U.S. patent application number 12/112931 was filed with the patent office on 2008-11-13 for methods and apparatus for connecting shippers and carriers in the third party logistics environment via the internet.
This patent application is currently assigned to LeanLogistics, Inc.. Invention is credited to Andrew J. Bass, Dan Dershem, Craig T. Hall, Jeffrey W. Potts.
Application Number | 20080281719 12/112931 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26859074 |
Filed Date | 2008-11-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080281719 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hall; Craig T. ; et
al. |
November 13, 2008 |
Methods and apparatus for connecting shippers and carriers in the
third party logistics environment via the internet
Abstract
An online electronic marketplace in which carriers bid for loads
tendered by shippers, and shippers purchase the most attractive
transportation services. The system described herein efficiently
matches loads and capacities, lowers transaction costs, and creates
value through enhanced visibility to information resulting in
efficient transportation and financial transactions. According to
specific embodiments, the present invention combines a neutral
marketplace patterned after a stock exchange, with the electronic
format of an Internet auction site to create a trading system for
the logistics industry.
Inventors: |
Hall; Craig T.; (Holland,
MI) ; Potts; Jeffrey W.; (Holland, MI) ;
Dershem; Dan; (Holland, MI) ; Bass; Andrew J.;
(Holland, MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BEYER WEAVER LLP
P.O. BOX 70250
OAKLAND
CA
94612-0250
US
|
Assignee: |
LeanLogistics, Inc.
Holland
MI
|
Family ID: |
26859074 |
Appl. No.: |
12/112931 |
Filed: |
April 30, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09482154 |
Jan 12, 2000 |
7395237 |
|
|
12112931 |
|
|
|
|
60162809 |
Nov 1, 1999 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/26.4 ;
705/1.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/08 20130101;
G06Q 10/08 20130101; G06Q 40/025 20130101; G06Q 40/04 20130101;
G06Q 30/0611 20130101; G06Q 30/0619 20130101; G06Q 50/188
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/26 ;
705/1 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 99/00 20060101
G06Q099/00; G06Q 30/00 20060101 G06Q030/00 |
Claims
1. In a system for matching carrier capacities with shipper loads
via a wide area network, a method for identifying shipper loads,
comprising: generating a search process according to at least one
criterion specified by a carrier representative; operating the
search process without user intervention to identify at least one
shipper load; and transmitting a notification corresponding to the
at least one shipper load to the carrier representative.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one criterion
comprises at least one of pickup location, delivery location,
pickup date, delivery date, equipment types, and freight
services.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the notification
comprises at least one of transmitting an e-mail, transmitting a
pager signal, and transmitting a message to be displayed using a
system interface.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the e-mail includes a hyperlink
corresponding to the at least one shipper load.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein operating the search process
comprises operating the search process within a window of time
specified by the carrier representative.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein operation of the search process is
activated manually.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein operation of the search process is
terminated manually.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically
generating a bid for the at least one shipper load on behalf of the
carrier representative.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein automatically generating the bid
comprises generating the bid in accordance with bidding rules
specified by the carrier representative.
10. A computer program product comprising a computer readable
medium having computer program instructions embedded therein for
performing the method of claim 1.
11. In a system for matching carrier capacities with shipper loads
via a wide area network, a method for posting at least one unit of
capacity for viewing by shipper representatives, the method
comprising: in response to receiving a plurality of capacity
parameters input by a carrier representative, generating a listing
for the at least one unit of capacity, wherein the listing
indicates the at least one unit of capacity is one of currently
available and available at some future time; and posting the
listing for the at least one unit of capacity for viewing by the
shipper representatives.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one unit of
capacity corresponds to an equipment identifier defined by the
carrier representative.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the equipment identifier
corresponds to one of trucking capacity, aircraft capacity,
shipping capacity, and rail capacity.
14. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one unit of
capacity comprises a group comprising a plurality of units of
capacity.
15. The method of claim 11 wherein the plurality of capacity
parameters includes at least one of a price information, expiration
information, and equipment information.
16. The method of claim 11 wherein posting the listing comprises
making the listing available to a subset of a plurality of system
users as determined from information specified by the carrier
representative.
17. A computer program product comprising a computer readable
medium having computer program instructions embedded therein for
performing the method of claim 11.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION DATA
[0001] The present application is a divisional application and
claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 120 of U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 09/482,154 for METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING SHIPPERS
AND CARRIERS IN THE THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS ENVIRONMENT VIA THE
INTERNET filed on Jan. 12, 2000 (Attorney Docket No. LEANP001),
which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application 60/162,809 for METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR
CONNECTING SHIPPERS AND CARRIERS IN THE LOGISTICS ENVIRONMENT VIA
THE INTERNET filed on Nov. 1, 1999 (Attorney Docket No. LEANP001P),
the entire disclosures of both of which are incorporated herein by
reference for all purposes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to the facilitation of
logistics over the Internet. More specifically, the present
invention provides an online electronic marketplace in which
carriers bid for freight tendered by shippers and shippers purchase
the most attractive transportation services for their loads.
[0003] In 1998, U.S. businesses spent $898 billion in supply chain
expenditures. Transportation expenditures accounted for 47%, or
$425 billion of the supply chain costs. Globally, total costs
related to supply chain logistics are estimated to be approximately
$3.4 trillion. From the perspective of the consumer, supply chain
logistics costs account for 5% to 50% of the total costs of a
delivered product.
[0004] Transportation in the United States today is highly
fragmented, with no single transportation company having any
significant portion of the $425 billion market. The top 10 carriers
by revenue in 1998 accounted for a combined market share of 14.5%,
and the top 100 carriers had a combined market share of 22%.
[0005] The breakdown of the $425 billion transportation market by
type of carrier is, approximately, $249 billion for private fleets
(59% market share), $124 billion for for-hire trucking (29% market
share), and $52 billion for for-hire package express services (12%
market share).
[0006] For all of these market sectors, empty,
non-revenue-generating miles are a significant issue. Based on
statistics tracked by the American Trucking Association, for--hire
carriers averaged 12.6% empty miles for the first seven months of
1999. Small truckload carriers with less than $30 million in annual
revenue incurred the highest percentage empty miles averaging
18.4%. Large less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers fared the best with
6.5% empty miles for the same period. Statistics on private fleets'
percentage of empty miles according to the Private Fleet Benchmark
of Quality and Productivity are averaging 24%. Based on these
numbers, the projected inefficiency in U.S. transportation
expenditures today as a result of empty non-revenue generating
miles is approximately $82 billion dollars annually.
[0007] Transportation brokers play a significant role in the
truckload transportation market today, representing additional
inefficiency in the supply chain. The demand for their services is
due to the fragmentation of information in the industry and the
associated empty miles. Transportation brokers have relationships
with shippers in regional markets, as well as carriers who move
equipment into and out of those regions. Brokers serve as the
middlemen between shippers and carriers in matching loads and
equipment in return for a typical commission of 8-10% of the cost
of the load, normally charging a $50-$100 minimum. Most shippers
and carriers have little alternative to paying this cost of doing
business due to their limited visibility into the marketplace.
[0008] It is therefore desirable to provide a means by which
shippers' loads may be connected with carrier capacity in a way
which helps to eliminate the supply chain inefficiencies described
above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] According to the present invention, an online electronic
marketplace is provided in which carriers bid for loads tendered by
shippers, and shippers purchase the most attractive transportation
services. The system described herein efficiently matches loads and
capacities, lowers transaction costs, and creates value through
enhanced visibility to information resulting in efficient
transportation and financial transactions. According to specific
embodiments, the present invention combines a neutral marketplace
patterned after a stock exchange, with the electronic format of an
Internet auction site to create a trading system for the logistics
industry.
[0010] A wide variety of benefits are realized by the various
participants in the system of the present invention. For example,
using the present invention, transactions are effected quickly and
easily with minimal paperwork and documentation. All users have
access to the market 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A neutral
forum is provided in which quality of service is differentiated for
shippers and carriers. Pricing efficiency is realized in that the
system relies on real-time market-driven pricing as opposed to
contract pricing. Administrative costs of invoicing and payment are
lowered due to the automatic payment mechanisms described. These
mechanisms also ensure that carriers receive prompt payment for
services rendered. The mechanism for load tendering is more
efficient than traditional models. The overhead traditionally
associated with finding loads or freight capacity is reduced or
eliminated. The system give both shippers and carriers broader
visibility thereby creating better load to carrier matches. This,
in turn, results in lower pricing for shippers, and better
profitability for carriers by reducing empty miles. Middleman
broker costs are reduced or eliminated.
