Patent ID: 8131573

Claim:
A method for facilitating the transport of shipments according to a scheduled and uniquely identifiable transport accommodation said method comprising the steps of: (a) acknowledging a customer request to transport at least one shipment between two uniquely identifiable and geographically disparate origination and destination locations; (b) determining a routing sequence and at least one scheduled and uniquely identifiable transport accommodation satisfying said customer request; (c) booking shipment transport space aboard said determined transport accommodation; (d) generating a shipment tag which includes shipment routing information and bar coded information; (e) attaching or otherwise affixing the shipment tag generated in step (d) to a shipment to be shipped according to the routing sequence and transport accommodation determined in step (b); (f) stowing the shipment of step (e) aboard a first transport accommodation consistent with shipment routing information generated in step (d); (g) monitoring and recording the transport of the shipment stowed in step (f) as it is transported between uniquely identifiable and geographically disparate origination and destination locations; and (h) advising a customer of a shipment's arrival in a final destination location; wherein determining a routing sequence and at least one scheduled and uniquely identifiable transport accommodation further comprises: determining a routing sequence and at least one scheduled and uniquely identifiable transport accommodation satisfying said customer request by accessing a computer resident cargo transport system; providing shipment parameters to said system selected from a list including shipment weight limits, shipment size, commodity code, accommodation connect time standards, shipping and receiving rate location hours of operation; and retrieving a routing sequence and transport accommodation from said system based upon optimal space and weight capacity yielded as a result of automated consideration of said shipment parameters.