Patent ID: 6963861

Claim:
A method for selecting a carrier for shipment of a package from an origin to a destination based on carrier specific delivery commitment information using a server, the method comprising: selecting, using a server, a service level supported by the carrier for delivery of the package from the origin to the destination, selecting, using a server, a class of service for delivery of the package, based upon the selected class of service for the package, using the server to determine a service column index value, based upon the service level supported by the carrier for delivery of the package from the origin to the destination and the determined service column index value, locating, using the server, a specific cell in a delivery commitment matrix comprised of a plurality of cells stored in the server, wherein each cell contains delivery commitment information for that carrier for the selected service level and selected class of service, reading, using the server, said delivery commitment information for that carrier from the specific cell, selecting the carrier for shipment of the package, using the server, if the delivery commitment information for that carrier from the specific cell corresponds to a desired delivery commitment for shipment of the package, verifying, using the server, said delivery commitment information relative to a real time clock to produce verified delivery commitment information, if said verified delivery commitment information is at a time later than a predetermined cut-off time, posting a notification of said later time, and determining whether or not said selected carrier and/or said selected service level is to be maintained or whether an alternative carrier and/or alternative service level is to be selected.