[0011] In addition to these immediate benefits of a real-time
electronic marketplace, the system of the present invention also
provides a number of highly marketable strategic benefits. For
example, private fleets may utilize the system to fill out
otherwise marginal trailer capacity, thereby justifying private
fleet operations to corporate management. Larger for-hire carriers
may use data from the system as a planning tool when allocating
equipment to different geographic sections of the country. Smaller
for-hire carriers may use the system to compete with larger
carriers.
[0012] Once shippers and carriers are registered in the system, the
following functionalities are provided. Shippers may access the
virtual marketplace of the present invention via an associated
Internet web site or via an integrated electronic interface to
enter loads for carriers to bid against. The basic information
entered for each load may include the origin pickup location(s) and
time, delivery destination(s), shipping characteristics (e.g.,
pallet exchange), driver handling requirements, equipment
requirements, total miles associated with the load, and load
expiration. According to a specific embodiment, the system
automatically calculates mileage for all loads using an industry
accepted mileage software package (e.g., PC*Miler). Shippers have
the choice to limit the viewing of their loads to select carriers,
or all carriers in the marketplace of the present invention.
[0013] Carriers may access the virtual marketplace of the present
invention via an associated Internet web site or via an integrated
electronic interface to view loads that are available to bid.
Search tools allow carriers to view loads broadly or more narrowly
based on geography, date constraints, and load characteristics.
According to specific embodiments, carriers can view load details,
but will not have visibility as to the specific shipper that
entered the load. Each shipper's quality of service is tracked by
the system and is visible to the carriers as they review loads
available. Carriers have the ability to place bids on specific
loads at any time. According to a specific embodiment, the various
searching capabilities provided by the system integrate the
visibility filters and setting specified by the user.
[0014] Before placing a bid on a load, carriers can view the
current bids on a specific load, and whether a carrier or
transportation broker submitted the bid. This feature allows the
carriers to more intelligently bid on loads. Shippers also have the
capability to view the current bids on their loads, and the company
names of carriers or brokers who submitted the bids. The shipper
also sees how many bids a carrier placed against their specific
capacity, in order to better understand how long a specific
capacity may be available before it is purchased by another
shipper. Each carrier's quality of service is tracked by the system
and is visible to the shippers as they review bids. Shippers have
the ability to buy specific capacity at any time.
[0015] Carriers may bid specific units of capacity (i.e.,
equipment) against all loads in the system that meet their
criteria. Carriers also have the ability to bid one unit of
capacity to multiple loads. Carriers can either designate their
bids as open bids with no expiration, or place expirations on the
bid.
[0016] According to various specific embodiments, loads expire from
the system when, for example, the shipper defined expiration has
occurred, the specified pickup window has passed, the load is sold
to a carrier, or the shipper removes the load manually from the
system (e.g., the load is covered outside of the system).
[0017] According to various embodiments, bids expire from the
system when, for example, the carrier defined expiration has
occurred, the unit of capacity bid on the load is sold to another
load, the load is awarded to another carrier, the bid is accepted
by the load, or the bid is manually removed by the carrier (e.g.,
the capacity is filled outside the system).
[0018] According to specific embodiments, shippers may review bids
and manually buy capacity, or they may specify automatic buys if a
carrier placing a bid meets or beats specific price and quality of
service criteria. If a shipper buys a carrier's capacity (i.e.,
accepts the carrier's bid), the carrier is required to make that
capacity available, and the shipper is required to make the load
available. Failure on the part of either the carriers or the
shippers to make their respective capacity and loads available
negatively impacts each party's quality of service rating.
[0019] According to specific embodiments of the invention, carriers
have the ability to proactively manage their capacity by setting up
agents, which allow the system to act on behalf of the carrier.
Carriers are able to enter specific units of capacity, along with
desired pickup and delivery geographies and times. The agent
operates within the time window the carrier specifies, and notifies
the carrier when loads in the system match the agent criteria setup
by the carrier. Carriers have the ability to either manually place
bids or have the agent enter auto-bids on loads that match the
agent criteria.
[0020] According to various embodiments, shippers and carriers
using the system of the present invention agree to an electronic
receivables and payables system. According to a specific
embodiment, the system employs Automated Clearinghouse (ACH)
technology. However, it will be understood that a wide variety of
such technologies may be employed to Is effect this aspect of the
invention. In one embodiment, the system electronically sends a
weekly request for funding to shippers for payment of freight bills
and system transaction fees. On the specified payment date, the
shipper's account is debited and the system and the various carrier
accounts are credited.
[0021] Thus, the present invention provides, in a system for
matching carrier capacities with shipper loads via a wide area
network, methods and apparatus for generating a bid for a shipper
load. A plurality of units of capacity are selected. A group
identifier is assigned to the plurality of units of capacity. A bid
is then generated for the shipper load using the group
identifier.
[0022] According to another specific embodiment, in a system for
matching carrier capacities with shipper loads via a wide area
network, methods and apparatus are provided for bidding on a
plurality of shipper loads. According to this embodiment, a
plurality of bids corresponding to the plurality of shipper loads
are generated, each of the plurality of bids corresponding to a
single unit of capacity.
[0023] According to yet another embodiment of the invention, in a
system for matching carrier capacities with shipper loads via a
wide area network, methods and apparatus are provided for bidding
on a plurality of shipper loads. According to this embodiment, a
plurality of bids corresponding to the plurality of shipper loads
are generated, each of the plurality of bids corresponding to a
single unit of capacity. Where one of the plurality of bids is
accepted, all others of the plurality of bids are made
unavailable.
[0024] According to still another specific embodiment, in a system
for matching carrier capacities with shipper loads via a wide area
network, method and apparatus are provided for generating a bid for
a shipper load. The bid for the shipper load is generated and
designates a currently unavailable unit of capacity. The bid is
also identified as a future bid. When the currently unavailable
unit of capacity becomes available, the bid is updated to a current
bid.
[0025] According to a specific embodiment of the invention, in a
system for matching carrier capacities with shipper loads via a
wide area network, methods and apparatus are provided for
identifying shipper loads. A search process is generated according
to at least one criterion specified by a carrier representative.
The search process is operated without user intervention to
identify at least one shipper load. A notification corresponding to
the at least one shipper load is then transmitted to the carrier
representative.
[0026] According to another specific embodiment, in a system for
matching carrier capacities with shipper loads via a wide area
network, methods and apparatus are provided for posting at least
one unit of carrier capacity for viewing by shipper
representatives. In response to receiving a plurality of capacity
parameters input by a carrier representative, a listing for the at
least one unit of carrier capacity is generated. The listing
indicates the at least one unit of carrier capacity is either
currently available or available at some future time. The listing
for the at least one unit of carrier capacity is then posted for
viewing by the shipper representatives.
[0027] According to yet another specific embodiment, in a system
for matching carrier capacities with shipper loads via a wide area
network, methods and apparatus are provided for presenting
information regarding a bid entered against a particular shipper
load, the bid corresponding to a particular carrier capacity.
According to this embodiment, the number of shipper loads against
which the particular carrier capacity is currently bid is
communicated.
[0028] According to still another embodiment of the invention, in a
system for matching carrier capacities with shipper loads via a
wide area network, methods and apparatus are provided for
controlling visibility of the carrier capacities and the shipper
loads. According to this embodiment, visibility of carrier
capacities in the system is limited according to shipper
identification information input by carrier representatives, and
visibility of shipper loads in the system is limited according to
carrier identification information input by shipper
representatives.
[0029] According to a further embodiment, in a system for matching
carrier capacities with shipper loads via a wide area network,
methods and apparatus are provided for notifying a system user of
system events. A list of the plurality of system events is
presented to the system user. A plurality of notification options
is also presented to the system user. At least one selection by the
system user from the list of the system events is then received,
the at least one selection corresponding to a subset of the
plurality of system events. At least one other selection by the
system user of at least one notification option from the plurality
of notification options is also received. The system user is
subsequently notified using the at least one notification option
upon occurrence of any of the subset of the plurality of system
events.
