This response is critical in TMS workflows: a 204 without a 990 inside 30 minutes is typically auto-cascaded to the next carrier in the shipper's routing guide. It is the contractual arbiter of capacity acceptance.

Envelope and structure

The 990 uses the standard triple X12 envelope. Its functional group identifier GF groups transportation replies. A minimal 990 accepting a load tender:

ISA*00*          *00*          *ZZ*ACMECARRIER    *ZZ*BIGSHIPPER     *260513*0930*U*00501*000000990*0*P*>~
GS*GF*ACMECARRIER*BIGSHIPPER*20260513*0930*1*X*005010~
ST*990*0001~
B1*ACMECARRIER*LOAD-TENDER-7711*20260513*A~
N9*PO*PO-12345~
SE*4*0001~
GE*1*1~
IEA*1*000000990~

Common segments (concept)

• Header — B1 Beginning Segment for Booking or Pick-Up/Delivery (carrier id, tender reference, date, action code), followed by N9 Reference Identification carrying the business references of the original tender (PO number, booking number, pre-assigned BOL).
• Detail — optional K1 Remarks to justify a decline, and G62 Date/Time to propose an alternate slot for a decline with counter-proposal.
• Summary — a single SE; the 990 is intrinsically short (3 to 8 segments in practice).

When you'll see it

The 990 is implemented in every US transportation contract where the shipper automates their tender routing guide: past a response SLA (typically 15 to 30 minutes), the 204 is re-emitted to the next carrier in cost-ranked cascade. Shipper TMSs (Oracle, SAP TM, Manhattan, MercuryGate) expose a "tender status" UI that updates on 990 receipt. On the carrier side, the dispatcher usually validates acceptance, either manually or through an automated rule (lane + weekday + paying lane).

Related transactions

• 204 — Motor Carrier Load Tender (the request the 990 answers).
• 214 — Transportation Carrier Shipment Status. See 214 page →
• 210 — Motor Carrier Freight Details and Invoice. See 210 page →
• 997 or 999 — Functional acknowledgment of the 990. 997 · 999

Documentation

• x12.org/products/transaction-sets — public index, name and code 990.
• stedi.com/edi/x12/transaction-set/990 — public editorial reference, examples.
• Implementation Guide (TR3) — available for purchase on x12.org or via DISA.