Owner operator transportation management system

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-program products for owner operator transportation management are described herein.

Description

Atty Docket No. 11801-002W01OWNER OPERATOR TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMCROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to and benefit of U.S. provisional patent application number 63 / 704,255 filed October 7, 2024, which is fully incorporated by reference and made a part hereof.BACKGROUND

[0002] This disclosure relates to systems, methods and computer-program products that allow trucking owner-operators to see all loads provided by various brokers in a geographical area so they can choose and control their dispatch. More specifically, the disclosed systems, methods, and computer-program products reduce an owner-operator's head-haul and backhaul, saving time, fuel, and money.

[0003] Businesses, freight brokers, and even trucking companies all over America need freight picked up from various locations. This freight can be one pallet to a full truckload; however, it's only sometimes advantageous for customers or trucking companies to pick it up without the heavy costs from deadheading.

[0004] For example, a large freight company may have trucks nationwide with four pallets available for a critical shipment that are located in Seattle. The trucking company's closest vehicle is in Portland. The freight charges would not even pay for the vehicle to get there, much less deliver. What is the trucking company to do? They hire a broker to find a driver from other competing trucking companies or, in most cases, an owner-operator to pick up the freight. The problem lies with the millions of dollars spent yearly with freight companies and brokers for realtime visibility via a TMS (Transportation Management System.) They lose that visibility when a competing trucking company or an owner-operator picks it up.

[0005] For freight brokers, the issue is worse. They receive hundreds of calls daily looking for their freight's status. The broker has to call the driver for an update, if they answer.

[0006] Therefore, what is desired are systems, methods, and computer-program products that overcome challenges in the art, some of which are described above.Atty Docket No. 11801-002W01SUMMARY

[0007] A first aspect of the disclosure is registering users to an owner operator transportation management system for managing transportation of freight loads. In some instances, the registration process comprises receiving a request to download an application, wherein the request is received from a remote personal electronic device; transmitting the application to the personal electronic device in response to the request, wherein the application is installed on the personal electronic device; and receiving registration information from the personal electronic device, wherein the registration information includes at least authorization to track a location of the personal electronic device and information about resources available to a user of the personal electronic device for transporting freight loads.

[0008] Another aspect of the disclosure is registering customers to the owner operator transportation management system for identifying and managing transportation of freight loads. In some instances, registering customers to the system for managing transportation of freight loads comprises receiving information from one or more customers about the customer, and information about each of the customer’s freight loads requiring transportation, including pick-up and destination information, and any information specific to the freight loads (hazardous material, temperature controlled, requires being covered, extra tall, extra wide, overweight, etc.)

[0009] Another aspect of the disclosure is matching registered users with identified freight loads. In some instances, matching registered users with identified freight loads comprises receiving an indication from the personal electronic device that the user of the personal electronic device has availability to accept a load using the resources available to the user of the personal electronic device; selecting at least one of the one or more freight loads from at least one of the one of the one or more customers for the user based on predefined rules and the information about the resources available to the user of the personal electronic device; providing information about the selected one or more freight loads from the at least one of the one of the one or more customers to the user of the personal electronic device; and receiving an indication from the user of the personal electronic device indicating whether the user will accept transporting the selected freight load using the available resources, or if the user declines transporting the selected freight load. In some instances, if the user declines transporting the selected freight load, then another user registered to the system for managing transportation of freight loads is selected for transporting the selected freight load.Atty Docket No. 11801-002W01

[0010] Other aspects of the disclosure includes one or more processors in communication with a memory, wherein the one or more processors executes computer-executable instructions stored in the memory that cause the one or more processors to receive a request to download an application, wherein the request is received over a network from a remote personal electronic device; transmit the application over the network to the personal electronic device in response to the request, wherein the application is installed on the personal electronic device; and receive registration information from the personal electronic device, wherein the registration information includes at least authorization to track a location of the personal electronic device and information about resources available to a user of the personal electronic device for transporting freight loads.

[0011] Another aspect of the disclosure includes one or more processors in communication with a memory, wherein the one or more processors execute computer-executable instructions stored in the memory that cause the one or more processors to register customers to the system for identifying and managing transportation of freight loads. In some instances, registering customers to the system for managing transportation of freight loads comprises receiving information from one or more customers about the one or more customers, and information about each of the customer’s freight loads requiring transportation, including pick-up and destination information, and any information specific to the freight loads (hazardous material, temperature controlled, requires being covered, extra tall, extra wide, overweight, etc.)

[0012] Yet another aspect of the disclosure includes one or more processors in communication with a memory, wherein the one or more processors executes computer-executable instructions stored in the memory that cause the one or more processors to match registered users with identified freight loads. In some instances, matching registered users with identified freight loads comprises receiving an indication over a network from the personal electronic device that the user of the personal electronic device has availability to accept a load using the resources available to the user of the personal electronic device; selecting at least one of the one or more freight loads from at least one of the one of the one or more customers for the user based on predefined rules and the information about the resources available to the user of the personal electronic device; providing information about the selected one or more freight loads from the at least one of the one of the one or more customers over the network to the user of the personal electronic device; and receiving an indication over the network from the user of the personal electronic device indicating whether the user will accept transporting the selected freight load using the available resources, or if the user declines transporting the selected freight load. In some instances, if the user declinesAtty Docket No. 11801-002W01 transporting the selected freight load, then another user registered to the system for managing transportation of freight loads is selected for transporting the selected freight load.

[0013] Other aspects of the disclosure include computer-program products for implementing the above-described systems and methods.

