Purchase Order Numbers

UP's Key Reference Number

The purchase order number is the key reference number for Union Pacific. It ties together all paperwork and communications about a purchase, including payment. Consequently, the Union Pacific requests that the purchase order number be clearly shown on all:

  • Invoices
  • Order acknowledgments
  • Shipping notices
  • Delivery documents
  • Packing lists
  • Credit memos
  • Correspondence
  • Any other purchase order-related documents

P.O. Numbers Indicate Order Info

The number on a Union Pacific purchase order has been designed specifically to provide information about the order. There are several different types of supply purchase orders, each with its own particular number configuration, depending on the item(s) being ordered.

Materials Purchase Orders

There are two types of purchase orders for materials, each with its own type of purchase order number:

  • Purchase Order Numbers for Stock Items
    Example: Purchase order number OM123456ES.
    • OM (first two alpha characters) designates the "ship to" location. In this case OM=Omaha. Other "ship to" locations - PO=Pocatello, ID; NL=North Little Rock, AR, etc.
    • ES (last two alpha characters) designates the buyer's code for the authorized purchasing representative.
  • Purchase Order Numbers for Non-stock Items
    Example: Purchase order number 12345678ES6.
    • ES (alpha characters at the end of the number) designates the buyer's code for the authorized purchasing representative.
    • 6 (last numeric character) designates the last digit of the year the purchase order was issued; 6 indicates 1996 (optional; not found in electronic purchase orders).

Fuel Purchase Orders

Purchase order numbers for fuel consist of eight characters, four numeric and four alphabetical.

Example: Purchase order number 1234-UPXC.

  • 4-digit number before the hyphen is specific for this supplier and location.
  • UP (first two alpha characters after the hyphen) designates the company the purchase order is tied to for accounting purposes (UP = Union Pacific Railroad).
  • X (third alpha character) designates the type of fuel grade being ordered. (In the case of a purchase order for fuel transportation, T is used as the third character.)
  • C (last alpha character) designates the type of purchase order.

Fuel Grade Codes

  • C - Diesel engine lubricating oil (20w-40)
  • D - No. 2 off road low sulfur diesel fuel with red dye
  • G - Liquified natural gas
  • L - No. 2 off road low sulfur diesel fuel oil with no visible dye
  • Q - Commercial A-Grade aviation turbine fuel
  • T - Transportation for carrier purchase orders
  • X - No. 2 off road high sulfur diesel fuel oil with red dye
  • Y - No. 1 diesel fuel oil
  • Z - No. 5 heavy fuel oil (for steam locomotives)

Purchase Order Type Codes

  • C - Contract purchases
  • E - Emergency purchases
  • S - Spot purchases
  • T - Tank wagon direct-to-locomotive purchases

Responsibilities

It is the Supply Department's responsibility to furnish the supplier with a purchase order number for all purchases.

It is the supplier's responsibility to use that number in all communications with UPRR.