EDI 940 — Warehouse Shipping Order explained
In short: EDI 940 is the ANSI X12 Warehouse Shipping Order transaction: a seller (typically a manufacturer or retailer) instructs a third-party warehouse or 3PL to release and ship inventory to a specific customer, with quantities, ship-to address, carrier and required ship date.
Key capabilities
- Ship-to & carrier data: Full ship-to address, requested delivery date, carrier SCAC, shipment method and reference numbers per line item.
- Item-level detail: GTIN/UPC, quantity ordered, unit of measure, lot number, serial number and packaging instructions per line.
- Pairs with 943/944/945: 940 triggers the flow; the 3PL responds with 943 (transfer shipment advice), 944 (receipt advice) and 945 (shipping advice).
- 3PL certified: EDIconnect exchanges 940/945 with 100+ US and EU 3PL providers — no custom mapping required.
How the 940 fits in the warehousing EDI flow
The full 3PL EDI cycle typically involves five X12 transactions: 940 (Warehouse Shipping Order — instruction to ship), 943 (Warehouse Stock Transfer Shipment Advice — inbound to the warehouse), 944 (Warehouse Stock Transfer Receipt Advice — 3PL confirms it received the inbound), 945 (Warehouse Shipping Advice — 3PL confirms what shipped out), and 947 (Warehouse Inventory Adjustment Advice — periodic reconciliation). All five must run automatically for a modern 3PL relationship.
EDIconnect maps the 940 to and from any ERP (SAP, NetSuite, Dynamics, Odoo) and any 3PL WMS (Manhattan, Blue Yonder, Körber, HighJump). Pre-built templates handle the small per-3PL variations without custom development.
Frequently asked questions
What is an EDI 940?
EDI 940 is the X12 Warehouse Shipping Order — the electronic instruction a seller sends to a third-party warehouse or 3PL to release inventory and ship it to a specific end customer.
What is the difference between EDI 940 and 945?
The 940 is the instruction going TO the warehouse; the 945 (Warehouse Shipping Advice) is the confirmation coming BACK, telling the seller what actually shipped, in what quantities, with which tracking numbers.
Who sends the EDI 940?
The inventory owner — typically a manufacturer, brand, or retailer using a third-party warehouse or 3PL for fulfillment.
Is EDI 940 required by 3PLs?
Most tier-1 3PLs (DHL, XPO, GEODIS, Kuehne+Nagel, DSV, and hundreds of regional players) require 940/945 EDI for accounts above minimum volume — replacing email, spreadsheets and portal entry.
How does EDI 940 integrate with an ERP?
Your ERP emits sales orders → EDIconnect converts them to X12 940 and transmits to the 3PL via AS2/SFTP → the 945 comes back and is written into the ERP as a shipment confirmation with tracking.