EDI 304: Shipping Instructions
The shipper’s instructions an ocean carrier uses to issue the bill of lading.
Shipper / Forwarder → Ocean carrier
After booking, before the carrier’s documentation cutoff.
What is the EDI 304?
The EDI 304 sends an ocean carrier the details it needs to issue the bill of lading: shipper, consignee, and notify parties, the containers and seal numbers, the cargo description, marks, piece counts, and weights. It is due by the carrier’s documentation cutoff. Errors in the shipping instructions end up on the bill of lading, and correcting a bill after it is issued usually costs a fee and can delay release at destination.
How EndlessEDI handles the 304
EndlessEDI sends 304s built from the POs and SKUs packed in each container, so the bill of lading describes the inventory that was loaded.
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