Patent ID: 8712922

Claim:
A method for tracking a parcel being transported by multiple carriers, the method comprising: receiving, via a second carrier computing system, a notification from a first carrier computing system that a parcel has been delivered by a first carrier to a transfer location for transfer of the parcel to a second carrier, wherein: (a) delivery of the parcel to a recipient is to be completed by the second carrier in response to determining that the parcel is designated for a delivery destination in a rural area, (b) the notification is generated by the first carrier computing system after at least a portion of a multi-carrier shipping label affixed to the exterior of the parcel is electronically read by the first carrier, (c) the multi-carrier shipping label comprises at least one of visible human-readable indicia or visible machine-readable indicia of a first carrier-specific tracking number, associated with the first carrier, that is to be used by the first carrier in transporting the parcel through the first carrier's transportation and delivery network, (d) the multi-carrier shipping label comprises at least one of visible human-readable indicia or visible machine-readable indicia of a second carrier-specific tracking number, associated with the second carrier, that is to be used by the second carrier in transporting the parcel through the second carrier's transportation and delivery network, the second carrier-specific tracking number differing from said first carrier-specific tracking number, and (e) the first carrier-specific tracking number is stored, in a tracking database of the second carrier computing system, in association with the second carrier-specific tracking number so as to generate consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel; and updating, via the second carrier computing system, said consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel, stored in the tracking database of the second carrier computing system, to reflect the parcel's presence at the transfer location, said updated consolidated tracking information being independently accessible via each of said first and said second carrier-specific tracking numbers.