Systems and methods for freight tracking and monitoring

• US 9,600,797 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Moir, William Mark, Vandy, Scott Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amsdell, Dana
• Application Number:
  US12/201,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,126 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/083 lift truck scale
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/415 combined with recording means
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/002 Means for correcting for obliquity of mounting for pendulum-weight apparatus G01G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3735 using a digital network
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/42 electrically operated
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08345 Pricing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

System, methods, and computer program products are provided for enhanced freight tracking and monitoring. The system may track the location of a freight shipment within a carrier'"'"'s transportation network from the time it is picked up by a carrier from a consignor until it is delivered to a consignee, provide for weight determinations and shipping re-classifications of the freight shipment during transport, and provide real-time status information and reports to the carrier, consignor, and/or consignee.

Claims

1. A method for tracking the movement of freight shipments comprising:

receiving, via an enterprise system, shipping data for a plurality of freight shipments, wherein (1) each of the plurality of freight shipments is associated with a unique tracking identifier for tracking the respective freight shipment'"'"'s location through a carrier'"'"'s transportation network, (2) the plurality of freight shipments is being transported through the carrier'"'"'s transportation network, and (3) for each of the respective plurality of freight shipments, the shipping data comprises information identifying (a) the respective unique tracking identifier, (b) a respective final delivery destination, and (c) respective consignee information;

generating, via the enterprise system, an electronic manifest comprising at least a portion of the shipping data for each of the plurality of freight shipments, the at least a portion of the shipping data identifying (1) the respective unique tracking identifiers associated with, and (2) the respective final delivery destinations of, the respective freight shipments being transported through the carrier'"'"'s transportation network;

electronically transmitting, from the enterprise system, the electronic manifest;

receiving, via a lift truck computing device disposed on a lift truck, the electronic manifest;

displaying, via a display disposed on the lift truck, at least a portion of the electronic manifest;

receiving, via the lift truck computing device, input initiating a location event for a freight shipment of the plurality of freight shipments, wherein the location event indicates the location of the freight shipment;

receiving, via the lift truck computing device, inspection data in response to initiating the location event, the inspection data indicating a condition of freight of the freight shipment at the indicated location;

determining, via the lift truck computing device, whether the inspection data exceeds a plurality of predefined inspection threshold numeric values; and

detecting, by lift truck detecting devices in communication with the lift truck computing device, an overage, or a shortage and damage of the freight of the freight shipment in response to determining that at least two of the predefined inspection threshold numeric values are exceeded.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying, via a supervisory computing device, current status information, the current status information indicating movement and shipment progress information associated with the freight shipment.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, via a handheld electronic device, the shipping data associated with the freight shipment; and

electronically transmitting, from the handheld electronic device to the enterprise system, the shipping data associated with the freight shipment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic manifest is transmitted using a first message file and a second message file, the first message file comprising handling instructions for the freight shipment and the second message file comprising at least a portion of the shipping data associated with the freight shipment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location event further indicates that the freight shipment is being moved from a first location to a second location.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising receiving information identifying the second location of the freight shipment.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the information identifying the second location is received as input from a user.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the information identifying the second location is received from one or more radio frequency identification (RFID) tags.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the information identifying the second location is received from one or more barcode labels.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the information identifying the second location indicates that the freight shipment is within a trailer identified by a unique trailer number, a side of the trailer in which the freight shipment is located, and a distance the freight shipment is within the trailer relative to a trailer door.

11. The method of claim 5 further comprising electronically transmitting, from the lift truck computing device to the enterprise system, at least a portion of the information identifying the second location of the freight shipment.

12. The method of claim 5 further comprising receiving, via the lift truck computing device, a location validation that confirms the second location of the freight shipment.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, via a reweigh computing device disposed on the lift truck, a weight of the at least a portion of the freight shipment;

electronically transmitting, from the reweigh computing device to the lift truck computing device, the weight determination of at least the portion of the freight shipment; and

receiving, via the lift truck computing device, the weight determination of at least the portion of the freight shipment.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein prior to automatically determining the weight, the method further comprises:

capturing, via an imaging device, one or more images of the freight shipment;

electronically transmitting the one or more images to the lift truck computing device;

determining, via a reweigh computing device disposed on the lift truck, a weight of the at least a portion of the freight shipment; and

electronically transmitting, from the reweigh computing device to the lift truck computing device, the weight determination of at least the portion of the freight shipment.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein prior to automatically determining the weight, the method further comprises:

receiving, via the lift truck computing device, one or more images captured by an imaging device; and

receiving, via the lift truck computing device, the weight determination of at least the portion of the freight shipment.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

determining if a reweigh classification of the freight shipment and a billing classification of the freight shipment are substantially the same; and

generating a classification alert if the reweigh classification and the billing classification are not substantially the same.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising updating the billing classification to indicate the reweigh classification of the freight shipment.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic manifest is received from the enterprise system.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic manifest is received from a supervisory computing device.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein shipping data is received for two or more freight shipments.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

determining, via the lift truck computing device, the reweigh classification while the freight shipment is being transported through the carrier'"'"'s transportation network.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

designating, via the lift truck computing device, respective inspection thresholds, among a plurality of predefined inspection thresholds, to denote a predefined amount of freight overage, or freight shortage or freight damage that is acceptable for the freight of the freight shipment.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, via the lift truck computing device, an inspection alert in response to determining that the inspection data exceeds at least one of the predefined inspection threshold numeric values, the inspection alert notifies at least one entity that the at least one predefined inspection threshold numeric value is exceeded.