[0030] According to a still further embodiment, in a system for
matching carrier capacities with shipper loads via a wide area
network, methods and apparatus are provided for effecting payment
from a shipper to a carrier. A shipper load corresponding to the
shipper is presented on the system. A bid corresponding to the
shipper load from the carrier is presented to the shipper.
Acceptance of the bid from the shipper is communicated to the
carrier. Delivery information from the carrier is presented to the
shipper regarding delivery of the shipper load. The shipper load is
then closed, thereby automatically effecting payment from the
shipper to the carrier. According to a more specific embodiment,
the shipper is given a window of opportunity to confirm or dispute
the carrier's delivery information before payment is effected.
[0031] In another embodiment, in a system for matching carrier
capacities with shipper loads via a wide area network, methods and
apparatus are provided for maintaining a service rating for each
shipper and each carrier in the system. At least one parameter for
each of the shippers and carriers is tracked, the at least one
parameter relating to performance of the corresponding one of the
shippers and carriers in system transactions. The service rating
for each of the shippers and carriers is updated based on the at
least one parameter. The service rating for each of the shippers
and carriers is communicated to selected users of the system.
[0032] In yet another embodiment, in a system for matching carrier
capacities with shipper loads via a wide area network, methods and
apparatus are provided for responding to bids for a shipper load
corresponding to a shipper. The shipper load is posted on the
system, the shipper load having an automatic acceptance price
associated therewith specified by a shipper representative. The
automatic acceptance price is a monetary value at and below which
automatic acceptance is authorized. A bid for the shipper load is
received specifying a bid price. Where the bid price is less than
or equal to the automatic acceptance price, the bid is
automatically accepted on behalf of the shipper.
[0033] In still another embodiment, in a system for matching
carrier capacities with shipper loads via a wide area network,
methods and apparatus are provided for responding to bids for a
shipper load corresponding to a shipper. The shipper load is posted
on the system, the shipper load having an automatic notify price
associated therewith specified by a shipper representative. The
automatic notify price is a monetary value at and below which
automatic notification of the shipper representative is authorized.
A bid for the shipper load is received specifying a bid price.
Where the bid price is less than or equal to the automatic notify
price, the shipper representative is automatically notified
regarding the bid.
[0034] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the
present invention may be realized by reference to the remaining
portions of the specification and the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0035] FIGS. 1a-8 are a series of screen shots showing various
shipper interfaces according to specific embodiments of the present
invention;
[0036] FIGS. 9-17b are a series of screen shots showing various
carrier interfaces according to specific embodiments of the present
invention;
[0037] FIGS. 18a-18c are a series of screen shots showing various
administrative interfaces according to specific embodiments of the
present invention;
[0038] FIG. 19 shows a diagram of a generic IP network, which is an
example of one type of flow-based network in which the technique of
the present invention may be implemented;
[0039] FIG. 20 illustrates the relationship of subnetworks and
gateways to layered protocols;
[0040] FIG. 21 is a block diagram of a network system comprising a
collection of computer networks connected to a plurality of nodes;
and
[0041] FIGS. 22 and 23 illustrate a computer system suitable for
implementing embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
[0042] Shipper interaction with a specific embodiment of the system
of the present invention will now be described with reference to
the screen shots of FIGS. 1a-8. FIG. 1a shows a login interface 100
which is presented to all users of the system, i.e.,
representatives of shippers or carriers, and system administrators.
Upon entering his user name and password, the shipper
representative is presented with a list of current messages as
shown in interface 102 of FIG. 1b. As will be discussed, each
system user may specify how they would like to be notified of
various system events, e.g., e-mail, pager, web. If a user
specifies notification by the web, he will receive all of his
system generated messages in this interface. As shown, this
particular shipper representative is being notified, for example,
that one load has expired with no bids, and that another bid has
been automatically accepted by the system on his behalf. The
shipper representative is also receiving a price confirmation from
a carrier for a particular load. The shipper representative may
remove items from the list by selecting the corresponding "Remove"
button, or send a confirmation using the "Confirm" button.
[0043] Shown across the top of the message area in interface 102 is
a Shipper Menu which includes "Messages," "Enter Load," "Load
Status," "Update Rate," "Edit Searches," "Profile," and "Setting,"
the related interfaces for each of which will be discussed in turn.
In response to selecting his User Name, i.e., John Smith, the
shipper representative is presented with User Profile interfaces
202-208 of FIGS. 2a-2d in which changes to the shipper's user
profile may be effected. That is, the shipper representative may
change his password in Change Password interface 202 or specify how
he would like to be notified of system events in Manage
Notifications interface 206. Such events may include, for example,
load entered, bid entered, bid manually accepted, bid automatically
accepted, bid meets auto notify, low bid underbid, load confirmed,
load rejected, delivery confirmation, load removed, load updated,
load pre-expire, load expired, bid pre-expire, bid expired, rate
updated, transaction closed, etc. According to specific
embodiments, the shipper representative may also specify methods of
notification of specific contacts for specific types of events.
Such notification may be for system users as well as parties
outside the system. For example, when a load is delivered, both the
shipper and the consignee contact for that load may wish to be
notified. The consignee contact is not necessarily a system user,
but they may be designated as a contact by the shipper with contact
information (e.g., e-mail address) and notification rules as
described below.
[0044] According to a specific embodiment, the user may specify
notification by the web in which case he will be able to view these
messages when he logs on as described above, or by selecting
Messages in the menu. Alternatively, the user may specify
notification by e-mail or by pager in which case the system will
generate the appropriate e-mails or pages upon the occurrence of
particular events. As shown in interface 206, the user may specify
one or more of the available notification options. According to a
more specific embodiment, the user may specify the kind of events
for which he wishes to receive notification.
[0045] Thus, in response to selection of "Manage Notifications" in
the User Profile menu, Manage Notifications interface 206 is
presented. With this interface, the shipper representative may
select an event from the "Event" pull down menu, select a
notification method for the selected event from the "Notification
Method" pull down menu, and designate a priority for the
notifications from the "Priority" pull down menu. The events for
which the shipper representative has specified notification
protocols are listed in under "Current Events," any of which may be
removed by selecting the associated "Remove" button.
[0046] Selection of "Manage Contact Information" in the User
Profile menu results in presentation of interface 204 of FIG. 2b in
which the shipper representative may enter and update his contact
information. Selection of "Interface Prefs." in the User Profile
menu results in presentation of interface 208 of FIG. 2d in which
the shipper representative may specify the preferred interface type
for his machine.
[0047] In response to selecting "Enter Load" in the shipper menu,
the shipper representative is presented with the Enter Load
interface 302 of FIG. 3a in which specific load data may be entered
for presentation on the system. These data may include the
shipper's own load identifier in the "Shipper Load ID#" field for
tracking purposes, as well as the type of freight in the "Freight
Class" field. The shipper representative may also specify the type
of equipment to be used to move the load in the "Equipment Service"
field.
[0048] Load visibility, i.e., the portions of the system's user
base to which the load data are presented, may be specified by
selecting the "Asset" check box (i.e., carriers), the "Non-Asset"
check box (i.e., brokers), and the "Both" check box (i.e., carriers
and brokers). This provides a first high level mechanism by which a
shipper can control who has an opportunity to bid on its loads. The
shipper representative may also specify an estimate of the related
freight service costs the carrier will incur. The shipper
representative may also specify a minimum service rating for the
load which limits the visibility of the load data to carriers
having at least the specified rating. As will be discussed, each
carrier and shipper in the system has a service rating which is
determined by the system using a variety of parameters. Other such
mechanisms to control the visibility of load data will be discussed
below.
[0049] Using interface 302, the shipper representative may also
specify an "Auto Buy Price" and/or an "Auto Notify Price." The Auto
Buy Price is the price at or below which the shipper wants the
system to automatically accept bids on the associated load on its
behalf. The Auto Notify Price is the price at or below which the
shipper wants the system to notify its representative if a bid for
that price is entered for the associated load. The system notifies
the representative using the medium specified in the user profile
discussed above with reference to FIG. 2c. The shipper
representative may also enter a date and time at which the load
expires, i.e., becomes unavailable in the system.