[0014] Additional advantages will be set forth in part in the description which follows or may be learned by practice. The advantages will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive, as claimed.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] The device is explained in even greater detail in the following drawings. The drawings are merely exemplary and certain features may be used singularly or in combination with other features. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0016] FIG. 1A is an exemplary overview illustration of an architecture of an owner operator transportation management system according to aspects described herein.

[0017] FIG. IB is an illustration of a flowchart for performing steps of a method for operation of an owner operator transportation management system.

[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates examples of screens that may be displayed to a user over the user’s remote electronic device for authenticating the user and registering the user as driver in the owner operator transportation management system, according to some implementations.

[0019] FIG. 3 A illustrates a new load form, according to some implementations.

[0020] FIGS. 3B and 3C are exemplary illustrations of dashboard displays that may be displayed on a customer’s or operators computing device, according to some implementations.

[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates exemplary screens for entering load information, according to some implementations.Atty Docket No. 11801-002W01

[0022] FIG. 5 is a color-coded / shaded flow diagram for an exemplary process of selecting, transporting, and delivering a freight load using the disclosed owner operator transportation management system, according to some implementations.

[0023] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example computing device upon which embodiments of the invention may be implemented.

[0024] FIG 7 illustrates a quota management process, which is an optional feature of the disclosed owner operator transportation management system tailored for the forestry industry, enabling companies to efficiently track, allocate, and comply with timber harvesting and transportation limits.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present disclosure.

[0026] As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” “the,” and “data” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value, and / or to “about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes-1from the one particular value and / or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint.

[0027] “Optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description includes instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not.

[0028] Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the word “comprise” and variations of the word, such as “comprising” and “comprises,” means “including but not limited to,” and is not intended to exclude, for example, other additives, components, integers or steps.Atty Docket No. 11801-002W01“Exemplary” means “an example of’ and is not intended to convey an indication of a preferred or ideal embodiment. “Such as” is not used in a restrictive sense, but for explanatory purposes.

[0029] Furthermore, as used herein, the terms “word” or “words” includes a complete word, only a portion of a word, or a word segment.

[0030] Disclosed are components that can be used to perform the disclosed methods and systems. These and other components are disclosed herein, and it is understood that when combinations, subsets, interactions, groups, etc. of these components are disclosed that while specific reference of each various individual and collective combinations and permutation of these may not be explicitly disclosed, each is specifically contemplated and described herein, for all methods and systems. This applies to all aspects of this application including, but not limited to, steps in disclosed methods. Thus, if there are a variety of additional steps that can be performed it is understood that each of these additional steps can be performed with any specific embodiment or combination of embodiments of the disclosed methods.

[0031] The present methods and systems may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and the Examples included therein and to the Figures and their previous and following description.

[0032] Generally, as described herein and as shown in FIG. 1 A, the components of the disclosed owner operator transportation management system comprise a client-server architecture where a server is in communication with a plurality of clients. The clients typically comprise a user’s (e.g. driver’s) remote electronic device such as a smartphone, tablet, personal computer, or the like. The server may also be in communication with a custom er / operator client, as described herein. An application operating on the client facilitates interaction with the server, where such interaction includes transmitting information to the client from the server and / or receiving information at the server transmitted from the client. As used herein, server can mean a plurality of servers located at different locations, and client (or remote electronic device) can mean a plurality of clients (or a plurality of remote electronic devices), where each user client is typically controlled and operated by a single user. The servers and clients are in communication over a network (e.g., internet), and the network may be comprised of wired (including fiber optics) or wireless communications, or combinations of wired and wireless.Atty Docket No. 11801-002W01

[0033] FIG. IB is an illustration of a flowchart for performing steps of a method for operation of an owner operator transportation management system. A first aspect of the method comprises registering users to an owner operator transportation management system for managing transportation of freight loads. In some instances, the registration process comprises 102, receiving a request to download an application, wherein the request is received from a remote personal electronic device. In response, at 104, the application is transmitted to the personal electronic device in response to the request, and at step 106, the user installs the application on the personal electronic device. The user then registers to the system 108. In some instances, the user may require authentication in the registration process, as shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 illustrates examples of screens that may be displayed to a user over the user’s remote electronic device for authenticating the user and registering the user as driver in the owner operator transportation management system. Once authenticated, at 110 the user may may input, and the owner operator transportation system receives registration information from the personal electronic device, wherein the registration information includes at least authorization to track a location of the personal electronic device and information about resources available to a user of the personal electronic device for transporting freight loads. Examples that the information about the resources may include, but are not limited to, information sufficient to identify the user’s commercial driver’s license (CDL); vehicle information (vehicle number, license plate number and state, etc.); trailer information (trailer number, size, license plate number and state, etc.); trailer length (for example, a 48-foot trailer can generally provide 24 pallet spaces and a 53-foot trailer can generally provide 26 pallet spaces); whether the trailer is a flatbed (open), or an enclosed trailer; any specialties about the resources (for example, the trailer has a freezer, etc.); and the like. This information is stored in a memory of the server that is used to implement the owner operator transportation management system as a profile for the user. Each registered user has a separate saved profile. The user typically enters the profile information via the user’s remote electronic device. In some instances, information provided by the user may be independently verified by the owner operator transportation management system. For example, the owner operator transportation management system may verify the user’s provided CDL and confirm that it is valid and active, confirm that the vehicle is appropriately registered and licensed to the user, confirm the vehicle is insured; and the like.Atty Docket No. 11801-002W01

[0034] Another aspect of the disclosure is 112, registering customers to the owner operator transportation management system for identifying and managing transportation of freight loads. In some instances, registering customers to the system for managing transportation of freight loads comprises receiving information from each of the one or more customers about the customer to establish a customer profile in the system. For example, customer information may include but is not limited to company information, name, address, contact, roles, etc.; tax identification information; expected dispatches per period of time (e.g., dispatches per week, dispatches per month, dispatches per year, etc.). In some instances, pricing for customers using the owner operator transportation management system may be based at least in part on the number of dispatches over the period of time. For example, there may be preset fees for 0-50 dispatches per month, 51-100 dispatches per month, 100-200 dispatches per month, etc. Additional customer information may include communication preferences (e.g., phone, email, SMS, etc.)

