Many retailers and large buyers control inbound freight themselves. Instead of letting each supplier choose a carrier, they consolidate loads and decide the carrier, mode and timing. The supplier first asks for routing, often with a request for routing instructions (EDI 753) listing the purchase orders, weight, volume, carton count and ready date. The buyer replies with the 754, assigning the carrier, pickup date or appointment, and a load or reference number that must travel with the shipment.
Routing sits between order confirmation and shipment: purchase order, PO acknowledgment, routing request and 754, then pickup by the assigned carrier and the advance ship notice (EDI 856), which should carry the references from the routing instructions. On the transportation side, the buyer or its logistics provider tenders the load to the carrier with a load tender (EDI 204).
Routing guide violations are a frequent source of chargebacks in retail vendor compliance programs. Shipping with the wrong carrier, requesting routing late, missing the pickup window or leaving the load number off the ASN and bill of lading can all lead to penalties, as well as refused appointments at the distribution center.