Glossary
Short, single-answer definitions for the category's recurring terms — EDI 204/214, ELD mandate, detention tracking, and Tranztec's own product vocabulary.
EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
A standardized format for exchanging business documents — load tenders, invoices, status updates — directly between two companies' systems without manual re-entry.
VAN (Value-Added Network)
A third-party network that routes and translates EDI messages between trading partners, typically charging per-transaction or subscription fees.
TMS (Transportation Management System)
Software carriers, brokers, and shippers use to plan, execute, and track freight movement — dispatch, routing, settlement, and customer communication.
ELD (Electronic Logging Device)
A device that automatically records a commercial driver's hours of service, required by FMCSA regulation for most interstate carriers.
Telematics
Systems that capture and transmit vehicle data — location, engine diagnostics, driver behavior — typically via GPS and onboard hardware.
API Integration
Connecting two systems through a defined set of programmatic endpoints, allowing near-real-time data exchange rather than batch file transfer.
Digital Freight Matching
Software that automatically pairs available loads with available capacity, reducing reliance on manual load-board searching and phone-based booking.
Carrier Onboarding
The process of vetting, qualifying, and setting up a new carrier to haul freight — authority checks, insurance verification, EDI/API setup, and compliance documentation.
Detention
Time a carrier's driver and equipment are held beyond the agreed free time at a shipper or receiver's facility, typically billed at an hourly rate.
Tender
A formal offer of a load from a shipper or broker to a carrier, typically sent via EDI 204 or through a TMS/portal, which the carrier accepts or rejects.
EDI 204 (Load Tender)
The EDI transaction set used to electronically offer a shipment to a carrier, specifying pickup/delivery locations, equipment, and commodity details.
EDI 214 (Shipment Status Message)
The EDI transaction set carriers use to report shipment milestones — pickup, in-transit, delivery — back to the shipper or broker.
EDI 210 (Motor Carrier Freight Invoice)
The EDI transaction set used to electronically invoice a shipper or broker for a completed shipment.
EDI 990 (Response to Load Tender)
The EDI transaction set a carrier sends back to accept or decline a load tender (EDI 204).
Freight Visibility Platform
A system that aggregates location and status data from telematics, ELDs, and carrier systems to give shippers and brokers a single view of in-transit freight.
Middleware (Integration Middleware)
Software that sits between two or more systems, translating and routing data so they can exchange information without a direct, custom-built connection.
Webhook
An automated, event-triggered HTTP callback that pushes data from one system to another as soon as something happens, instead of the receiving system having to poll for updates.
Carrier Compliance
Ongoing verification that a carrier maintains valid operating authority, insurance, and safety ratings required to legally haul freight.
MC Number (Motor Carrier Number)
A unique identifier the FMCSA assigns to a carrier authorized to transport regulated commodities or passengers across state lines.
Geofencing
Using a virtual geographic boundary to automatically trigger status updates — such as arrival or departure — when a tracked vehicle crosses it.