[0050] Once the load data are specified, pickup and delivery
locations for the load may then be specified. According to a
specific embodiment of the invention, multiple pickup and multiple
delivery locations may be specified. As shown on the left side of
interface 302, two pickup locations and one delivery location have
been specified. Each locations has one or more buttons associated
with it. Selection of the "x" button removes the associated
location from the list. Selection of the up arrow button moves the
associated location up within the pickup or delivery list.
Selection of the down arrow button moves the associated location
down. In this way, the shipper representative may specify the order
in which pickups and deliveries are to be made. For recurring
loads, previously entered information may be used to populate a new
load by selecting a previously stored load from the "Recall" pull
down menu. Creation of such a load will be discussed below.
[0051] In response to selection of "Add Pickup" in interface 302,
interface 304 of FIG. 3b is presented in which the shipper
representative may specify the details of each pickup location
associated with the load. Shipper and customer order information
may be input in the corresponding windows. According to a specific
embodiment, the pickup location may be input using a name for a
previously stored location, or a system-assigned LeanLogistics
number (LL#). That is, if a shipper wants to store addresses of
frequently used consignees, LeanLogistics.com will allow them to do
so and will assign a unique identifier, i.e., an LL#, to that
location. According to a specific embodiment, a search capability
is provided which allows the shipper representative to search for a
desired pickup location in the system database.
[0052] As shown, the weight of the freight to be picked up at this
location may be specified as well as the window of time in which
the pickup is to occur. According to a specific embodiment,
previously specified default times are automatically entered which
depend upon the start and end dates selected by the shipper
representative in interface 304. These default times may be
overridden by selecting the "Override Default" button and using
Override Window Defaults dialog box 306 of FIG. 3c. Once the pickup
location data are complete, the shipper representative selects
"Finished" which will result in presentation of interface 302.
[0053] In response to selection of "Add Delivery" in interface 302,
interface 308 of FIG. 3d is presented in which the shipper
representative may specify the details of each delivery location
associated with the load. A consignee reference number and customer
order numbers may be input in the corresponding windows. A
consignee contact may also be specified from a menu of previously
stored contacts for the shipper in the corresponding window.
According to a specific embodiment, the shipper representative may
search for consignee contacts using dialog box 310 of FIG. 3e.
[0054] Referring again to FIG. 3d, the delivery location may be
input using a name for a previously stored location, or a
system-assigned LeanLogistics number (LL#). That is, if a shipper
wants to store addresses of frequently used consignees,
LeanLogistics.com will allow them to do so and will assign a unique
identifier, i.e., an LL#, to that location. According to a specific
embodiment, a search capability is provided which allows the
shipper representative to search for a desired delivery location in
the system database. According to a specific embodiment, a
shipper-specific consignee table in the database is searched. The
shipper representative may also specify freight services for the
delivery location including, for example, unloading of the freight
by the driver, pallet exchange, and whether temperature control is
required. Finally, the shipper representative may specify the
window of time in which the delivery is to occur by entering start
and end dates in the Delivery Window boxes. According to a specific
embodiment dialog box 306 of FIG. 3c is used to override previously
specified time windows as discussed above. Once the delivery
location data is complete, the shipper representative may add
another delivery location, or select "Finished" which will result
in presentation of interface 302.
[0055] Once the load information is complete including all pickup
and delivery location data, the shipper representative may select
"Save Load" in interface 302 in response to which the load data are
saved and Load Validation interface 312 of FIG. 3f is presented.
Using interface 312, the shipper representative may review the load
data to ensure that they are accurate. Changes may be effected by
selection of the "Change" button. The shipper representative may
also cancel the load by selecting the "Cancel" button.
[0056] In addition, if the shipper representative wants to save the
load for future use, he selects the "Remember?" check box and
enters a name by which the load may later be recalled. That is,
selection of a particular load name in the "Recall" pull down menu
in interface 302 results in presentation of the previously stored
load data as shown in Recall Load interface 314 of FIG. 3g. Using
this interface, the shipper need only specify the pickup Is and
delivery windows and customer orders to create a new load. Once the
shipper representative selects "Save Load" in interface 312, the
load data are made available to the specified users for bidding. In
addition, the shipper representative is presented with Load
Acceptance interface 316 of FIG. 3h in which the system informs the
shipper representative that the load has been accepted by the
system and communicates the system assigned load number.
[0057] In response to selecting "Load Status" in the shipper menu,
the shipper representative is presented with Load Status interface
402 of FIG. 4a in which the status of the shippers loads may be
viewed. According to a specific embodiment, the shipper
representative may view all or some subset of the loads using the
"View" pull down which allows filtering of the loads to be viewed
according to various criteria. An example of useful filter would be
all loads for which the particular shipper representative is
responsible. Each load has an entry for each bid in the system for
that load which includes a "Buy" button, selection of which
indicates acceptance of the particular bid to the carrier.
[0058] Once the shipper representative has selected the "Buy"
button, the system removes the carrier's capacity from any other
bids, removes all other bids for that load, and generates a
notification to the shipper representative using the specified
mechanism(s). As will be discussed below with reference to the
carrier interfaces, the carrier is also notified of the shipper's
acceptance of its bid.
[0059] As shown in interface 402, each load entry for which a bid
has been entered includes the carrier's name, the amount of the
bid, the type of carrier (asset based vs. non-asset based), the
carrier's service rating, the number of loads against which the
carrier capacity has been bid, and the number of shipper's loads on
which the carrier has bid (e.g., Truck 1 is shown to have been bid
against 3 loads, 2 of which are this shipper's loads). According to
a specific embodiment, each entry may also include the specific
units of capacity being bid against the load. All of this
information allows the shipper to more intelligently select the
appropriate carrier. For example, if the bid information for one
carrier indicates that their capacity has been bid against 5 loads
and the bid information for another carrier indicates that their
capacity has been bid against only this load, the shipper may
choose to deal with the less encumbered carrier. The interface
includes button objects selection of which allows the shipper
representative to either modify the associated load or remove the
associated load from the system.
[0060] As mentioned above, it is possible that a particular unit of
capacity or carrier equipment group may be bid against multiple
loads. In addition and according to a specific embodiment, a
business rule is enforced which states that "If a shipper accepts a
carrier's bid, the carrier is obligated to take the load." Thus,
according to this embodiment, when a shipper accepts a bid
corresponding to a unit of capacity which has been bid against
multiple loads, the system makes the capacity, i.e., the other bids
corresponding to the capacity, unavailable so that the business
rule may be enforced.
[0061] According to a more specific embodiment, once the shipper
has accepted a particular bid for a load, the system flags the
corresponding unit of capacity as unavailable in the carrier's Unit
Status interface (see interface 1208 of FIG. 12d). All other active
bids corresponding to that unit of capacity as well as other bids
against the load are flagged as "removed." Thus, according to this
embodiment, the bids are merely flagged as unavailable rather than
actually being removed from the system.
[0062] Selection of the load number, e.g., L1, in Load Status
interface 402 results in presentation of Load Detail interface 404
of FIG. 4b in which details of the selected load are presented.
Selection of the links in interface 402 associated with each unit
of carrier capacity, e.g., Truck 1, results in presentation of
dialog box 406 of FIG. 4c in which the shipper's loads against
which the unit has been bid are identified. Selection of the entry
in the "# Bids" columns in either of interfaces 402 and 404 results
in presentation of summary Bid History interface 408 of FIG. 4d in
which a summary of the information for each bid for the selected
load is provided. According to a specific embodiment, summary
interface 408 shows only the last active bid from each carrier.
[0063] More detailed information may be accessed by selection of
the "Detail" link in response to which detailed Bid History
interface 410 of FIG. 4e is presented. In interface 410, the
shipper representative is provided with the name of the carrier
equipment as well as the number of loads against which the
particular equipment is bid. In specific embodiments, links to Unit
Usage dialog boxes, e.g., dialog box 406, are provided in both of
interfaces 408 and 410. According to more specific embodiments, all
bids made against the load, including retracted bids, are shown.
The shipper representative may respond to any of the bids in the
Bid History interfaces by selecting the "Buy" buttons. In response
to selection of a "Buy" button, Buy Confirmation interface 412 of
FIG. 4f is presented which confirms the capacity purchase and
informs the shipper representative that the carrier has been
notified.
