FREIGHT SERVICES MARKETPLACE SYSTEM AND METHODS

摘要

A computer system and associated methods for implementing an online freight services marketplace. Freight service offerings posted to the marketplace by carriers are matched to freight service requests from shippers. Compound service offerings are formed from freight service offerings having service parameters (lane, space, transit time, availability, price, and status) that accommodate load parameters (origin, destination, size, and weight) of the freight service request. Compound service offerings selected by the shipper are provisioned and reserved for subsequent dispatch. Role-based access controls within the marketplace restrict visibility of confidential information, such as carrier pricing and shipper identity. Automatic freight transaction facilitation includes shipper payment processing and shipping document generation. Status tracking capability may be augmented with alert messaging and/or in-transit re-planning to minimize the impact of common issues that threaten to defeat a shipment in progress.

主权项

1. A method of facilitating freight transactions comprising:
receiving at least one freight service offering from each of a plurality of carriers using a website portal accessible from a communications network, wherein each of the freight service offerings is characterized by service parameters comprising a lane, a space, a transit time, an availability, and a price; receiving a freight service request from a shipper using the website portal, wherein the freight service request is characterized by load parameters comprising an origin, a destination, a size, and a weight; generating a compound service offering comprising more than one of the freight service offerings and having service parameters that accommodate the load parameters of the freight service request; receiving, from the shipper, a selected compound service offering that is selected from the compound service offering generated to accommodate the load parameters of the freight service request; reserving the selected compound service offering; and dispatching the selected compound service offering.