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TMS Documentation

EDI Inbox

The EDI Inbox helps teams review electronic tenders, trading partner connections, EDI history, and EDI usage when this module is enabled for the organization.

Inbox

Use Inbox to review incoming EDI tenders before building or updating a load.

Review:

  • Trading partner.
  • Tender status.
  • Shipment reference numbers.
  • Pickup and delivery details.
  • Requested dates and appointment details.
  • Equipment, commodity, weight, and service requirements.
  • Rate confirmation details when included.
  • Documents attached to the tender.
  • Required accept, reject, or follow-up action.

Accepting or rejecting a tender sends the partner response when your connection is configured for it. After accepting, ARK TMS creates the linked load automatically when the tender has enough mapped details and the partner allows accepted tenders to become loads. If the load still needs review, choose Create Load, confirm customer and team, review the draft load, then create the linked load.

Some partner mappings require an ARK load number before the tender can be accepted. For those tenders, create a new load or enter an Existing load # and choose Link & Accept. The 990 tender response uses the linked load number when the partner requires it.

CHR tenders can be created or linked while still pending when the mapping requires the load before accept. Other partners may require acceptance before load creation.

When an EDI tender includes explicit stop appointment windows and the stop timezone is known, the load review can prefill pickup and delivery appointment times. Date-only, broad requested windows, or stops without timezone context can still be created with blank appointment times.

When building a load from a tender, ARK TMS matches tender stop addresses to saved locations when it can do so safely. It prefers an exact location for the selected customer, then one exact shared location. If multiple customer or shared locations still match, choose the correct location in review or leave it blank so ARK can create the EDI location.

When a tender includes shipment summary charges, customer pay can prefill from total charges as a single Rate line. If total charges are unavailable, a freight rate can prefill customer pay; per-mile rates stay per-mile when miles are available. Confirm customer pay before creating or accepting a load.

Build or update the load only after confirming the tender details match the freight your team intends to handle.

When a partner sends a cancellation for an EDI tender, ARK TMS marks the tender cancelled and keeps the linked load record in place. Cancelled tenders cannot be accepted, rejected, used for tenant shipment status updates, or used for EDI invoice delivery. Review the linked load separately if the broker load also needs to be cancelled or updated.

Linked loads and status updates

Linked EDI loads keep the tender, load, and partner messages connected. Use shipment status updates from the EDI workflow when a partner needs 214 status updates.

Link an existing load only when the load belongs to the same organization and visible team, and the tender details match the load. If the selected EDI stop location does not match the tender address, choose the matching saved location or leave the location blank so ARK can create the EDI location.

Some partners require a carrier reference on outbound 214 updates. Depending on the partner mapping, that reference may come from the linked ARK load number or from the inbound tender reference. If it is missing, the status update is blocked before ARK sends the partner file.

Connections

Connections show trading partner relationships assigned to the organization. A missing connection can prevent tenders from appearing in the expected inbox.

When a partner requires carrier-specific 214 references, confirm the routing assignment has the carrier SCAC set. This is especially important for broker status updates where the partner expects an actual carrier SCAC reference.

For EDI invoice delivery, confirm the shipper connection is configured for Email packet, EDI 210, or Email + EDI 210. EDI 210 delivery also requires the production EDI runtime, an accepted linked tender, and complete invoice data.

Contact support for new partner setup, missing partners, or connection changes.

SFTP partner operations

Some EDI partners exchange files through SFTP instead of AS2 or email. Partner Ops can store managed SFTP credentials, create the AWS Transfer SFTP connector, test the connection, list remote files without ingesting them, run a one-time poll, and sync the polling schedule when the connection is ready.

Use the selected environment profile and assigned connection metadata to keep sandbox, production, and customer-specific SFTP profiles separate.

Before syncing an SFTP schedule, confirm the host, AWS connector, pinned host key, inbound and outbound directories, polling cadence, and managed credentials are complete. Ordinary profile saves do not sync SFTP schedules; use Sync schedule after setup changes that should affect polling.

For a new SFTP partner, save credentials, create or update the connector, copy the displayed AWS managed egress IPs for partner allowlisting, run Test SFTP Connection to observe the host key, pin the host key, then test again or list remote files. If credentials, connector, host key, or required transport settings are missing, schedule sync is blocked or a stale schedule can be deleted.

When an SFTP partner leaves processed files in the outbound directory, ARK records remote-file receipts and can skip unchanged files on later polls. The skip check uses stable remote size and modified-time metadata when the SFTP server provides it; otherwise ARK reads the file and falls back to payload hashing before processing.

History

History shows previous EDI activity, status changes, processing outcomes, acknowledgments, and error details. Use History when researching whether a tender was received, accepted, rejected, updated, acknowledged, or failed.

Usage

Usage reporting helps review EDI activity volume and operational history. Use it to confirm tender volume and investigate repeated processing issues.

Notifications

New production 204 tenders send email notifications to active users who can view the EDI inbox and take tender actions. Sandbox tenders and follow-up confirmation or update messages do not send these notifications.

Common EDI terms

  • EDI tender: electronic load offer sent by a trading partner.
  • Tender acceptance: confirmation that the organization accepts the offered shipment.
  • Tender rejection: confirmation that the organization declines the offered shipment.
  • 990: tender response sent after accepting or rejecting a tender.
  • 210: freight invoice sent to a trading partner when EDI invoice delivery is configured.
  • 997: acknowledgment that an EDI message was received and processed at the transaction level.
  • 214: shipment status update sent to a trading partner.
  • SFTP: file-based partner connection used by some EDI trading partners.
  • Carrier SCAC: carrier identifier used by some partners on outbound EDI status updates.
  • Trading partner: customer or external party connected through EDI.
  • BOL: bill of lading document or reference associated with a shipment.
  • POD: proof of delivery document used after delivery.
  • Rate confirmation: document confirming carrier rate and shipment terms.

When to contact support

Contact support for new partner setup, missing connections, repeated tender failures, unclear EDI status, missing tender data, missing carrier SCAC setup, or a tender that does not match the expected load details.