System and method for coordinating transport of cargo

• US 9,830,571 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2010
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epona LLC
• Original Assignee: Epona LLC
• Inventors: Betancourt, Ernest Blas
• Primary Examiner(s): Misiaszek, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/888,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20120078743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,623 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A marketplace may be provided to allow posting of transport jobs and bidding on various aspects of the transport jobs. For example, a carrier may bid on transportation of cargo while fuel providers may bid on the fuel provision. In some arrangements, the carriers may solicit bids for a fueling portion of a transport job that they wish to bid on, have already bid on or have won. Transport may correspond to the physical conveyance of cargo from origin to destination and may include vehicle costs, driver costs, carrier fees and the like. Fuel costs may refer to the cost of fuel and/or pumping fees. A system may automatically generate suggested routes for transport and determine a projected amount of fuel needed for the trip. Additionally, the system may automatically identify potential or projected refueling locations and select refueling stations or providers based thereon.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a fuel bidding system comprising a network communication interface and programmed to perform the method, information identifying fueling needs for a transport job to be performed by a carrier for a shipping entity, wherein the transport job includes transporting a load from an origin to a destination;

determining, by the fuel bidding system, one or more locations along a shipping route at which fueling will be required based on at least one of;

fuel efficiency of a transport vehicle and a weight of a cargo to be transported for the transport job;

generating a job listing interface comprising a plurality of transport jobs, including the transport job to be performed by the carrier for the shipping entity, wherein the job listing interface includes a load bid option in a non-selectable state;

determining, by the fuel bidding system, one or more fuel providers at the one or more locations, the one or more fuel providers including a first fuel provider and a second fuel provider;

receiving, by the fuel bidding system, a first fuel bid comprising a first fuel cost from the first fuel provider;

receiving, by the fuel bidding system, a second fuel bid comprising a second fuel cost from the second fuel provider, wherein the first fuel bid and the second fuel bid are received through the network communication interface;

upon determining that at least one of the first fuel bid and the second fuel bid has been received for the transport job, activating a selectability of the load bid option from a non-selectable state to a selectable state in the job listing interface, wherein activating the selectability of the load bid option includes causing a device of the carrier to modify an appearance and an interactivity of the load bid option in the job listing interface, the carrier device being remote from the fuel bidding system;

detecting, by the fuel bidding system, a selection of the load bid option by the device of the carrier through the network communication interface; and

in response to detecting the selection of the load bid option, transmitting and presenting, by the fuel bidding system to the carrier through the network communication interface and the job listing interface, a list of current fuel bids received for the transport job, the list of current fuel bids including the first fuel bid and the second fuel bid.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a winning fuel provider, the determining including:

receiving a selection of the first fuel provider or the second fuel provider from the carrier through a sub-interface of the job listing interface.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising designating the shipping entity for paying fuel costs associated with the transport job.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes a shipping route and identification of one or more fueling points along the shipping route.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether each of the one or more fuel providers allows solicitation notifications based on stored fuel provider parameters; and

transmitting a bid solicitation notification to each of the determined one or more fuel providers that allows solicitation notifications.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a pre-authorization code for fueling the transport vehicle associated with the carrier to the carrier, wherein the pre-authorization code corresponds to a pre-authorized fuel transaction at the one or more fuel providers.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the fuel bidding system, a projected fuel cost associated with transporting the load following the shipping route.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein projecting the one or more locations along the shipping route at which fueling will be required includes projecting a plurality of locations, and

wherein the method further comprises:

generating a fuel transaction job for each of the plurality of projected fueling locations; and

posting the fuel transaction jobs to a bidding forum, wherein the first and second fuel bids are received through the bidding forum.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the first fuel provider or the second fuel provider from the carrier;

in response to receiving the selection of the first fuel provider or the second fuel provider, pre-authorizing, with the selected first fuel provider or second fuel provider, a fuel transaction for a transport vehicle of the carrier; and

