Inside a 315 message
At a conceptual level, a 315 wraps status details in a fixed structure, covering one event for many containers or several events for one. It identifies the equipment by container number and often links it to booking and Bill of Lading references. It carries a status code for what happened, the location, the date and time, and vessel and voyage details for sea legs. The receiving system maps each status code to its own milestone names.
315 next to 313, 214 and 322
Several X12 sets sit close together. A 313, Shipment Status Inquiry (Ocean), asks the carrier for status, and the 315 carries the answer or an unprompted update. A 214, the Transportation Carrier Shipment Status Message, is common among trucking companies, so drayage updates often arrive that way. A 322 covers terminal operations and intermodal ramp activity, so some terminal and rail events travel in that format instead.
Running a 315 feed day to day
A 315 feed is set up partner by partner. The receiver agrees with each carrier, or with an EDI network, which status codes it wants, for which bookings and in which X12 version, then tests the mapping before relying on it. Codes and timing differ between carriers, and messages can arrive late, twice or out of order, so the receiving system needs rules for duplicates and corrections. Teams without an EDI connection can see comparable carrier milestones in CargoScope by saving the container number.
Example
When MSCU1234566 is discharged at Felixstowe, the carrier sends a 315 to the forwarder's system with the discharge status, the port, the timestamp, the vessel and voyage, and the Bill of Lading reference.
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Official sources
Questions
What does EDI 315 (container status message) mean?
EDI 315 is the ANSI X12 transaction set named Status Details (Ocean), which ocean carriers use to send container and shipment status events to their trading partners' systems. Each message carries events such as loaded or discharged, with the place and time.
Is EDI 315 the same as a carrier tracking API?
Both deliver container events. A 315 is a message in a fixed X12 format sent over an EDI connection, while an API returns data in a web format when a system asks for it. Many carriers offer both.
Does an EDI 315 include the ETA?
It can. Many carriers send estimated dates, such as an ETA at the port of discharge, alongside actual events, but what is included depends on the carrier and the agreed setup.