[0035] When the customer initially logs in, they will set up a profile containing the above information, username, and password. Customers may be authenticated as descried above in relation to users (see FIG. 2). In some instances, each person at a facility may be required to set up a user profile. Additionally, the customer may also be required to select a number of dispatches they estimate they will need (for billing purposes). In some instances, there may a discount for additional users of a single company. In some instances, pricing may be based on actual dispatches over a period of time rather than expected number of dispatches. Customer and customer profile information is stored in the memory accessible by the server.

[0036] Once a customer is registered and their profile established, then at 114 freight and delivery requirements are entered by the customer. The customer creates a new form for each load selected, as shown in FIG. 3 A. In some instances, the new load form may be accessed by the customer via a dashboard displayed on a customer’s computing device. An example of a dashboard is shown in FIG. 3B. This dashboard may be accessible by the customer and / or an operator of the disclosed owner operator transportation management system. An example of the information entered by the customer for a new load may include, but is not limited to shipper information, which may include shipper name and address, load type, pallet spaces and weight, pickup and delivery date, trailer size requirement. Additional shipper information may include whether the load may comprise hazardous material. If so, HazMat placards may be required and may include Dangerous, Flammable Gas 2, Poison 6, Corrosive, Oxygen 2, Danger, Flammabl 3, Oxidizer 5.q,Atty Docket No. 11801-002W01Radioactive 7, Non-Flammable Gas, Organic Peroxide 5.2, Spontaneously Explosive 1.4, Flammable Solid 4, Dangerous when wet, Blasting Agents 1.5d, Miscellaneous 9, PG III, Inhalation 6, and the like. Information for the new load also includes pick-up instructions “Description”, and communication preferences for the shipper (email or SMS, etc.)

[0037] Further comprising the new load information are freight specifications such as LTL (less than truckload), Full Truckload, HazMat, Parcel, and the like. In some instances, new load information may further comprise consignee information such as consignee name and address, pallet spaces, weight, pickup and delivery date, trailer size requirement, pick-up instructions “Description”, communication preferences for the consignee (email or SMS, etc.), and the like. Load information is stored in a memory accessible by the server. In some instances, load information may be entered using a personal electronic device through displayed interfaces, such as the ones shown in FIG. 4, where it is then transmitted to the server.

[0038] Another aspect of the disclosure is matching registered users with identified freight loads. In some instances, matching registered users with identified freight loads comprises 116 receiving an indication from the personal electronic device that the user of the personal electronic device has availability to accept a load using the resources available to the user of the personal electronic device. At 118, the user selects at least one of the one or more freight loads from at least one of the one of the one or more customers, or the user is assigned at least one of the one or more freight loads from at least one of the one of the one or more customers by the disclosed owner operator transportation management system. In either instance, the user is matched with the freight load based on predefined rules and the information about the resources available to the user of the personal electronic device. For example, if the freight load requires a 53-foot trailer (26 pallets and the user has a 48-foot trailer) there should be an error advising of the discrepancy. In some instances, this can be overridden by the customer and / or an operator of the disclosed owner operator transportation management system, which must be approved by the customer. As another example, if the user has a flatbed and the freight form for the freight load denotes a 53-foot trailer, an error indication advising of the discrepancy is provided to the user and / or the customer, and / or the operator of the disclosed owner operator transportation management system. Again, this can be overridden by the customer and / or an operator of the disclosed owner operator transportation management system, which must be approved by the customer. If the freight load is LTL (less than a truckload), then an advisement pop-up should state how many pallets and weight is at the shipper’s facility such that if the user does not have the capacity to handle the LTL, it can be reAtty Docket No. 11801-002W01 assigned. For example, if the driver has a 48-foot trailer and 22 pallets already loaded, there needs to be an error advising of the discrepancy. This also may be overridden; however, this must be approved by the customer.

[0039] If the HazMat indicator is “yes” for the selected freight load, there should be a warning advising stating that the driver is aware the load contains hazardous material. The warning is caused to display on the user’s personal electronic device. In some instances, the user is required to enter an acknowledgment of the hazardous material into the user’s personal electronic device.

[0040] It should be appreciated that in some instances a customer (or an operator of the owner operator transportation management system) can dispatch multiple loads for a single driver, whether LTL or full truckloads that the user can pick up in route or after the user’s delivery. For instances, using the exemplary dashboard graphic screens shown in FIG. 3B and 3C, the customer (or operator) can “drag and drop” the load to the driver using an input device such as a mouse. The exemplary dashboard graphic screens may also use geographic fencing. For example, the customer or operator can select a load (e.g., click on a load), pan over to the area where it is on the screen so you can see the available drivers (users) within a defined radius of the load. For example, users within a proximity of 50 miles of the selected load may be displayed.