[0064] Selection of "Update Rate" in the shipper menu results in
presentation of Update Load Rate interface 502 of FIG. 5. Using
this interface, a shipper representative may increase the rate
associated with a load for which a bid was previously accepted by
the shipper.
[0065] Shipper representatives with the appropriate authorization
may select "Settings" in the shipper menu in response to which read
access to the Settings interfaces 602-606 of FIGS. 6a-6c is
provided. Referring first to interface 602 of FIG. 6a, the
authorized shipper representative may view information about the
shipper by selecting "Corporate Information" in the Settings menu
on the left side of the interface. As shown, this information
includes the company name, address, billing contact information,
the company's Dun & Bradstreet number (the use of which will be
discussed below with reference to the carrier interfaces), and the
EIN (i.e., the Employer ID Number which is a unique identifier
assigned by the federal government).
[0066] Selection of "Banking Information" in the Settings menu
results in presentation of Banking Information interface 604 of
FIG. 6b in which the authorized shipper representative may view the
shipper's banking information which is used to facilitate the
automatic payment mechanisms supported by the system of the present
invention. According to a specific embodiment, any changes by the
shipper representative to the data in Corporate Information
interface 602 and Banking Information interface 604 are sent to
LeanLogistics for approval.
[0067] Selection of "Admin Users" in the Shipper Environment menu
results in presentation of the Maintain User Accounts interface 606
of FIG. 6c in which the authorized shipper representative may add
or delete shipper representatives and enter or modify access levels
for those representatives.
[0068] According to an additional embodiment, selection of "Credit
Qualification" in the menu results in presentation of an interface
(not shown) in which a shipper wishing to participate in the
exchange enters credit information which is then used by
LeanLogistics to determine the credit worthiness of the
shipper.
[0069] Shipper representatives with the appropriate authorization
may select "Profile" in the shipper menu in response to which
access to the Shipper Profile interfaces 702-716 of FIGS. 7a-7h is
provided. Referring first to interface 702 of FIG. 7a, the
authorized shipper representative may enter or modify a new pickup
location for use in entering loads by selecting "Manage Load-At
Locations" in the Shipper Profile menu and designating either the
<New Location> entry or a previously stored location in the
associated menu. Selection of "Manage Consignees" presents a
Consignees interface 704 of FIG. 7b for entering or modifying
consignee information for use in entering loads as described above.
Selection of "Manage Locations" in interface 704 results in
presentation of Manage Consignee Location interface 706 of FIG. 7c
in which the shipper representative may enter or modify the
contact, operating, and geographical information for a particular
consignee location.
[0070] Selection of "Load Defaults" in the Shipper Profile menu
results in presentation of Load Defaults interface 708 of FIG. 7d
in which the authorized shipper representative may specify various
defaults for the load entering process described above with
reference to FIGS. 3a-3h. As a result of selecting various options
in interface 708, Enter Load interface 302 of FIG. 3a will be
partially populated with the appropriate defaults when it is first
presented to the shipper representative. Thus, the shipper
representative may select its preferred carrier types to include
asset based (carriers), non-asset based (brokers), or both. The
shipper representative may also select the default value for the
minimum acceptable service rating, as well as whether the Shipper
Load ID# field in interface 302 is to be populated with a manually
entered shipper's number or a number automatically generated by the
system.
[0071] Selection of "Supported Equipment Services" in the Shipper
Profile menu results in presentation of Supported Equipment
Services interface 710 of FIG. 7e in which the authorized shipper
representative may specify which types of equipment will be
available to shipper representatives in the Equipment Service pull
down menu in interface 302. That is, selection of the available
equipment services in interface 710 results in population of the
Equipment Service menu of interface 302 with the selected
equipment.
[0072] Selection of "Supported Freight Services" in the Shipper
Profile menu results in presentation of Supported Freight Services
interface 712 of FIG. 7f in which the authorized shipper
representative may specify which freight service options will be
available to shipper representatives in the Enter Load, Add Pickup
Location, and Add Delivery Location interfaces FIGS. 3a, 3b, and
3d. That is, selection of the available freight services in
interface 712 results in the selected service options being
presented in interfaces 302, 304, and 308.
[0073] Selection of "Supported Freight Classes" in the Shipper
Profile menu results in presentation of Supported Freight Classes"
interface 714 of FIG. 7g in which the authorized shipper
representative may specify which types of freight classes, e.g.,
dry, will be available to shipper representatives in the Freight
Class pull down menu in interface 302. That is, selection of the
available equipment services in interface 714 results in population
of the Freight Class menu of interface 302 with the selected
freight classes.
[0074] Selection of "Included/Excluded Carriers" in the Shipper
Profile menu results in presentation of Included/Excluded Carriers
interface 716 of FIG. 7h in which the authorized shipper
representative may specify to which carriers its loads will be made
available for bidding. The shipper representative designates
whether the list of carriers are to be included or excluded, then
creates the list of carriers by entering their Standard Carrier
Alpha Code (SCAC) in the corresponding window, and adding the SCAC
to the list by selection of the right arrow. The carrier's SCAC is
then displayed in the list.
[0075] Finally, the shipper representative may effect searches in
the system for their own loads by selecting "Edit Searches" in the
shipper menu which results in presentation of Edit Searches
interface 802 of FIG. 8. Using this interface, the shipper
representative may define and save searches which may then be
repeatedly used by the shipper representative to identify
appropriate loads according to the specified criteria. For example,
the shipper representative may specify a zip code of origin, an
operator (e.g., .gtoreq., .ltoreq., or =), and/or a value (e.g.,
zip code, price, miles, etc.). According to a specific embodiment,
one or more additional rows of these fields specifying other
parameters (e.g., destination zip code) may be added and logically
combined with the previous row(s) using the logical operators "And"
and "Or."
[0076] In addition to allowing standard comparison of bid and load
characteristics and according to a specific embodiment, the system
links to a Geographic Information System (GIS) which facilitates
searching using spatial relations such as, for example, a distance
radius from a specific location. Each physical location within the
system database for shippers and consignees are geocoded upon entry
in the database to associate a latitude and longitude coordinate
for that location. This information is then used to provide the
spatial comparison of data. When the search is fully specified the
shipper representative names the search and selects "Save" in
response to which the search is saved and enabled. A list of the
available saved searches is provided in the "Choose Search"
window.
[0077] Carrier interaction with a specific embodiment of the system
of the present invention will now be described with reference to
the screen shots of FIGS. 9-17b. Upon logging into the system using
interface 100 of FIG. 1a, the carrier representative is presented
with a Messages interface 902 of FIG. 9 which is similar to
interface 102 of FIG. 1b, and in which access to system generated
messages specific to the carrier representative is provided. As in
the case of the shipper representative, a carrier menu is provided
across the top of each the carrier interfaces. The carrier
representative may select his name, i.e., the User Name in response
to which the User Profile interfaces described above with reference
to FIGS. 2a-2d are presented. As described above, the carrier
representative may use these interfaces to change his password,
manage contact information and the method(s) by which he would like
to be notified of specific system events, and specify interface
preferences. System events for which the carrier representative may
select notification include, for example, bid entered, bid manually
accepted, bid automatically accepted, agent matched loads, low bid
underbid, load confirmed, load rejected, delivery confirmation,
load removed, bid removed, bid updated, load pre-expire, load
expired, bid pre-expire, bid expired, rate updated, unit updated,
and transaction closed.
[0078] The carrier representative may search for loads in the
system which are of interest to the carrier. For example, the
carrier representative may search for loads relating to the lanes
of operation in which the carrier is operating, within certain
weight ranges, or that require specific equipment. According to a
specific embodiment, load searching may be effected by selecting
"Load Search" in the main carrier menu or in the Options menu in
response to which Load Search interface 1002 of FIG. 10 is provided
in which the carrier representative may define load searches.
According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the carrier
representative may specify, for example, the origin or destination
of the load, the pickup and delivery windows, and specific
equipment and freight services. Alternatively, the carrier
representative may select and/or modify one of a plurality of
available predefined searches in the "Choose Search" pull down
menu. For example, such a predefined search might designate a
particular zip code in which the load originates, i.e., the initial
pickup location for the load, and/or a specified radial distance
from the pickup location.
