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You set up and test your EDI connection yourself in Owlery, then contact Support when you’re ready for production activation.

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Start With the EDI Guidelines

The EDI Guidelines are the source of truth for what to implement. Each transaction type (204, 214, 210, 990, and so on) has its own page with field-level requirements.
Read the Implementation Notes at the top of each transaction’s page before you build. They answer the questions we get most often, such as which 214 status codes are required.
Some requirements come from your shipper, not from Owlery. For example, Owlery recommends sending an en route (X6) 214 status every 15–30 minutes while a load is moving, but your shipper decides whether they need it. See Your Shipper Sets the Requirements.

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Set Up Your Connection

Where to find it: Dashboard → EDI Test
1

Choose the Shipper

Select the shipper under Owlery EDI Connection.If the shipper is not listed or its ISA configuration is missing, EDI isn’t enabled for that shipper yet. Ask your contact at the shipper to email support@owlery.ai and request EDI enablement. The request must come from the shipper, not from you. You can start testing once it’s enabled.
2

Configure Your Carrier ISA ID

Under Carrier EDI Connection, click Configure ISA ID.Enter your ISA Qualifier and ISA ID, then click Save. You can return here and click Edit if either value changes.
3

Generate SFTP Credentials

Under SFTP Setup, choose Password or Public Key, then click Generate Credentials.Save the connection details shown in Owlery. If password credentials already exist, you can click Get 1Password Share Link to retrieve them securely.
4

Configure Your Translator

Use the connection details and directory structure shown in EDI Test to connect your translator.Before you connect, check these settings:
  • File names: Every file you put in inbound/ must end in .edi, for example my_990.edi.
  • Owlery’s ID: Owlery uses a separate ISA ID for each shipper. Use the ID shown under Owlery EDI Connection for that shipper, and use the same value in the GS segment. The ID is the same for test and production.
  • Test and production: One SFTP account handles both. Set ISA15 to T for test or P for production. There’s no separate production account or directory.
  • Acknowledgements: Owlery puts a 997 in outbound/ for every file you send. Send a 997 back for every 204 you receive. This lets the shipper see that you received the tender before you accept or reject it.
  • Picked-up files: Each side is responsible for clearing the folder it reads from. After your translator picks up a file from outbound/, delete it or move it out. Owlery does the same with the files you put in inbound/.
Follow the EDI Guidelines for transaction requirements, file handling, identifiers, acknowledgements, and test-versus-production rules.
Missing carrier ISA or SFTP setup does not require Support. Complete those items directly in EDI Test.

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Complete Guided Testing

Where to find it: Dashboard → EDI Test → Test Plans
1

Start a Test Plan

Choose the shipper and click Start Test for the required plan.If Start Test is unavailable, follow the message shown in Owlery. It tells you whether you can fix the issue yourself or the shipper needs to request EDI enablement. See Choose the Shipper for how the shipper requests it.
2

Follow the Active Step

Owlery shows the current test action, load, and sample for each step. Complete only the active step.
3

Review Validation Results

The Owlery platform validates each transaction automatically as soon as you send it. You don’t need to wait on the Owlery team. When a step passes, the test moves to the next step right away. If a step fails, Owlery shows the result and a correction hint. Update your transaction and retry the step.
4

Complete Every Required Plan

Continue until each required plan shows Passed.

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Request Production Activation

After every required test plan passes, email support@owlery.ai to request production activation. The Owlery team verifies the connection and enables live EDI for the carrier-to-shipper relationship. You continue using the connection credentials created in EDI Test.
Do not send live EDI until the Owlery team confirms that the connection is enabled for production.

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FAQ

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How Will I Know When I Have a New Load?

Your shipper’s tender arrives as a 204 in your TMS. Owlery doesn’t send a separate email or notification for EDI tenders, so set up your TMS to alert your team when a new 204 comes in. If loads are being tendered and you aren’t seeing them in your TMS, email support@owlery.ai. Include the load or PO numbers and what you expected to see, and we’ll help you track it down.

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Can I Send 210s If I Can’t Send PODs Automatically?

Yes. Invoices and PODs are separate, so you can send 210s while your team uploads PODs by hand. See Upload Proof of Delivery for uploading in the Carrier Portal or dropping PDFs on SFTP. If your shipper requires a POD before approving an invoice, a 210 that arrives first may be disputed for Missing POD. Upload the POD to the load and the shipper’s rules re-check the invoice. You don’t need to resend the 210.

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Why Was My Load Tendered at $0?

Your shipper sent the tender without a rate. This is not common but is something some shippers choose to do. When a shipper does this, the load shows up in your TMS without a rate - just like how your shipper created the tender. There will still be no rate once you accept it and the load is built which means both you and your shipper won’t know what will be billed until you add your charges. See What Should I Do With a Load With No Rate? If you have an agreed rate with this shipper for the lane, ask them to store it as a contract rate in Owlery. Future tenders on that lane then arrive with the rate filled in.

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What Should I Do With a Load With No Rate?

Add any charges as soon as you know them on the load’s Invoice tab. List each charge on its own line, such as linehaul, fuel, and accessorials, so your shipper can see what makes up the total. This will update the price for your shipper and create a draft invoice that you can continue to edit, but it will not finalize an invoice for billing if you just add line items. For how to add line items, see Submit an Invoice.
Don’t click Create Invoice on the Invoice tab. Your final invoice comes through your EDI connection as a 210. Finalizing it in Owlery as well creates a duplicate invoice.