COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR ROUTING PACKAGE DELIVERIES

摘要

A shipping system for shipping packages involving the coordinated use of at least a first carrier and a second carrier. The shipping system includes physical delivery facilities for the physical delivery of packages, the physical delivery facilities including at least one transfer location at which the second carrier may take over delivery responsibilities for a package. The shipping system also includes an information system having a shipper computer system configured to record and determine whether the delivery address of a package is an efficient destination for the first carrier. If not an efficient destination, such as a delivery address having a rural zip code, the shipper computer system is configured to label the package for delivery to one of the transfer locations, allowing the first carrier to transfer the selected package to the second carrier for completion of the less efficient portion of the delivery.

主权项

1. A shipping information system for facilitating delivery of a package by a plurality of carriers, said shipping information system comprising:
a shipper information system configured to:
receive an indication that delivery of the package will comprise transportation provided by the plurality of carriers, said indication being determined based at least in part upon the package having a characteristic below a defined threshold;record package information, including a consignee address associated with the package;identify an intermediate location, wherein a first carrier of the plurality of carriers will transfer the package to a second carrier of the plurality of carriers for further transport of the package by the second carrier, the intermediate location being identified based at least in part on the consignee address; andgenerate, prior to initiating transportation of the package by the plurality of carriers, a combined shipping label, the combined shipping label comprising at least a portion of the package information, a first carrier tracking symbol, and a second carrier tracking symbol differing from said first carrier tracking symbol, the first and second carrier tracking symbols each configured to provide tracking information for at least a portion of the delivery, and wherein data associated with the first and the second carrier tracking symbols are further associated to generate consolidated tracking information, said consolidated tracking information being independently accessible via either of the first and the second carrier tracking symbols throughout the period when the package is being transported by the first carrier and when the package is being transported by the second carrier.