[0041] After the user selects at least one of the one or more freight loads from at least one of the one of the one or more customers or the user is assigned at least one of the one or more freight loads from at least one of the one of the one or more customers by the disclosed owner operator transportation management system at 118, driver (user) acceptance is required at 120. Once all checks are complete and the driver (user) enters an acceptance indicator (checks a box, selects a button, verbally indicates acceptance, sends or responds to a text message, etc.), the user proceeds to the shipper’s location to retrieve the selected freight load. Once the driver “accepts” the load, owner operator transportation management system pulls a first location of the user (using tracking of the user’s person electronic device), and then the owner operator transportation management system pulls a location periodically (e.g., every hour), or upon request by the customer or operator of the owner operator transportation management system. In this way, the location of the user (and the freight load) can be mapped onto the dashboard maps, such as those shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C. Tracking the user’s personal electronic device can be done using means that are known in the art, such as GPS (for personal electronic devices having GPS chips), triangulation of antenna (using cell towers that are receiving / transmitting signals to the personal electronic device), and theAtty Docket No. 11801-002W01 like. It is also to be appreciated that in some instances, at 120, a selected user may decline transporting the selected freight load using the user’s personal electronic device. In such cases, the customer or operator of the owner operator transportation management system can select another user for transporting the selected freight load, as described herein.

[0042] Additional features, which may be optional, of the disclosed owner operator transportation management system include pickup, tracking and communication. Once the freight load is picked up, either the user, using the user’s personal electronic device, or the custom er / operator of the owner operator management system using the dashboard screens such as those shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C, can provide an indication that the load has been picked up, or the owner operator transportation management system can automatically determine that when a user leaves the shipper's facility, that the load has been picked up.

[0043] In some instances, the disclosed owner operator transportation management system may notify one or more of the user, customer, operator and consignee that the load is expected to be delivered within a defined time period. For example, in some instances, the disclosed owner operator transportation management system will notify one or more of the parties if the delivery date / time is within 6 hours. Such a notification can be sent using the communications means identified in the profiles established in the disclosed owner operator transportation management system by the various parties. In another example, the disclosed owner operator transportation management system can send a geofenced advisement when a driver is 30 miles from the pickup location sent to the shipper and the customer of the driver’s pending arrival.

[0044] Freight release 122 comprises the freight arriving at the intended destination (e.g., a consignee’s facility). In some instances, there is a button or other means of indication provided on either the user’s personal electronic device and / or the dashboard screens (e.g., FIGS. 3B and 3C) where an indication of delivery can be provided. In some instances, the user or the custom er / operator can “click” on the displayed vehicle icon on the display to indicate delivery. In other instances, the disclosed owner operator transportation management system can automatically identify the load as delivered / being delivered.

[0045] The process then returns to 116, where new loads are viewable by the user and / or the custom er / operator can dispatch new loads. In some instances, as described herein, the user / driver can select the next load, repeating the above processes.Atty Docket No. 11801-002W01

[0046] FIG. 5 is a color-coded / shaded flow diagram for an exemplary process of selecting, transporting, and delivering a freight load using the disclosed owner operator transportation management system. In FIG. 5, steps performed by the custom er / operator using the disclosed owner operator transportation management system are shown in one color / shading, while steps performed by the user / driver are shown in another color / shading.

[0047] Geofenced driver status changes

[0048] In some instances, the disclosed owner operator transportation management system includes an optional feature that allows a user to establish geofencing around certain locations. To enhance operational efficiency, safety, and compliance, commercial driver status updates will be automatically triggered based on entry to and exit from predefined geofenced areas. These geofences may be established by the user around zones such as terminals, customer locations, and loading / unloading points. In some instances, the disclosed owner operator transportation management system may automatically establish geofenced boundaries around certain locations. The disclosed owner operator transportation management system can be set-up to automatically establish geofencing boundaries around certain identified locations such as terminals, customer locations, loading / unloading points, and the like along with the standard size of these boundaries. These geofenced boundaries can be removed or edited by the use. For example, a 1000-foot standard geofence boundary established around a location can be adjusted to 500 feet, etc.

[0049] In some instances, when a vehicle enters or exits a geofenced area, the driver’s status will automatically change. For example, when the vehicle enters into a geofenced zone, the driver’s status automatically updates to “On Site” based on a scheduled activity. Similarly, when the vehicle exits the geofenced area, the driver’s status automatically changes to “En Route” or “Driving”, signaling active transit toward the next destination. In some instances, the disclosed owner operator transportation management system may provide geofence violation alerts. For example, entry into unauthorized geofenced zone may trigger a “Route Deviation” or “Geofence Violation” status, prompting immediate review by the user (i.e., dispatch).

[0050] This automated geofencing protocol ensures timely and accurate tracking of driver activity, improves customer communication, reduces manual input errors, and supports real-time operational decision-making.Atty Docket No. 11801-002W01

[0051] Weather

[0052] In some instances, weather data may be incorporated into the disclosed owner operator transportation management system. By incorporating weather data, this enhances the owner operator transportation management system’s ability to optimize routes, improve delivery reliability, and ensure driver safety. Real-time and forecasted weather conditions — such as storms, snow, heavy rainfall, or extreme temperatures — can directly impact travel times and vehicle performance. By integrating weather intelligence, the owner operator transportation management system automatically anticipates disruptions, and can recommend alternative routes, adjust delivery schedules, and reduce risks associated with hazardous conditions. This leads to improved customer satisfaction, reduced operational costs, and better compliance with safety regulations. Ultimately, weather integration transforms the owner operator transportation management system into a smarter, more resilient logistics solution.

