System apparatus and method for conducting an online transaction to fulfill a rail-shipment service inquiry or a rail-shipment service ordering

A method for conducting an online transaction to fulfill a rail-shipment service inquiry including providing a cost estimate in relation to the transport of goods by rail, comprising:

• (a) adapting a Graphical User Interface (GUI) by dynamically modifying a selection range of an input object providing equipment options a user can select for performing a shipment of goods, the adapting including:
• i. sending commands over a data communication network to a remote customer client system, the commands directing the remote customer client system to implement a GUI providing a goods input object configured to accept user inputs identifying goods to be shipped;
• ii. the GUI being configured to provide a dynamically adaptable railcar type input object identifying a collection of individually selectable freight railcar type options that the user can chose from for performing the shipment of the goods specified by the user at the goods input object, the collection of individually selectable freight railcar types options being dynamically adaptable to the goods to be shipped;
• iii. in response to a user input at the goods input object identifying particular goods to be shipped, executing a program element configured for processing the particular goods to be shipped selected at the goods input object to derive an adapted collection of freight railcar type options, the adapted collection of freight railcar type options corresponding to freight railcar types suitable to transport the particular goods and omitting freight railcar type options corresponding to freight railcar types that cannot transport the particular goods;
• iv. the GUI being configured to make available for selection at the railcar type input object the derived adapted collection of freight railcar type options;
• (b) executing a program element configured to compute the cost estimate by using as factors at least the user input at the GUI identifying the goods to be shipped and the railcar type selected among the adapted collection of freight railcar type options and displaying the computed cost estimate at the GUI.

A server arrangement for conducting an online transaction to fulfill a rail-shipment service inquiry including providing a cost estimate in relation to the transport of goods by rail, the server arrangement configured for:

• a. adapting a Graphical User Interface (GUI) by dynamically modifying a selection range of an input object providing equipment options a user can select for performing a shipment of goods, the adapting including:
• i. sending commands over a data communication network to a remote customer client system, the commands directing the remote customer client system to implement a GUI providing a goods input object configured to accept user inputs identifying goods to be shipped;
• ii. the GUI being configured to provide a dynamically adaptable railcar type input object identifying a collection of individually selectable freight railcar type options that the user can chose from for performing the shipment of the goods specified by the user at the goods input object, the collection of individually selectable freight railcar types options being dynamically adaptable to the goods to be shipped;
• iii. in response to a user input at the goods input object identifying particular goods to be shipped, executing a program element configured for processing the particular goods to be shipped selected at the goods input object to derive an adapted collection of freight railcar type options, the adapted collection of freight railcar type options corresponding to freight railcar types suitable to transport the particular goods and omitting freight railcar type options corresponding to freight railcar types that cannot transport the particular goods;
• iv. the GUI being configured to make available for selection at the railcar type input object the derived adapted collection of freight railcar type options;
• b. executing a program element configured to compute the cost estimate by using as factors at least the user input at the GUI identifying the goods to be shipped and the railcar type selected among the adapted collection of freight railcar type options and displaying the computed cost estimate at the GUI.

A method for a rail transportation company for conducting an online transaction to fulfill a rail-shipment including providing cost information in connection with the rail-shipment, and fulfilling the rail-shipment, the method comprising:

• a. directing a customer system to implement a Graphical User Interface (GUI) configured to provide a commodity input object configured to accept a user input identifying a commodity to be shipped;
• b. the GUI being configured to provide a dynamically adaptable railcar type object identifying a collection of individually selectable freight railcar type options that the user can chose from for performing the rail-shipment of the commodity specified by a user at the commodity input object, the collection of individually selectable freight railcar type options being dynamically adaptable to the commodity to be shipped;
• c. in response to user input at the commodity input object identifying a particular commodity to be shipped, causing the GUI to make available for selection at the railcar type input object an adapted collection of freight railcar type options corresponding to freight railcar types suitable to transport the particular commodity and omitting freight railcar type options corresponding to freight railcar types that cannot transport the particular commodity;
• d. computing a baseline haul price by using as a factor the user input at the GUI identifying the commodity to be shipped and the railcar type selected among the adapted collection of freight railcar type options and displaying the baseline haul price via the GUI;
• e. executing a program element to:
• i. display at the GUI information including a list of actual railcars, each railcar in said list of actual railcars being of a particular railcar type;
• ii. accept user inputs at the GUI conveying customer-selected shipping options, the customer-selected shipping options:
• 1. identifying a railcar from the list of actual railcars to be used for a shipment of the commodity, the identified railcar being of a type corresponding to the railcar type selected among the adapted collection of freight railcar type options;
• 2. identifying a chargeable service to be performed on the identified railcar to be used for the shipment of the commodity;
• iii. compute a customized shipment price by using as a factor one or more inputs identifying the customer-selected shipping options including the chargeable service to be performed on the railcar to be used for the shipment of the commodity;
• f. transporting the commodity by using the railcar identified by the user inputs conveying the customer selected shipping options