Patent ID: 7755518
Filing Date: 2010-07-13
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method for electronically assigning shipping assets to goods subject to transport orders in a computer system, said shipping assets including a plurality of drivers, tractors and trailers from a plurality of carriers and said goods subject to a plurality of said transport orders from a plurality of shippers, comprising: maintaining a database in said computer system with data representing respective shipping assets associated with corresponding carriers some of which are lane route carriers, each lane carrier having at least one terminal from which respective shipping assets originate and route lanes between a corresponding lane carrier terminal and a corresponding termination location and a respective pricing schedule; said computer system electronically accepting a specific transport order for goods from one shipper, said specific transport order having ship from origin and a ship to destination geographically proximal to respective terminals and termination locations for a sub-plurality of carriers; said computer system electronically joining, for said specific transport order and for each carrier of said sub-plurality of carriers, a respective combination of a driver, a tractor and a trailer able to transport said goods; said computer system electronically selecting, sorting and displaying by price, carriers within said sub-plurality of carriers based upon a plurality of search criteria including close proximity of corresponding terminals and termination locations to ship origin and ship destination, and pick-up and delivery constraints; in conjunction with an electronic communication with one of the selected carriers and said one shipper, said computer system booking and electronically logging said one selected carrier and the associated joined driver-tractor-trailer combination to fill said transport order for said goods.