receiving a pre-authorization code in response to pre-authorizing the fuel transaction.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the pre-authorization code is received from the shipping entity, and wherein the method further comprises:

storing the pre-authorization code;

monitoring a location of the transport vehicle of the carrier;

determining whether the transport vehicle is within a predefined distance or a predefined time of the selected first fuel provider or second fuel provider, the predefined distance or the predefined time defined for the pre-authorization code; and

in response to determining that the carrier is within the predefined distance or the predefined time of the selected first fuel provider or second fuel provider, transmitting the pre-authorization code to at least one of;

the transport vehicle or a device of a driver of the transport vehicle.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the pre-authorization code is received from the shipping entity, and wherein the method further comprises:

storing the pre-authorization code in association with a threshold notification time or distance;

determining a time at which the transport vehicle will reach the threshold notification time or distance from the selected first fuel provider or second fuel provider;

transmitting the pre-authorization code to at least one of;

the transport vehicle or a device of a driver of the transport vehicle at the determined time.

10. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to:

receive information identifying fueling needs for a transport job to be performed by a carrier for a shipping entity, wherein the transport job includes transporting a load from an origin to a destination;

determine one or more locations along a shipping route at which fueling will be required based on at least one of;

fuel efficiency of a transport vehicle and a weight of a cargo to be transported for the transport job;

generate a job listing interface comprising a plurality of transport jobs, including the transport job to be performed by the carrier for the shipping entity, wherein the job listing interface includes a load bid option in a non-selectable state;

determine one or more fuel providers at the one or more locations, the one or more fuel providers including a first fuel provider and a second fuel provider;

receive a first fuel bid comprising a first fuel cost from the first fuel provider;

receive a second fuel bid comprising a second fuel cost from the second fuel provider;

upon determining that at least one of the first fuel bid and the second fuel bid has been received for the transport job, activating a selectability of the load bid option from a non-selectable state to a selectable state in the job listing interface, wherein activating the selectability of the load bid option includes causing a device of the carrier to modify an appearance and an interactivity of the load bid option in the job listing interface;

detect selection of the load bid option by the device of the carrier through a network communication interface, the carrier device being remote from the apparatus; and

in response to detecting the selection of the load bid option, transmit and present, to the carrier device through the job listing interface, a list of current fuel bids received for the transport job, the list of current fuel bids including the first fuel bid and the second fuel bid.

11. The one or more computer readable media of claim 10, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

determine a projected fuel cost associated with transporting the load following the shipping route.

12. The one or more computer readable media of claim 10, wherein projecting the one or more locations along the shipping route at which fueling will be required includes projecting a plurality of locations, and

wherein, when the computer readable instructions are executed, the apparatus is further caused to:

generate a fuel transaction job for each of the plurality of projected fueling locations; and

post the fuel transaction jobs to a bidding forum, wherein the first and second fuel bids are received through the bidding forum.

13. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to:

receive information identifying fueling needs for a transport job for transporting cargo from an origin to a destination;

generate a job listing interface comprising a plurality of transport jobs, including the transport job for transporting cargo from the origin to the destination, wherein the job listing interface includes a load bid option in a non-selectable state;

receive a first fuel bid from a first fuel provider for the fueling needs of the transport job;

receive a second fuel bid from a second fuel provider for the fueling needs of the transport job;

upon determining that at least one of the first fuel bid and the second fuel bid has been received for the transport job, activating a selectability of the load bid option from a non-selectable state to a selectable state in the job listing interface, wherein activating the selectability of the load bid option includes causing a device of a carrier to modify an appearance and an interactivity of the load bid option in the job listing interface;

detect selection of the load bid option by the device of the carrier through a network communication interface, the carrier device being remote from the apparatus; and

in response to detecting the selection of the load bid option, transmit and present, to the carrier device through the network communication interface and the job listing interface, a list of current fuel bids received for the transport job, the list of current fuel bids including the first fuel bid and the second fuel bid, wherein transmitting and presenting the list of current fuel bids to the carrier device includes causing the carrier device to display the list of current fuel bids.