[0053] Quota Management

[0054] In some instances, the disclosed owner operator transportation management system includes an optional feature that allows quota management. Quota management is a feature tailored for the forestry industry, enabling companies to efficiently track, allocate, and comply with timber harvesting and transportation limits. By integrating quota data into the TMS owner operator transportation management system, forestry operations can ensure that haul volumes align with regulatory, environmental, and contractual obligations. This helps prevent overharvesting, avoids penalties, and supports sustainable resource management. The system can automate load tracking, reconcile trip data against assigned quotas in real time, and generate compliance reports. With centralized quota visibility and control, stakeholders — from haulers to mill operators — can coordinate more effectively, reduce administrative burden, and maintain transparency across the supply chain.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 7, quota management 700 begins with a dealer 702 identifying and obtain rights to tracts 704. For example, the dealer 702 may buy or lease tracts 704 of land having timber thereon along with the rights to harvest that timber. Timber on each tract is identified and quantities of each type of timber on a tract 704 are estimated. For example, timber may be identified (classified) as hardwoods or softwoods, and estimates made for each on a tract 704. Hardwoods may be, for example, oak, maples, ash, hickory, cherry, walnut, etc., while softwoods are generally pine variants (in the United States). The timber may be further classified based onAtty Docket No. 11801-002W01 the intended use of the timber (i.e., products). Such classifications may be, for example, Pulpwood, Superpulp, Palletwood, Chip-n-saw, Sawtimber, and Veneer, among others. A tract 704 may have only hardwood, or only softwood, or a combination of softwood and hardwood. Likewise, a tract 704 may have only one or more than one of Pulpwood, Superpulp, Palletwood, Chip-n-saw, Sawtimber, Veneer, etc.

[0056] Once tracts 704 are obtained, project scope 706 is defined and entered into the disclosed owner operator transportation management system. Project scope 706 may be defined by locations of tracts 704, owners of the tracts 704 and / or lessee of the tracts 704 (there can be one or multiple owners / lessees of the tracts 704), the person or company who will be doing the logging, products (e.g., Pulpwood, Superpulp, Palletwood, Chip-n-saw, Sawtimber, Veneer, etc.) on each tract 704, estimated amounts of each product on each tract 704 and / or for the project, and where the products are to be delivered (i.e., mills, may be multiple locations). If multiple tracts 704 are involved, estimates may be established amounts for an entire project comprised of multiple tracts 704. Estimated amounts may be by weight, (i.e., tons of pulpwood), board feet, etc. These estimated amounts are used to establish quotas for the products that will be obtained from each tract 704 and / or for the project. A project may involve a singular tract or multiple tracts that can be adjacent to one another or in disparate locations. Once project scope is defined and entered into the disclosed owner operator transportation management system, the dealer 702 then (at 708) either provides or contracts to have provided the equipment and personnel to be set up at the tracts (or project) and to harvest the trees cut from the land that comprise the tracts 704. The dealer 702 and / or the contractor cut, load the trees and are responsible for ensuring loads are delivered to the mill. As trees are harvested, the timber is sorted 710 into the various products (referred to as a “mill sort”) and loads are identified. A load may comprise all or a portion of a sorted product for a tract and / or a project, and is of an amount (length, wight, etc.) allowed to be placed on a vehicle for delivery to a mill. For example, a mill sort 710 may comprise 100 tons of pulpwood, which can be divided into five loads of 20 tons each.

[0057] The disclosed owner operator transportation management system then allows loads to be assigned to drivers 712. A load has an estimated amount of a product (e.g., 20 tons of pulpwood), which is then deducted from the entire quota for a tract 704 and / or a project as the work progresses. In this way, those involved with the work (dealer 702, user, etc.) can track work done as well as forecast work yet to be completed. Based on prevailing rates for products, estimates for gross revenue can be generated. In some instances, the disclosed owner operator transportationAtty Docket No. 11801-002W01 management system can also track resource costs (contractors, loggers, equipment, trucks, etc.), which can be applied against estimated gross revenue to determine estimated net revenue. This can be done on a tract 704 and / or a project basis. Each driver 712 is assigned a mill 714 to which their load is to be delivered. This delivery tracking can be performed by the disclosed owner operator transportation management system as described herein (just as if the wood products were freight loads). It is to be appreciated that a load is generally comprised of a single product, though in some instances it may comprise more than one product, especially if the assigned mill 714 can process more than one product.Computing Environment

[0058] It is to be appreciated that the above described steps can be performed by computer- readable instructions executed by a processor or one or more processors. As used herein, a processor is a physical, tangible device used to execute computer-readable instructions. Furthermore, “processor,” as used herein, may be used to refer to a single processor, or it may be used to refer to one or more processors.

