Multi-Carrier Shipping Rate Calculation System
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Solution Overview
Problem
International shipping often results in logistical complexities due to the inability of freight carriers to handle oversized items across different modes of transport, and coordinating multiple carriers for cost-effective routes is challenging, especially with varying weight and size requirements.
Innovation Solution
A process that combines multiple carriers online to provide a cohesive international shipping service by calculating terminal-to-terminal rates and estimating costs from various vendors, offering door-to-port and door-to-door rates, and storing these estimates in a database for verification and invoicing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single freight carrier is used for international shipping, then the carrier can be specialized in one mode of transport, but the carrier cannot handle oversized items across different modes of transport
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple specialized carriers (air freight carrier, ocean carrier, destination carrier) into a unified shipping solution. The system integrates these carriers to provide door-to-door service, where each carrier handles their specialized function while the overall system achieves versatility across different transport modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal shipping platform that can handle various freight types and destinations by coordinating multiple carriers. The system provides multi-functionality by offering door-to-port and door-to-door services through a single interface, making the shipping process adaptable to different needs without requiring customers to manage multiple carriers independently.
2Productivity
If multiple carriers are coordinated for international shipping, then cost-effective routes can be obtained, but the complexity of coordinating multiple transport companies increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a coordinating system that acts as an intermediary between customers and multiple carriers. This system automatically queries rate databases, compares rates from different carriers, and selects the most cost-effective routing options. The intermediary handles the complexity of coordination internally while presenting a simplified interface to customers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs automated rate shopping and carrier selection without requiring manual intervention. The coordinating platform automatically queries multiple rate databases, compares costs and transit times, and selects the optimal carrier combination, enabling self-service coordination that reduces complexity for users.
3Reliability
If carrier-specific weight and size requirements are enforced, then each carrier can optimize their transport, but the ability to ship oversized items across different modes is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the shipping journey into multiple legs, each handled by a specialized carrier optimized for their transport mode. The system divides the overall shipment into air freight portion, ocean portion, and destination delivery portion, with each segment handled by carriers that meet specific weight and size requirements for their mode of transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically selects and coordinates different carriers based on the specific requirements of each shipment leg. The coordination adapts to the freight characteristics by matching appropriate carriers to each segment, allowing the overall system to handle diverse freight types while maintaining compliance with each carrier's specifications.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method process of online rating for international import and export shipments. The rating combines multiple carriers together in order to provide one cohesive international service. The consumer can obtain a door to port or door to door rate when employing a pick up carrier, such as a trucking company, and an airline or ocean carrier as well as a destination delivery company. The method provide a real time monetary rate costs based upon the closest terminal and determines which terminal to terminal rate to use for the air or ocean portion as well as providing a pick up rate for that service. The process further estimates the multiple ocean and air rate costs from various vendors associated with a shipment and stores these rate costs through a database to be used at a later date for verification.