Patent ID: 7827051

Claim:
One or more computer-readable storage media comprising a plurality of software instructions to perform a computer-implemented method of planning movement of freight, the software instructions comprising: first instructions to automatically insert a plurality of layovers into a proposed mission to be performed by a truck; wherein prior to execution of the first instructions, said proposed mission comprises a plurality of destinations wherein freight is loaded into or unloaded from said truck, and the proposed mission further comprises a plurality of activities in addition to said layovers; wherein on execution of the first instructions, a mandatory layover is inserted between a first portion and a second portion of a driving activity in said plurality of activities, said driving activity being divided up into at least said portions automatically on execution of said first instructions when a first predetermined condition is met, the first predetermined condition comprising a maximum number of hours; wherein the first instructions comprise instructions to check, prior to the driving activity being divided up, whether addition of the driving activity to a window causes said maximum number of hours to be exceeded, the window identifying a group of said activities occurring within a rolling period of a predetermined number of hours up to 7 days, the mandatory layover being of a duration greater than a predetermined minimum number of hours, the duration of the mandatory layover satisfying at least the first predetermined condition; wherein the first instructions further comprise instructions to advance the window by removing an earliest activity from the group; wherein the first instructions further comprise instructions to compute, based on at least the duration of the mandatory layover, an estimated time of arrival of said truck at a destination in the plurality of destinations; wherein the first instructions further comprise instructions to insert a non-mandatory layover into the proposed mission if a second predetermined condition is met, on an unloading activity to be performed at said destination; second instructions to a processor to automatically determine and store in a memory coupled to the processor, a yet-to-be-incurred new layover charge for the non-mandatory layover depending at least partially on a rule on chargeability of non-mandatory layovers based on: the estimated time of arrival of the truck at the destination, a duration of the unloading activity, and hours of operation of a facility at the destination for performing the unloading activity; and third instructions to prepare and output a plan to move freight to said destination using said truck based at least partially on the yet-to-be-incurred new layover charge and at least one additional cost associated with at least one activity in the plurality of activities.