[0079] Upon selection of "View Loads" in the carrier menu, the View
Loads interface 1102 of FIG. 11a is presented which provides
detailed information for loads corresponding to the currently
active search criteria specified by the carrier representative. A
"Bid" button or hyperlink is associated with each load entry in
response to selection of which the carrier representative may begin
the bid generation process with the Enter Bids interface 1104 of
FIG. 11b.
[0080] As shown, the carrier representative may specify the price,
the time and date at which the bid expires, the carrier's equipment
being bid, and whether the load is being bid as current or future
capacity. A bid which is designated as a current bid is presented
to the shipper as currently available capacity. A bid which is
designated by the carrier as a future bid is made with a unit of
capacity which is currently reserved for some other load. Such bids
are presented to shippers as capacity which will be available at
some future date and time. When the reserved capacity is made
available to the system by the carrier closing the current load,
the system automatically updates the future bid to a current bid
and makes the bid available to the shipper as currently available
capacity. This allows the carrier to plan the use of specific units
of capacity one or more steps in advance.
[0081] Referring back to interface 1102, election of an entry in
the "# Bids" column results in presentation of Bid History window
1106 of FIG. 11c which provides information regarding each of the
bids for the associated load. According to a specific embodiment
and as shown in the figure, this information includes the date and
time the bid was made, the type of carrier (i.e., asset vs.
non-asset), the carrier rating, and the amount of the bid, as well
as an indication of whether the current user's company has bid on
this load.
[0082] Advanced Unit Assignment window 1108 of FIG. 11d is
presented in response to selection of "Advanced" in interface 1104
of FIG. 11b. This interface allows the carrier representative to
assign specific equipment, e.g., trucks, to current and future load
plans.
[0083] When the carrier representative submits a bid for one of the
listed loads, Bid Acceptance window 1110 of FIG. 11e is presented
which confirms receipt of the bid by the system and allows the
carrier representative to review the details of the bid before it
is posted.
[0084] When a shipper accepts the carrier's bid, the appropriate
carrier representative is notified in the specified manner(s) and
the carrier representative must then communicate acceptance of the
load by selecting "Confirm Loads" in the carrier menu in response
to which Confirm Loads interface 1202 of FIG. 12a is displayed.
According to a specific embodiment, the carrier is obligated to
accept the load once the shipper has accepted the bid. If the
carrier rejects the load various penalties may be exacted
including, for example, payment of money damages and, as will be
discussed in greater detail below, a negative impact on the
carrier's service rating.
[0085] Selection of the load number in interface 1202 results in
presentation of Load Detail interface 1204 of FIG. 12b in which
detailed information for the associated load is provided. Selection
of the unit number, e.g., Truck 1, in interface 1202 results in
presentation of Unit Status window 1206 of FIG. 12c in which the
status of the particular unit of capacity is detailed. According to
a specific embodiment and as shown, window 1206 identifies the
loads against which the unit of capacity is currently bid. "Move"
buttons are provided which may be used to move the capacity from
one bid to another or to remove the capacity from the associated
bid.
[0086] Selection of "Units" in the Options portion of the carrier
menu results in presentation of Unit Status interface 1208 of FIG.
12d. In a specific embodiment, interface 1208 shows each unit of
capacity associated with the carrier representative, the status of
each unit of capacity (e.g., whether the unit has been bid, is
inactive, or has won a load), and an identifier for the loads
against which a unit has been bid (e.g., L-1, L-4, L-10) or which a
unit has won (e.g., L-103). According to a specific embodiment, the
carrier representative may post any or all of its anticipated units
of capacity on the system for access by shippers. This provides
visibility of available truck capacity in particular regions of the
country so that shippers can plan in anticipation of spikes in
business demand, or simply forward purchase carrier capacity.
[0087] The carrier representative may view information regarding
the carrier's current bids in the system by selecting "View Bids"
in the carrier menu in response to which View Current Bids
interface 1302 of FIG. 13 is presented. Using this interface, the
carrier representative may remove an active bid from the system. He
may also edit certain information which is not "intrinsic" to the
bid. For example, the expiration date may be edited, but not the
amount of the bid.
[0088] Selection of "Confirm Delivery" in the carrier menu results
in presentation of Confirmed Loads interface 1402 of FIG. 14a
which, in turn, provides access to interfaces 1404 and 1406 by
which the carrier representative may communicate confirmation
information to the system regarding pickups and deliveries. In
response to selection of a particular load number in interface
1402, Pickup/Delivery Performance interface 1404 of FIG. 14b is
presented. For a specific pickup or delivery location the carrier
representative enters the actual date and time of the pickup or
delivery. Selection of the "Exceptions" link associated with each
location results in presentation of an Exceptions interface 1406 of
FIG. 14c in which other load related information may be specified
such as, for example, the reasons for a late arrival, whether or
not there was any damage to the load and who was responsible,
whether the quantity delivered or picked up was over or under the
contracted quantity, and the number of hours the carrier was
detained at the specified location. The information input by the
carrier representative is used by the system to maintain the
service rating for the carrier.
[0089] According to a specific embodiment, confirmation of a
delivery triggers the automatic payment feature of the present
invention, e.g., an electronic funds transfer (EFT) from the
shipper to the carrier is effected. According to another
embodiment, the shipper and/or the addressee of the load are
notified as to the information entered in this interface for
verification purposes. The recipients of this information are then
afforded a period of time during which any disputes regarding the
accuracy of the confirmation information are dealt with. In
addition, once a load has been delivered and closed, the system
"unlocks" the corresponding unit(s) of carrier capacity, making it
available once again for bidding.
[0090] Selection of "Agents" in the Options portion of the carrier
menu results in the presentation of Carrier Agent Maintenance
interface 1502 of FIG. 15. Using this interface, the carrier
representative can create "agents" which search the system on an
ongoing basis without user interaction for loads which satisfy
specified criteria. The criteria with which a particular agent
looks for loads are selected from among the predefined searches in
the "Choose Search" pull down menu (the manner in which such
predefined searches are created is discussed above with reference
to FIG. 10). Thus, for example, an agent could be configured using
a predefined search which looks for loads originating within 100
miles of Chicago with delivery within 100 miles of Atlanta. Pickup
and delivery dates and times may also be specified, as well as the
types of equipment and freight services specified by the
shipper.
[0091] The carrier representative may also specify dates and times
between which the agent will operate. Alternatively, the carrier
representative may specify a manual control for starting and
stopping the agent. Interface 1502 also provides a Current Agent
List in which details about each of the carrier representative's
searches are displayed. As shown, each agent entry may also include
a "Stop" button with which the carrier representative may terminate
operation of the agent at any time.
[0092] According to a specific embodiment, the carrier
representative may also specify how they would like any loads
matching the agent criteria to be handled. For example, the carrier
representative may specify that he wants to be notified of any
matching loads so that he may manually enter a bid. This may be
done, for example, via an e-mail which contains a hyperlink to the
load, thus facilitating entering of the bid. Alternatively, the
carrier representative may specify that the system should generate
a bid automatically when a matching load is found. According to a
specific embodiment, the system employs a rating engine to
calculate the most appropriate bid, taking into consideration the
distances, freight services, and bidding rules set forth by the
carrier. Such bidding rules might specify, for example, a rate per
mile, a shipper rating, an equipment service class, freight
services, bid expiration date and times, and origin and destination
zip codes as well as distance radii from specific locations.
[0093] Selection of "Profile" in the carrier menu by an authorized
carrier representative results in presentation of Carrier Profile
interfaces 1602-1616 of FIGS. 16a-16h in which the carrier
representative may modify the carrier profile in many of the same
ways as discussed above with reference to the Shipper Profile
interfaces. For example, selection of "Manage Contacts" in the
Carrier Profile menu results in presentation of Manage Contacts
interface 1602 of FIG. 16a in which the authorized carrier
representative may enter and modify contact information.
