Method for contracting transportation

• US 20080082292A1
• Filed: 09/19/2007
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomas W. Storm
• Original Assignee: Thomas W. Storm
• Inventors: Storm, Thomas W.
• Application Number:
  US11/901,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20080082292A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A method for contracting transportation. A contractor uses scanning apparatus to accurately determine the volume of objects to be moved, and sends out contractor requests for quotation to a large number of moving companies. The contractor forwards the resulting moving company quotes to the customer, who communicates the winning quote to the contractor. The contractor may perform the transportation work himself for the winning quote price. In the alternative, the contractor may award the work to the moving company which supplied the winning quote, in which case the winning moving company remits a commission to the contractor for procuring the transportation work for the winning moving company.

Claims

1. A method for contracting transportation comprising the steps of:

A. A contractor performing marketing effort;

B. A customer submitting a customer request for quote to the contractor;

C. The contractor accurately measuring customer objects to be transported to determine their volume;

D. The contractor sending a contractor request for quote to at least two moving companies,

E. At least one said moving company sending a moving company quote to the contractor;

F. Said contractor forwarding said at least one moving company quote to said customer; and

G. Said customer sending a customer decision identifying a winning moving company quote to said contractor.

2. The method for contracting transportation of claim 1 comprising the further steps of:

H. Said contractor awarding the transportation work to a winning moving company; and

I. Said winning moving company remitting a commission to said contractor for procuring said transportation work.

3. The method for contracting transportation of claim 1 comprising the further steps of said contractor exercising a contractor right of first refusal, and said contractor performing the transportation work for said customer at a lowest price quoted by said moving companies.

4. The method for contracting transportation of claim 1 comprising the further step of said contractor and said customer communicating over an internet.

5. The method for contracting transportation of claim 1 comprising the further step of said contractor and said moving companies communicating over an internet.

6. The method for contracting transportation of claim 1 comprising the further steps of:

AA. Placing a scanner in a dock on a base and actuating an inertial navigation system reset control;

AB. Pointing said scanner at an object whose volume is to be scanned;

AC. Actuating a trigger;

AD. Scanning said object with said scanner;

AE. Creating a model of said object using data points which have been scanned with said scanner; and

AF. Calculating a volume of said object.

7. The method for contracting transportation of claim 6 comprising the further steps of scanning by sweeping said scanner vertically up and down, and/or scanning said object by sweeping said scanner horizontally back and forth.

8. The method for contracting transportation of claim 6 comprising the further steps of placing said base station on a floor of a room containing an object to be scanned, and actuating said inertial navigation system reset control while said base station is on said floor.

9. The method for contracting transportation of claim 6 comprising the further steps of providing an exclusion control, actuating said exclusion control to instruct said central processing unit to not include surfaces scanned with said exclusion control actuated, and then de-actuating said exclusion control.

10. A method for contracting transportation comprising the steps of:

A. A contractor performing marketing effort;

B. A customer submitting a customer request for quote to the contractor;

C. The contractor accurately measuring customer objects to be transported to determine their volume;

D. The contractor sending a contractor request for quote to at least two moving companies,

E. At least one said moving company sending a moving company quote to the contractor;

F. Said contractor forwarding said at least one moving company quote to said customer;

G. Said customer sending a customer decision identifying a winning moving company quote to said contractor.

H. Said contractor awarding the transportation work to a winning moving company; and

I. Said winning moving company remitting a commission to said contractor for procuring said transportation work.

11. The method for contracting transportation of claim 10 comprising the further step of said contractor and said customer communicating over an internet.

12. The method for contracting transportation of claim 10 comprising the further step of said contractor and said moving companies communicating over an internet.

13. The method for contracting transportation of claim 10 comprising the further steps of:

AA. Placing a scanner in a dock on a base and actuating an inertial navigation system reset control;

AB. Pointing said scanner at an object whose volume is to be scanned;

AC. Actuating a trigger;

AD. Scanning said object with said scanner;

AE. Creating a model of said object using data points which have been scanned with said scanner; and

AF. Calculating a volume of said object.

14. The method for contracting transportation of claim 13 comprising the further steps of placing said base station on a floor of a room containing an object to be scanned, and actuating said inertial navigation system reset control while said base station is on said floor.

15. The method for contracting transportation of claim 13 comprising the further steps of providing an exclusion control, actuating said exclusion control to instruct said central processing unit to not include surfaces scanned with said exclusion control actuated, and then de-actuating said exclusion control.

16. The method for contracting transportation of claim 10 comprising the further steps of said contractor sending a transportation contract to said customer, said customer executing said transportation contract and returning the executed transportation contract to said contractor, and said contractor forwarding said executed transportation contract to said winning moving company.

17. A method for contracting transportation comprising the steps of:

A. A contractor performing marketing effort;

B. A customer submitting a customer request for quote to the contractor;

C. The contractor accurately measuring customer objects to be transported to determine their volume;

D. The contractor sending a contractor request for quote to at least two moving companies,

E. At least one said moving company sending a moving company quote to the contractor;

F. Said contractor forwarding said at least one moving company quote to said customer;

G. Said customer sending a customer decision identifying a winning moving company quote to said contractor;

H. Said contractor exercising a contractor right of first refusal; and

I. Said contractor performing said transportation work for said customer.

18. The method for contracting transportation of claim 17 comprising the further step of said contractor and said customer communicating over an internet.

19. The method for contracting transportation of claim 17 comprising the further step of said contractor and said moving companies communicating over an internet.

20. The method for contracting transportation of claim 17 comprising the further steps of:

AA. Placing a scanner in a dock on a base and actuating an inertial navigation system reset control;

AB. Pointing said scanner at an object whose volume is to be scanned;

AC. Actuating a trigger;

AD. Scanning said object with said scanner;

AE. Creating a model of said object using data points which have been scanned with said scanner; and

AF. Calculating a volume of said object.

21. The method for contracting transportation of claim 20 comprising the further steps of placing said base station on a floor of a room containing an object to be scanned, and actuating said inertial navigation system reset control while said base station is on said floor.

22. The method for contracting transportation of claim 20 comprising the further steps of providing an exclusion control, actuating said exclusion control to instruct said central processing unit to not include surfaces scanned with said exclusion control actuated, and then de-actuating said exclusion control.

23. The method for contracting transportation of claim 17 comprising the further steps of said contractor sending a transportation contract to said customer, and said customer executing said transportation contract and returning the executed transportation contract to said contractor.