[0059] When the logical operations described herein are implemented in software, the process may be executed on any type of computing architecture or platform. For example, referring to FIG. 6, an example computing device upon which embodiments of the invention may be implemented is illustrated. In particular, at least one processing device described above may be a computing device, such as computing device 1000 shown in FIG. 6. For example, computing device 1000 may be a component of a cloud computing and storage system. Computing device 1000 may comprise all or a portion of the server, as described herein. Furthermore, computing device 1000 may comprise all or a portion of the clients (e.g., person electronics devices), as described herein. The computing device 1000 may include a bus or other communication mechanism for communicating information among various components of the computing device 1000. In its most basic configuration, computing device 1000 typically includes at least one processing unit 1006 and system memory 1004. Depending on the exact configuration and type of computing device, system memory 1004 may be volatile (such as random access memory (RAM)), non-volatile (such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, etc.), or some combination of the two. This most basic configuration is illustrated in FIG. 4 by dashed line 1002. The processing unit 1006 may be a standard programmable processor that performs arithmetic and logic operations necessary for operation of the computing device 1000.Atty Docket No. 11801-002W01

[0060] Computing device 1000 may have additional features / functionality. For example, computing device 1000 may include additional storage such as removable storage 1008 and nonremovable storage 1010 including, but not limited to, magnetic or optical disks or tapes. Computing device 1000 may also contain network connect! on(s) 1016 that allow the device to communicate with other devices. Computing device 1000 may also have input device(s) 1014 such as a keyboard, mouse, touch screen, scanner, etc. Output device(s) 1012 such as a display, speakers, printer, etc. may also be included. The additional devices may be connected to the bus in order to facilitate communication of data among the components of the computing device 1000. All these devices are well known in the art and need not be discussed at length here. Though not shown in FIG. 6, in some instances computing device 1000 includes an interface. The interface may include one or more components configured to transmit and receive data via a communication network, such as the Internet, Ethernet, a local area network, a wide-area network, a workstation peer-to-peer network, a direct link network, a wireless network, or any other suitable communication platform. For example, interface may include one or more modulators, demodulators, multiplexers, demultiplexers, network communication devices, wireless devices, antennas, modems, and any other type of device configured to enable data communication via a communication network. Interface may also allow the computing device to connect with and communicate with an input or an output peripheral device such as a scanner, printer, and the like.

[0061] The processing unit 1006 may be configured to execute program code encoded in tangible, computer-readable media. Computer-readable media refers to any media that is capable of providing data that causes the computing device 1000 (i.e., a machine) to operate in a particular fashion. Various computer-readable media may be utilized to provide instructions to the processing unit 1006 for execution. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, magnetic media, optical media, physical media, memory chips or cartridges, a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computer can read. Example computer-readable media may include, but is not limited to, volatile media, non-volatile media and transmission media. Volatile and non-volatile media may be implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data and common forms are discussed in detail below. Transmission media may include coaxial cables, copper wires and / or fiber optic cables, as well as acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio-wave and infra-red data communication. Example tangible, computer-readable recording media include, but are not limited to, an integrated circuit (e.g., field-programmable gate array or application-specific IC), a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a floppy disk,Atty Docket No. 11801-002W01 a magnetic tape, a holographic storage medium, a solid-state device, RAM, ROM, electrically erasable program read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, CD- ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices.

[0062] In an example implementation, the processing unit 1006 may execute program code stored in the system memory 1004. For example, the bus may carry data to the system memory 1004, from which the processing unit 1006 receives and executes instructions. The data received by the system memory 1004 may optionally be stored on the removable storage 1008 or the nonremovable storage 1010 before or after execution by the processing unit 1006.

[0063] Computing device 1000 typically includes a variety of computer-readable media. Computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by device 1000 and includes both volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media. Computer storage media include volatile and non-volatile, and removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. System memory 1004, removable storage 1008, and non-removable storage 1010 are all examples of computer storage media. Computer storage media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, electrically erasable program read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by computing device 1000. Any such computer storage media may be part of computing device 1000.

[0064] It should be understood that the various techniques described herein may be implemented in connection with hardware or software or, where appropriate, with a combination thereof. Thus, the methods and apparatuses of the presently disclosed subject matter, or certain aspects or portions thereof, may take the form of program code (i.e., instructions) embodied in tangible media, such as floppy diskettes, CD-ROMs, hard drives, or any other machine-readable storage medium wherein, when the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computing device, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the presently disclosed subject matter. In the case of program code execution on programmable computers, the computing device generally includes a processor, a storage medium readable by the processor (including volatile and nonAtty Docket No. 11801-002W01 volatile memory and / or storage elements), at least one input device, and at least one output device. One or more programs may implement or utilize the processes described in connection with the presently disclosed subject matter, e.g., through the use of an application programming interface (API), reusable controls, or the like. Such programs may be implemented in a high level procedural or object-oriented programming language to communicate with a computer system. However, the program(s) can be implemented in assembly or machine language, if desired. In any case, the language may be a compiled or interpreted language and it may be combined with hardware implementations.

[0065] For purposes of this description, certain advantages and novel features of the aspects and configurations of this disclosure are described herein. The described methods, systems, and apparatus should not be construed as limiting in any way. Instead, the present disclosure is directed toward all novel and nonobvious features and aspects of the various disclosed aspects, alone and in various combinations and sub-combinations with one another. The disclosed methods, systems, and apparatus are not limited to any specific aspect, feature, or combination thereof, nor do the disclosed methods, systems, and apparatus require that any one or more specific advantages be present or problems be solved.

[0066] Although the figures and description may illustrate a specific order of method steps, the order of such steps may differ from what is depicted and described, unless specified differently above. Also, two or more steps may be performed concurrently or with partial concurrence, unless specified differently above. Such variation may depend, for example, on the software and hardware systems chosen and on designer choice. All such variations are within the scope of the disclosure. Likewise, software implementations of the described methods could be accomplished with standard programming techniques with rule-based logic and other logic to accomplish the various connection steps, processing steps, comparison steps, and decision steps.

