Patent ID: 7306147

Claim:
A system for performing a pre-load operation, the system comprising: a dispatch planning system configured to generate a dispatch plan; a flexible data capture system configured to obtain information about packages to be pre-loaded, the flexible data capture system including an RFID interrogator configured to read an RFID tag associated with a package to generate scanned data; a pre-load assist system configured to match the scanned data to the dispatch plan and assign a handling instruction for routing the package to its destination, and configured to generate a load manifest; and a server executing a package notification application to receive the load manifest, estimate the time at which each unit of work will be completed and notify a shipper or consignee, or both, of the work and time estimate, wherein the package notification application is configured to compare the load manifest against the dispatch plan to determine the sequence in which the work associated with the load will be performed; and the package notification application is also configured to use work measurement information to estimate the time at which the work assigned to a load will be performed; and the package notification application is further configured to notify at least one of a shipper and a consignee of the estimate of time when the work will be performed.