[0094] Selection of "Carrier Equipment ID's" in the Carrier Profile
menu results in presentation of Carrier Equipment ID's interface
1604 of FIG. 16b in which the authorized carrier representative may
add or remove the carrier's own identifiers for specific equipment
and units of capacity such as, for example, truck identifiers as
shown. The carrier representative may also group individual units
of capacity together and create group identifiers, e.g., Group A,
for the purpose of being able to bid multiple units of capacity
against a single load as shown in interface 1606 of FIG. 16c. An
equipment group is simply a grouping of units understood by the
carrier. The equipment and group identifiers are then available to
the carrier representative for the purpose of, for example,
creating a bid as described above.
[0095] Selection of "Supported Equipment Services" in the Carrier
Profile menu results in presentation of interface 1608 of FIG. 16d
in which the authorized carrier representative may select from a
list of equipment services provided by the system to create a list
of equipment services supported by the carrier. Similarly,
selection of "Supported Freight Services" results in presentation
of interface 1610 of FIG. 16e in which the authorized carrier
representative may create a list of freight services (including a
value where appropriate) supported by the carrier. The supported
equipment and freight services are used by the carrier to create a
standard accessorial charges table. Selection of "Supported Freight
Classes" results in presentation of interface 1612 of FIG. 16f in
which the carrier representative may create a list of freight
classes supported by the carrier.
[0096] Selection of "Included/Excluded Shippers" in the Carrier
Profile Options menu results in presentation of interface 1614 of
FIG. 16g in which the authorized carrier representative may specify
the shippers with which the carrier is willing to do business.
According to a specific embodiment, shippers are identified by
their Dun & Bradstreet identification numbers. Similarly,
selection of "Preferred Shipper Types" brings up interface 1616 of
FIG. 16h in which the carrier representative may specify whether
the carrier is willing to do business directly with shippers,
through transportation brokers, or both. Interfaces 1614 and 1616
essentially allow the specification of filters (as described above
with reference to shipper interface 130) which allow or prevent
access to the carrier's units of capacity in the system.
[0097] Selection of "Settings" in the carrier menu by an authorized
carrier representative results in presentation of the Settings menu
shown, for example, in interface 1702 of FIG. 17a. Selection of
"Corporate Information," "Banking Information," or "Admin Users" in
the Settings menu results in interfaces similar to those described
above with reference to FIGS. 6a-6c in which the authorized carrier
representative can view information regarding the carrier, the
carrier's bank account(s), and administer the various carrier
representatives who have access to the system. Selection of
"Operating Authority Information" by an authorized user leads to an
interface 1702 (FIG. 17a) in which the carrier's operating
authority information may be entered and modified. Selection of
"Insurance Information" by an authorized user leads to an interface
1704 (FIG. 17b) in which the carrier's insurance information may be
entered and modified.
[0098] According to various embodiments of the present invention, a
service rating is maintained for each shipper and carrier which
provides a visible and objective measure of the quality of service
provided by each. According to a specific embodiment, the service
rating is a numeric rating from 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest
rating. Each new carrier and shipper in the system start with an
average rating of 3. The system employs a variety of metrics to
adjust the service ratings. For example, for carriers, such metrics
may include on-time pickup and delivery, damage to cargo, rejection
of loads, the number of shipper complaints relative to the
aggregate number of loads handled by the carrier, misrepresentation
of equipment or services (e.g., use of an out-of-spec trailer),
etc. According to a specific embodiment, a carrier's service rating
is automatically updated upon closing of a load.
[0099] The service rating for shippers may be determined from a
variety of metrics including, for example, carrier complaints
(e.g., carrier detention at either pickup or delivery locations),
reneging on accepted bids, payment issues, misrepresentation (e.g.,
no unload at delivery location), hidden charges (e.g., shipper's
customer charges to unload), etc.
[0100] FIGS. 18a-18d are a series of screen shots showing various
administrative interfaces. By selection of each of the entries in
the menu, a corresponding interface is provided in which the
various lists provided by the system to the shippers and carriers
are maintained. Manage SCAC Listings interface 1802 of FIG. 18a
allows an authorized system representative to manage the SCAC
listings in the system. Manage Equipment Services interface 1804 of
FIG. 18b allows the system representative to add and remove items
from the list of available equipment services. Manage Type Codes
interface 1806 of FIG. 18c allows the system representative to add
or remove items from the lists of available freight services and
classes.
[0101] The following is a general description of networking
technology, portions of which are relevant to various embodiments
of the present invention. A computer network is a geographically
distributed collection of interconnected communication links for
transporting data between nodes, such as computers. By definition,
a network is a group of computers and associated devices that are
connected by communications facilities or links. Network
connections can be of a permanent nature, such as via cables, or
can be of a temporary nature, such as connections made through
telephone or other communication links. A plurality of computer
networks may be further interconnected by intermediate nodes, or
routers, to extend the effective "size" of the networks, smaller
portions of which may be maintained as autonomous domains of nodes.
A router is computer system that stores and forwards data packets
from one local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN) to
another. Routers see the network as network addresses and all the
possible paths between them. They read the network address in a
transmitted message and can make a decision on how to send it based
on the most expedient route (traffic load, line costs, speed, bad
lines, etc.). Routers typically communicate by exchanging discrete
"packets" of data according to predefined protocols. In this
context, a protocol comprises a set of rules defining how the nodes
interact with each other.
[0102] Networks vary in size, from a local area network (LAN)
consisting of a few computers and related devices, to a wide area
network (WAN) which interconnects computers and LANs that are
geographically dispersed. An internetwork, in turn, is the joining
of multiple computer networks, both similar and dissimilar, by
means of gateways or routers that facilitate data transfer and
conversion from various networks. A well known abbreviation for
internetwork is internet. As currently understood, the capitalized
term Internet refers to the collection of networks and gateways
that uses a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
(TCP/IP). The Internet has recently seen explosive growth by virtue
of its ability to link computers located throughout the world.
[0103] FIG. 19 shows a diagram of an IP network, which is an
example of one type of flow-based network in which the technique of
the present invention may be implemented. A flow can be a
hard-state virtual circuit in an ATM network, a soft-state flow in
an IP network (e.g., a MPLS tunnel), or a stateless connection as a
TCP/IP connection in today's Internet. As shown in FIG. 19, the IP
network 1902 includes the Internet (or a WAN) 1904 over which a
Node 1916 (e.g. a computer) can communicate with a separate node
1906 via a plurality of intermediate nodes (e.g. R1, R3, R4). Node
1906 may be, for example, a server which is part of Local Area
Network (LAN) 1907, connected to the Internet via routers R1 and
R3. Router R3 (1910) may, in turn, connect one or more other
routers (e.g., router R2) with the Internet.
[0104] A LAN is a communication network that serves users within a
confined geographical area. It is made up of servers, workstations,
a network operating system and a communications link. Servers are
high-speed machines that hold programs and data shared by all
network users. The workstations, or clients, are the users'
personal computers, which perform stand-alone processing and access
the network servers as required The controlling software in a LAN
is the network operating system, such as, for example, NetWare,
UNIX, and/or Appletalk, which resides in the server. Message
transfer is managed by a transport protocol such as, for example,
IPX, SPX, SNA and/or TCP/IP. The physical transmission of data is
performed by the access method (Ethernet, Token Ring, etc.) which
is implemented in the network adapters that plug into the machines.
The actual communications path is the cable (twisted pair, coax,
optical fiber) that interconnects each network adapter.
[0105] In order to reduce design complexity, most networks are
organized as a series of hardware and software levels or "layers"
within each node. These layers interact to format data for transfer
between, e.g., a source node and a destination node communicating
over the network. Specifically, predetermined services are
performed on the data as it passes through each layer and the
layers communicate with each other by means of the predefined
protocols. This layered design permits each layer to offer selected
services to other layers using a standardized interface that
shields those layers from the details of actual implementation of
the services. The layered protocols, commonly referred to as
protocol stacks, are described in greater detail with reference to
FIG. 20.
[0106] FIG. 20 illustrates the relationship of subnetworks and
gateways to layered protocols. Assume that the user application
2002A in host A sends an application protocol data unit (PDU) to an
application layer protocol 2002B in host B, such as, for example, a
file transfer system. The file transfer software performs a variety
of functions and sends file records to the user data. In many
systems, the operations at host B are known as server operations
and the operations at host A are know as client operations.
