Freight container, system, and method for shipping freight

• US 6,406,249 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2000
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Federal Express Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Federal Express Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Cummings, William G., Atkins, Barry J., Yerger, Mark D., Idell, James Harold, Bullion, Bruce Thomas III, McAdams, Allan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brahan, Thomas J.
• Application Number:
  US09/534,037
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 244/137.1, 414/340, 414/341, 414/390, 414/391, 414/392, 414/399, 414/495, 414/800, 220/1.5, 114/495, 114/800
• US Class Current: 414/800
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/022 in multiple arrangement, e.g. stackable, nestable, connected or joined together side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/121 ISO containers

Abstract

A method of shipping freight directly from a customer'"'"'s premises to the premises of the consignee. The method includes transporting to a customer'"'"'s premises at least one freight container. The freight container includes a base, a roof, a pair of opposed side walls, and a pair of opposed end walls. One of the end walls includes an opening for the loading and removal of freight. The container and the opening are sufficiently large to permit the loading and unloading of freight to and from the container by a conventional fork lift truck. The container has a size of approximately 13 feet long, 8 feet high, and 8 feet wide. The method also includes, at the customer'"'"'s premises, loading freight into the at least one freight container and securing the freight in the freight container. The method further includes transporting the at least one freight container and its loaded freight, in a secured state, from the customer'"'"'s premises and to the premises of the consignee of the freight.

Claims

1. A method of shipping freight directly from a customer'"'"'s premises to the premises of the consignee comprising the steps of:

a. transporting to a customer'"'"'s premises at least one freight container comprising a base, a roof, a pair of opposed side walls, and a pair of opposed end walls, one of said end walls including an opening for the loading and removal of freight, said container and said opening being sufficiently large to permit the loading and unloading of freight to and from the container by a conventional fork lift truck, said container having a size of approximately 13 feet long, 8 feet high, and 8 feet wide;

b. at the customer'"'"'s premises loading freight into said at least one freight container and securing the freight in the freight container;

c. transporting said at least one freight container and its loaded freight, in a secured state, from the customer'"'"'s premises to the premises of the consignee of the freight.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of transporting said at least one container and its loaded freight, in a secured state, to an aircraft and loading one or more of said secured freight container into the aircraft;

transporting by aircraft said at least one such secured freight container to a designated airport; and

transferring said at least one freight container to a land vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each step, other than the step of loading freight into the container, are performed by a single entity which is responsible for the custody and control of the freight container and any freight in the container during the performance of these steps.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of securing the freight in said freight container includes the step of securely locking the freight within a closed freight container.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of securing the freight in the freight container includes the step of placing a seal on the locked container, such that the seal must be broken before the container can be opened and the freight accessed.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of placing a bar code designation on the freight container before it is transferred from the customer'"'"'s premises.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of placing transactional information regarding the freight and its intended destination into a computer memory before the freight container is removed from the customer'"'"'s premises.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transporting at least one freight container to a customer'"'"'s premises includes the step of transferring said freight container to the customer'"'"'s premises with a truck having a cab and a removable trailer, leaving the removable trailer of the truck and the freight container at the customer'"'"'s premises while it is being loaded, driving the cab away, and returning and then picking up the removable trailer and freight container after the container is loaded.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein each of steps, other than the step of loading freight into the container, are performed by a single entity which is responsible for the custody and control of the freight container and any freight in the container during the performance of these steps.

10. A method of shipping freight directly from a customer'"'"'s premises to the premises of the consignee comprising the steps of:

transporting to a customer'"'"'s premises at least one empty freight container comprising a base, a roof, a pair of opposed side walls, and a pair of opposed end walls, one of said end walls including an opening for the loading and removal of freight, said container and said opening being sufficiently large to permit the loading and unloading of freight to and from the container by a conventional fork lift truck;

said container sized to fit laterally within an aircraft and having a length of approximately thirteen feet;

at the customer'"'"'s premises loading freight into said at least one freight container;

securing the freight in the freight container;

transporting said at least one freight container and its loaded freight, in a secured state, from the customer'"'"'s premises to the premises of the consignee of the freight; and

wherein each of the steps, other than the step of loading freight into the container, are performed by a single entity which is responsible for the custodial control of the freight container and any freight in the container during the performance of these steps.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein transporting said at least one freight container and its loaded freight, in a secured state, from the customer'"'"'s premises to the premises of the consignee of the freight further includes transporting said at least one container and its loaded freight, in a secured state, to an aircraft and loading said at least one freight container into the aircraft;

transporting by aircraft said at least one freight container to a designated airport; and

transferring said at least one freight container to a land vehicle.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein securing the freight in said freight container includes securely locking the freight within the freight container.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein securing the freight in the freight container includes placing a seal on the locked container, such that the seal must be broken before the container can be opened and the freight accessed.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising placing a bar code designation on the freight container before it is transferred from the customer'"'"'s premises.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising placing transactional information regarding the freight and its intended destination into a computer memory before the freight container is transported from the customer'"'"'s premises.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein transporting at least one freight container to a customer'"'"'s premises includes transferring said freight container to the customer'"'"'s premises with a truck having a cab and a removable trailer, leaving the removable trailer of the truck and the freight container at the customer'"'"'s premises while it is being loaded, and driving the cab away.

17. The method of claims 16 further comprising picking up the removable trailer and freight container with the truck after the container is loaded.

18. A method of maintaining custodial control of freight by a carrier during shipping between a customer'"'"'s premises and the premises of the consignee comprising the steps of:

transporting to the customer'"'"'s premises at least one freight container comprising a base, a roof, a pair of opposed side walls, and a pair of opposed end walls, one of said end walls including an opening for the loading and removal of freight, said container and said opening being sufficiently large to permit the loading and unloading of freight to and from the container by a conventional fork lift truck, said container having a length of approximately thirteen feet;

loading the freight into said at least one freight container;

securing the freight inside said at least one freight container;

placing a seal on said at least one freight container to indicate tampering with the contents of the freight container; and

transferring said at least one freight container and said loaded freight from the customer'"'"'s premises to the consignee'"'"'s premises under the custodial control of the carrier.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein transporting to the customer said at least one container, the container further comprises a chamfer in the end wall opposite the opening allowing said container to fit laterally within an aircraft.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein transferring said at least one freight container and said loaded freight from the customer'"'"'s premises to the consignee'"'"'s premises under the custodial control of the carrier includes transferring said at least one freight container and said loaded freight from the customer'"'"'s premises to an aircraft;

said aircraft transferring said at least one freight container and said loaded freight to a destination airport;

transferring said at least one freight container and loaded freight to a land vehicle; and

transporting said at least one freight container and loaded freight to the consignee'"'"'s premises with a land vehicle.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein transferring said at least one freight container and said loaded freight from the customer'"'"'s premises to the aircraft includes orienting said at least one freight container laterally within said aircraft.

22. The method of claim 19 further comprises securing said at least one freight container to the land vehicle and aircraft, said at least one freight container further comprising a lip extending from one of said opposed side walls to secure the container to the land vehicle and the aircraft.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein transporting at least one freight container to a customer'"'"'s premises includes transferring said freight container to the customer'"'"'s premises with a truck having a cab and a removable trailer, leaving the removable trailer of the truck and the freight container at the customer'"'"'s premises while it is being loaded, and driving the truck away.

24. The method of claims 23 further comprising picking up the removable trailer and freight container with the truck after the container is loaded.