Patent ID: 7091882

Claim:
A system for determining the availability of a plurality of mobile assets comprising: a plurality of mobile asset sources for providing the mobile assets that may be made available, the mobile assets being classifiable into two or more asset types, and each mobile asset comprising a location detector for providing position data, at least one mobile asset sensor for detecting a parameter relating to the availability of the mobile asset, and a wireless communication interface for transmitting data that includes at least the parameter relating to the availability of the mobile asset; and a data center comprising a receiver for receiving the mobile asset availability parameter data from the mobile assets and a processor programmed for determining the type of each mobile asset, processing the availability parameter data, and using the availability parameter data to determine the availability of each mobile asset, wherein the parameter relating to availability of an asset is taken from a sensor that is of a different type for at least two different types of assets, and wherein at least one type of asset uses a sensor that determines asset availability from a cargo loaded/unloaded status sensor; wherein the parameter relating to the availability of at least one other type of asset further includes at least one of mobile asset motion, mobile asset door activity, mobile asset security data, mobile asset location, mobile asset mileage, mobile asset fuel level and tire status.