[0107] As indicated by the downward arrows in the protocol stack at
host A, this unit is passed to the transport layer protocol 2004A,
which performs a variety of operations and adds a header to the PDU
passed to it. At this point, the unit of data is often referred to
as a segment. The PDU from the upper layers is considered to be
data to the transport layer.
[0108] Next, the transport layer passes the segment to the network
layer 2006A, also called the IP layer, which again performs
specific services and appends a header. This unit (now called a
datagram in internet terms) is passed down to the lower layers.
Here, the data link layer adds its header as well as a trailer, and
the data unit (now called a frame) is launched into subnetwork 2010
by the physical layer 2008A. Of course, if host B sends data to
host A, the process is reversed and the direction of the arrows is
changed.
[0109] Internet protocols are typically unaware of what goes on
inside the network. The network manager is free to manipulate and
manage the PDU in any manner necessary. In some instances, however,
the internet PDU (data and headers) remains unchanged as it is
transmitted through the subnet. In FIG. 20, it emerges at the
gateway where it is processed through the lower layers 2014 and
passed to the IP (network) layer 2012. Here, routing decisions are
made based on the destination address provided by the host
computer.
[0110] After these routing decisions have been made, the PDU is
passed to the communications link connected to the appropriate
subnetwork (comprising the lower layers). The PDU is
re-encapsulated into the data link layer frame and passed to the
next subnetwork 2016, where it finally arrives at the destination
host.
[0111] The destination (host B) receives the traffic through its
lower layers and reverses the process that transpired at host A; it
de-encapsulates the headers by stripping them off in the
appropriate layer. The header is used by the layer to determine the
actions it is to perform; the header therefore governs the layer's
operations.
[0112] The PDU created by the file transfer application in the
application service layer is passed to the file transfer
application residing at host B. If host A and B are large mainframe
computers, this application is likely an exact duplicate of the
software at the transmitting host. The application might, however,
perform a variety of functions, depending on the header it
receives. It is conceivable that the data could be passed to
another end-user application at host B, but in many instances the
user at host A merely wants to obtain the services of a server
protocol, such as a file transfer or email. If this is the case, it
is not necessary for an end-user application process to be invoked
at host B.
[0113] To return the retrieved data from the server at host B to
the client at host A, the process is reversed. The data is
transferred down through the layers in the host B machine, through
the network, through the gateway, to the next network, and up the
layers of host A to the end-user.
[0114] FIG. 21 is a block diagram of a network system 2100
comprising a collection of computer networks connected to a
plurality of nodes. The nodes are typically general-purpose
computers comprising a source node S, an end node N, a destination
node D and a plurality of intermediate nodes or routers R1 and R2.
Each node typically comprises a central processing unit (CPU) 2102,
a memory unit 2104 and at least one network adapter 2106
interconnected by a system bus 2110. The memory unit 2104 may
comprise storage locations typically composed of random access
memory (RAM) devices, which are addressable by the CPU 2102 and
network adapter 2106. The memory unit typically provides temporary
storage of information, such as, for example, executable processes
and contents of data packets, as described further herein. An
operating system, portions of which are typically resident in
memory and executed by CPU, functionally organizes the node by,
inter alia, invoking network operations in support of those
processes executing in the CPU.
[0115] The computer networks included within system 2100 may range
from local area networks (LANs) to wide area networks (WANs). A LAN
is a limited area network, while a WAN may be a public or private
telecommunications facility that interconnects nodes widely
dispersed using communication links. Communication among the nodes
coupled to these networks is typically effected by exchanging
discrete data "packets" specifying addresses of, e.g., source and
destination nodes. Since the system shown in FIG. 21 comprises a
relatively small group of interconnected LANs 1-3, it is typically
maintained as an autonomous domain. The intermediate nodes,
typically routers, are configured to facilitate the flow of data
packets throughout the domain 2100 by routing those packets to the
proper receiving nodes.
[0116] In general, when a source node S transmits a packet over LAN
1, the packet is sent to all nodes on that LAN. If the intended
recipient of the packet is connected to LAN 3, the packet is routed
through router R1, over LAN 2 and through R2 onto LAN 3. A key
function of a router is determining the next node to which the
packet is sent; this routing function is typically performed by
network layer 2160 of a protocol stack 2150 within each node.
Typically, the packet includes two destination addresses: the
address of the final destination node and the address of the next
node along the route. The final destination address remains
constant as the packet traverses the networks along an optimal
route, while the next destination address changes as the packet
moves from node to node along the optimal route through the
networks.
[0117] Specifically, when source node S sends a packet to
destination node D, i.e., the final destination address, the packet
is transmitted onto LAN 1 with a next destination address
specifying the address of router R1. Address information embedded
in the packet, which is processed by the higher-layer software of
the protocol stack 2150, identifies the final destination of the
packet as node D. Based on this information, R1 determines that the
next node along the optimal path is router R2 and proceeds to pass
the packet onto LAN 2 for reception by that node. Router R2 then
determines that the next node is the final destination node D and
transmits the packet over LAN 3 to node D.
[0118] FIGS. 22 and 23 illustrate a computer system 2200 suitable
for implementing embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 22
shows one possible physical form of the computer system. Of course,
the computer system may have many physical forms ranging from an
integrated circuit, a printed circuit board and a small handheld
device up to a huge super computer. Computer system 2200 includes a
monitor 2202, a display 2204, a housing 2206, a disk drive 2208, a
keyboard 2210 and a mouse 2212. Disk 2214 is a computer-readable
medium used to transfer data to and from computer system 2200.
[0119] FIG. 23 is an example of a block diagram for computer system
2200. Attached to system bus 2220 are a wide variety of subsystems.
Processor(s) 2222 (also referred to as central processing units, or
CPUs) are coupled to storage devices including memory 2224. Memory
2224 includes random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory
(ROM). As is well known in the art, ROM acts to transfer data and
instructions uni-directionally to the CPU and RAM is used typically
to transfer data and instructions in a bi-directional manner. Both
of these types of memories may include any suitable of the
computer-readable media described below. A fixed disk 2226 is also
coupled bi-directionally to CPU 2222; it provides additional data
storage capacity and may also include any of the computer-readable
media described below. Fixed disk 2226 may be used to store
programs, data and the like and is typically a secondary storage
medium (such as a hard disk) that is slower than primary storage.
It will be appreciated that the information retained within fixed
disk 2226, may, in appropriate cases, be incorporated in standard
fashion as virtual memory in memory 2224. Removable disk 2214 may
take the form of any of the computer-readable media described
below.
[0120] CPU 2222 is also coupled to a variety of input/output
devices such as display 2204, keyboard 2210, mouse 2212 and
speakers 2230. In general, an input/output device may be any of:
video displays, track balls, mice, keyboards, microphones,
touch-sensitive displays, transducer card readers, magnetic or
paper tape readers, tablets, styluses, voice or handwriting
recognizers, biometrics readers, or other computers. CPU 2222
optionally may be coupled to another computer or telecommunications
network using network interface 2240. With such a network
interface, it is contemplated that the CPU might receive
information from the network, or might output information to the
network in the course of performing the above-described method
steps. Furthermore, method embodiments of the present invention may
execute solely upon CPU 2222 or may execute over a network such as
the Internet in conjunction with a remote CPU that shares a portion
of the processing.
[0121] In addition, embodiments of the present invention further
relate to computer storage products with a computer-readable medium
that have computer code thereon for performing various
computer-implemented operations. The media and computer code may be
those specially designed and constructed for the purposes of the
present invention, or they may be of the kind well known and
available to those having skill in the computer software arts.
Examples of computer-readable media include, but are not limited
to: magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic
tape; optical media such as CD-ROMs and holographic devices;
magneto-optical media such as floptical disks; and hardware devices
that are specially configured to store and execute program code,
such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs),
programmable logic devices (PLDs) and ROM and RAM devices. Examples
of computer code include machine code, such as produced by a
compiler, and files containing higher level code that are executed
by a computer using an interpreter.
[0122] While the invention has been particularly shown and
described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will
be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in the form
and details of the disclosed embodiments may be made without
departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. For example,
embodiments of the present application have been described with
reference to the trucking industry. However, it will be understood
that the techniques described herein are equally applicable to
other sectors of the supply chain, e.g., aircraft, shipping, rail.
Therefore, the scope of the invention should be determined with
reference to the appended claims.
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