[0067] Features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings), and / or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and / or steps are mutually exclusive. The claimed features extend to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.Atty Docket No. 11801-002W01

[0068] The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Claims

Atty Docket No. 11801-002W01CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for managing transportation of loads comprising: receiving a request to download an application, wherein the request is received from a remote personal electronic device; transmitting the application to the personal electronic device in response to the request, wherein the application is installed on the personal electronic device; receiving registration information from the personal electronic device, wherein the registration information includes at least authorization to track a location of the personal electronic device and information about resources available to a user of the personal electronic device for transporting loads; receiving information from one or more customers about the customer, and information about each of the customer’s loads requiring transportation, including pickup location and destination location information, and any information specific to the loads such as hazardous material, temperature controlled, requires being covered, extra tall, extra wide, or overweight; receiving an indication from the personal electronic device that the user of the personal electronic device has availability to accept a load using the resources available to the user of the personal electronic device; selecting at least one of the one or more loads from at least one of the one of the one or more customers for the user based on predefined rules and the information about the resources available to the user of the personal electronic device; providing information about the selected one or more loads from the at least one of the one of the one or more customers to the user of the personal electronic device; and receiving an indication from the user of the personal electronic device indicating whether the user will accept transporting the selected load using the available resources, or if the user declines transporting the selected load, wherein if the user declines transporting the selected load, then another user registered to the system for managing transportation of loads is selected for transporting the selected freight load.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a route from a current location of the user of the personal electronic device to the pickup location, and from the pickup location to the destination location.Atty Docket No. 11801-002W013. The method of claim 2, wherein the route is provided to the user of the personal electronic device and / or displayed on a display associated with the owner operator transportation management system.

4. The method of claim 2 or claim 3, further comprising receiving weather data, wherein the weather data is used in determination of the route from the current location of the user of the personal electronic device to the pickup location, and from the pickup location to the destination location.

5. The method of any one of claims 2-4, further comprising applying a geofence around one or both of the pickup location and / or the destination location, wherein a vehicle containing the personal electronic device entering or exiting the geofenced boundary of the pickup location or destination location automatically updates a driver status associated with owner operator transportation management system, wherein the driver status is provided to the user of the personal electronic device and / or displayed on the display associated with the owner operator transportation management system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein when the vehicle containing the personal electronic device enters into the geofenced boundary of the pickup location or destination location, the driver’s status automatically updates to “On Site” based on a scheduled activity, and when the vehicle containing the personal electronic device exits the geofenced boundary of the pickup location or destination location, the driver’s status automatically updates to “En Route” or “Driving”, signaling active transit toward the next destination.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the owner operator transportation management system provides a geofence violation alert when the vehicle containing the personal electronic device enters into an unauthorized geofenced zone.

8. The method of any one of claim 1-7, further comprising assigning a quota comprising an amount of one or more products that comprise the loads, wherein an estimated amount of one of the one or more products that comprise the load is deducted from the quota of the product that comprises the load.Atty Docket No. 11801-002W019. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more products comprise forestry products.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the forestry products comprise one or more of hardwoods, softwoods, Pulpwood, Superpulp, Palletwood, Chip-n-saw, Sawtimber, and Veneer.

11. The method of any one of claims 8-10, wherein the quota for a product is dynamically updated as loads are assigned to users of the personal electronic device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the dynamically updated quota is provided to the user of the personal electronic device and / or displayed on a display associated with the owner operator transportation management system.

13. An owner operator transportation management system for managing transportation of loads comprising: a display; one or more processors in communication with a memory and the display, wherein the one or more processors executes computer-executable instructions stored in the memory that cause the one or more processors to: receive a request to download an application, wherein the request is received from a remote personal electronic device; transmit the application to the personal electronic device in response to the request, wherein the application is installed on the personal electronic device; receive registration information from the personal electronic device, wherein the registration information includes at least authorization to track a location of the personal electronic device and information about resources available to a user of the personal electronic device for transporting freight loads; receive information from one or more customers about the customer, and information about each of the customer’s freight loads requiring transportation, including pick-up location and destination location information, and any information specific to the freight loads such as hazardous material, temperature controlled, requires being covered, extra tall, extra wide, or overweight;Atty Docket No. 11801-002W01 receive an indication from the personal electronic device that the user of the personal electronic device has availability to accept a load using the resources available to the user of the personal electronic device; select at least one of the one or more loads from at least one of the one of the one or more customers for the user based on predefined rules and the information about the resources available to the user of the personal electronic device; provide information about the selected one or more loads from the at least one of the one of the one or more customers to the user of the personal electronic device; and receive an indication from the user of the personal electronic device indicating whether the user will accept transporting the selected load using the available resources, or if the user declines transporting the selected load, wherein if the user declines transporting the selected load, then another user registered to the system for managing transportation of loads is selected for transporting the selected freight load.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors executes computerexecutable instructions stored in the memory that cause the one or more processors to determine a route from a current location of the user of the personal electronic device to the pickup location, and from the pickup location to the destination location.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors executes computerexecutable instructions stored in the memory that cause the one or more processors to provide he route to the user of the personal electronic device and / or displayed on a display associated with the owner operator transportation management system.

16. The system of claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the one or more processors executes computer-executable instructions stored in the memory that cause the one or more processors to receive weather data and use the weather data in determination of the route from the current location of the user of the personal electronic device to the pickup location, and from the pickup location to the destination location.

