Apparatus and method for freight delivery and pick-up
AssigneeCrc R&D, LLC
InventorRonald H. Mains, JR.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exemplary non-limiting embodiment of the present invention provides a system that includes a loading/unloading facility, a user apparatus having a user interface configured to communicate with a driver of a delivery/pick-up vehicle, and an administrator apparatus configured to communicate with the user apparatus and the loading/unloading facility. The user apparatus is located remotely from the loading/unloading facility. The driver checks into the user apparatus and the administrator apparatus coordinates arrival of the delivery/pick-up vehicle at the loading/unloading facility.
Claims20
A system for conducting driver check-in procedures in connection with deliveries to and/or pick-ups from a loading/unloading facility, comprising:
- a user apparatus configured to interact with a driver such that the driver can perform check-in procedures when making a delivery to or making a pickup from a loading/unloading facility, the user apparatus comprising:
- a user interface configured to communicate with a driver of a freight delivery/pick-up vehicle and to enable the driver to perform check-in procedures;
- and
- at least one input device that is configured to receive driver and/or vehicle information;
- and
- an administrator apparatus configured to send messages to drivers of delivery/pick-up vehicles via the user apparatus, wherein the administrator apparatus is configured to:
- determine the availability of loading docks at the loading/unloading facility based on signals received from sensors monitoring activity at the loading docks;
- cause a message to be presented a driver via the user apparatus when the driver is performing check-in procedures instructing the driver to proceed to a loading dock of the loading/unloading facility when a loading dock at the loading/unloading facility is available;
- and
- cause a message to be presented to a driver via the user apparatus when the driver is performing check-in procedures instructing the driver to wait at a location remote from the loading/unloading facility when no loading dock at the loading/unloading facility is available.
A system for conducting driver check-in procedures in connection with deliveries to and/or pick-ups from a loading/unloading facility, comprising:
- a driver kiosk installed at a location remote from the loading/unloading facility, the driver kiosk comprising at least one processor and being configured to interact with a driver such that the driver can perform check-in procedures when making a delivery to or making a pickup from the loading/unloading facility, the driver kiosk comprising:
- a user interface including a display screen and a user input device, wherein the user interface is configured to enable a driver to conduct driver check-in procedures when the driver needs to make a delivery to or a pickup from the loading/unloading facility;
- and
- a card reader that is configured to obtain information from a driver identification card;
- wherein the driver kiosk is configured to verify a driver's identity using information obtained from a driver identification card by the card reader;
- and
- an administrator apparatus configured to send messages to a drivers via the user interface of the driver kiosk, wherein the administrator apparatus is configured to:
- determine the availability of loading docks at the loading/unloading facility based on signals received from sensors monitoring activity at the loading docks;
- cause a message to be presented a driver via the user interface when the driver is performing check-in procedures instructing the driver to proceed to a loading dock of the loading/unloading facility when a loading dock at the loading/unloading facility is available;
- and
- cause a message to be presented to a driver via the user interface when the driver is performing check-in procedures instructing the driver to wait at a location remote from the loading/unloading facility when no loading dock at the loading/unloading facility is available.
A processor-implemented method for management of freight pick-up and delivery, comprising:
- receiving, by a processor circuit of a user apparatus fixed at a location remote from a loading/unloading facility, driver information;
- authenticating the identity of the driver based on the received driver information;
- determining, by a processor circuit of an administrator apparatus, an availability of loading docks at the loading/unloading facility based on signals received from sensors monitoring activity at the loading docks;
- causing a message to be presented a driver via the user apparatus when the driver is performing check-in procedures instructing the driver to proceed to a loading dock of the loading/unloading facility when a loading dock at the loading/unloading facility is available;
- and
- cause a message to be presented to a driver via the user apparatus when the driver is performing check-in procedures instructing the driver to wait at a location remote from the loading/unloading facility when no loading dock at the loading/unloading facility is available.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.