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 combined carrier shipping system for shipping a plurality of packages using a first carrier physical delivery system and a second carrier physical delivery system, said combined carrier shipping system comprising:
a shipment ordering system connected in communication with the first carrier physical delivery system and the second carrier physical delivery system, wherein the shipment ordering system is configured to: record a request to ship at least one of the plurality of packages and package information associated with the package, said package information including at least a consignee location for delivery of the package, determine whether the consignee location meets a stored condition for single carrier delivery by the first carrier physical delivery system, said determination being based at least in part upon determining that the package is not classified as having a weight below a defined threshold, in response to the single carrier condition being met, initiate delivery by the first carrier physical delivery system from a starting location to the consignee location, and in response to the single carrier condition not being met based at least in part upon determining that the package is classified as having a weight below the defined threshold: generate, prior to initiating delivery by the first carrier physical delivery system, a label comprising at least a first carrier tracking symbol associated with the first carrier physical delivery system and a second carrier tracking symbol associated with the second carrier physical delivery system, the second carrier tracking symbol differing from said first carrier tracking symbol, the first and second carrier tracking symbols each being configured to generate consolidated tracking information, said consolidated tracking information being independently accessible via either of the first and the second carrier tracking symbols to the first carrier physical delivery system and to the second carrier physical delivery system both when the one package is being transported by the first carrier physical delivery system and when the package is being transported by the second carrier physical delivery system; and initiate, at least in part via the label, delivery of the package by the first carrier physical delivery system from the starting location to an intermediate location for further delivery by the second carrier physical delivery system to the consignee location.