17. The system of any one of claims 14-16, wherein the one or more processors executes computer-executable instructions stored in the memory that cause the one or more processors to apply a geofence around one or both of the pickup location and / or the destinationAtty Docket No. 11801-002W01 location, wherein a vehicle containing the personal electronic device entering or exiting the geofenced boundary of the pickup location or destination location automatically updates a driver status associated with owner operator transportation management system, wherein the driver status is provided to the user of the personal electronic device and / or displayed on the display.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors executes computerexecutable instructions stored in the memory that cause the one or more processors to automatically update the driver’s status to “On Site” based on a scheduled activity, when the vehicle containing the personal electronic device enters into the geofenced boundary of the pickup location or destination location, and when the vehicle containing the personal electronic device exits the geofenced boundary of the pickup location or destination location, the driver’s status automatically updates to “En Route” or “Driving”, signaling active transit toward the next destination.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors executes computerexecutable instructions stored in the memory that cause the one or more processors to provide a geofence violation alert when the vehicle containing the personal electronic device enters into an unauthorized geofenced zone.

20. The system of any one of claims 13-19, wherein the one or more processors executes computer-executable instructions stored in the memory that cause the one or more processors to assign a quota comprising an amount of one or more products that comprise the loads, wherein an estimated amount of one of the one or more products that comprise the load is deducted from the quota of the product that comprises the load, wherein the one or more products comprise forestry products.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the forestry products comprise one or more of hardwoods, softwoods, Pulpwood, Superpulp, Palletwood, Chip-n-saw, Sawtimber, and Veneer.

22. The system of any one of claims 20-21, wherein the one or more processors executes computer-executable instructions stored in the memory that cause the one or more processors to dynamically updated the quota for a product as loads are assigned to users of the personal electronic device.Atty Docket No. 11801-002W0123. The system of claim 22, wherein the one or more processors executes computerexecutable instructions stored in the memory that cause the one or more processors to provide the dynamically updated quota to the user of the personal electronic device and / or displayed on the display.

24. A computer-program product comprising computer-executable code sections stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said computer executable code sections comprising a method for managing transportation of loads when executed by a processor, said method comprising: receiving a request to download an application, wherein the request is received from a remote personal electronic device; transmitting the application to the personal electronic device in response to the request, wherein the application is installed on the personal electronic device; receiving registration information from the personal electronic device, wherein the registration information includes at least authorization to track a location of the personal electronic device and information about resources available to a user of the personal electronic device for transporting loads; receiving information from one or more customers about the customer, and information about each of the customer’s loads requiring transportation, including pickup location and destination location information, and any information specific to the loads such as hazardous material, temperature controlled, requires being covered, extra tall, extra wide, or overweight; receiving an indication from the personal electronic device that the user of the personal electronic device has availability to accept a load using the resources available to the user of the personal electronic device; selecting at least one of the one or more loads from at least one of the one of the one or more customers for the user based on predefined rules and the information about the resources available to the user of the personal electronic device; providing information about the selected one or more loads from the at least one of the one of the one or more customers to the user of the personal electronic device; and receiving an indication from the user of the personal electronic device indicating whether the user will accept transporting the selected load using the available resources,Atty Docket No. 11801-002W01 or if the user declines transporting the selected load, wherein if the user declines transporting the selected load, then another user registered to the system for managing transportation of loads is selected for transporting the selected freight load.

25. The computer-program product of claim 24, further comprising determining a route from a current location of the user of the personal electronic device to the pickup location, and from the pickup location to the destination location.

26. The computer-program product of claim 25, wherein the route is provided to the user of the personal electronic device and / or displayed on a display associated with the owner operator transportation management system.

27. The computer-program product of claim 25 or claim 26, further comprising receiving weather data, wherein the weather data is used in determination of the route from the current location of the user of the personal electronic device to the pickup location, and from the pickup location to the destination location.

28. The computer-program product of any one of claims 25-27, further comprising applying a geofence around one or both of the pickup location and / or the destination location, wherein a vehicle containing the personal electronic device entering or exiting the geofenced boundary of the pickup location or destination location automatically updates a driver status associated with owner operator transportation management system, wherein the driver status is provided to the user of the personal electronic device and / or displayed on the display associated with the owner operator transportation management system.

29. The computer-program product of claim 28, wherein when the vehicle containing the personal electronic device enters into the geofenced boundary of the pickup location or destination location, the driver’s status automatically updates to “On Site” based on a scheduled activity, and when the vehicle containing the personal electronic device exits the geofenced boundary of the pickup location or destination location, the driver’s status automatically updates to “En Route” or “Driving”, signaling active transit toward the next destination.Atty Docket No. 11801-002W0130. The computer-program product of claim 29, wherein the owner operator transportation management system provides a geofence violation alert when the vehicle containing the personal electronic device enters into an unauthorized geofenced zone.

31. The computer-program product of any one of claim 24-30, further comprising assigning a quota comprising an amount of one or more products that comprise the loads, wherein an estimated amount of one of the one or more products that comprise the load is deducted from the quota of the product that comprises the load.

32. The computer-program product of claim 31, wherein the one or more products comprise forestry products.

33. The computer-program product of claim 32, wherein the forestry products comprise one or more of hardwoods, softwoods, Pulpwood, Superpulp, Palletwood, Chip-n-saw, Sawtimber, and Veneer.

34. The computer-program product of any one of claims 31-33, wherein the quota for a product is dynamically updated as loads are assigned to users of the personal electronic device.

35. The computer-program product of claim 34, wherein the dynamically updated quota is provided to the user of the personal electronic device and / or displayed on a display associated with the owner operator transportation management system.

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