Hazardous shipment tracking and monitoring

Abstract

System, methods, and computer program products are provided for enhanced freight tracking and monitoring. The system may track the location of a freight shipment within a carrier's transportation network from the time it is picked up by a carrier from a consignor until it is delivered to a consignee, provide for weight determinations and shipping re-classifications of the freight shipment during transport, and provide real-time status information and reports to the carrier, consignor, and/or consignee.

1 . A method for tracking the movement of hazardous shipments comprising:
 receiving, via an enterprise system, shipping data for a plurality of hazardous shipments, wherein (1) each of the plurality of hazardous shipments is associated with a unique identifier, (2) the plurality of hazardous shipments is being transported through a carrier's transportation network, and (3) the shipping data comprises information identifying (a) the unique identifiers associated with the respective hazardous shipments and (b) destinations of the respective hazardous shipments;   generating, via the enterprise system, an electronic manifest comprising at least a portion of the shipping data for each of the plurality of hazardous shipments, the at least a portion of the shipping data identifying (1) the unique identifiers associated with, and (2) the destinations of, the respective hazardous shipments being transported through the carrier's transportation network;   electronically transmitting, from the enterprise system, the electronic manifest;   receiving, via a handheld electronic device, the electronic manifest;   displaying, via a display disposed on the handheld electronic device, at least a portion of the electronic manifest; and   receiving, via the handheld electronic device, input initiating a location event for a hazardous shipment of the plurality of hazardous shipments, wherein the location event indicates the location of the hazardous shipment.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving, via a handheld electronic device, the shipping data associated with the hazardous shipment; and 
 electronically transmitting, from the handheld electronic device to the enterprise system, the shipping data associated with the hazardous shipment. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic manifest is transmitted using a first message file and a second message file, the first message file comprising handling instructions for the hazardous shipment and the second message file comprising at least a portion of the shipping data associated with the hazardous shipment. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the location event further indicates that the hazardous shipment is being moved from a first location to a second location. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising receiving information identifying the second location of the hazardous shipment. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the information identifying the second location is received as input from a user. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the information identifying the second location is received from one or more radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the information identifying the second location is received from one or more barcode labels. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the information identifying the second location indicates that the hazardous shipment is within a trailer identified by a unique trailer number, a side of the trailer in which the hazardous shipment is located, and a distance the hazardous shipment is within the trailer relative to a trailer door. 
     
     
         10 . A system for tracking the movement of hazardous shipments comprising:
 an enterprise system comprising one or more memory and one or more processors, the enterprise system configured to:
 receive shipping data for a plurality of hazardous shipments, wherein (1) each of the plurality of hazardous shipments is associated with a unique identifier, (2) the plurality of hazardous shipments is being transported through a carrier's transportation network, and (3) the shipping data comprises information identifying (a) the unique identifiers associated with the respective hazardous shipments and (b) destinations of the respective hazardous shipments; 
 generate an electronic manifest comprising at least a portion of the shipping data for each of the plurality of hazardous shipments, the at least a portion of the shipping data identifying (1) the unique identifiers associated with, and (2) the destinations of, the respective hazardous shipments being transported through the carrier's transportation network; and 
 electronically transmit the electronic manifest; and 
   a handheld electronic device comprising a display, one or more memory, and one or more processors, the handheld electronic device configured to:
 receive the electronic manifest; 
 cause display of at least a portion of the electronic manifest via the display; and 
 receive input initiating a location event for a hazardous shipment of the plurality of hazardous shipments, wherein the location event indicates the location of the hazardous shipment. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the handheld electronic device is configured to:
 receive the shipping data associated with the hazardous shipment; and   electronically transmit the shipping data associated with the hazardous shipment to the enterprise system.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the electronic manifest is transmitted using a first message file and a second message file, the first message file comprising handling instructions for the hazardous shipment and the second message file comprising at least a portion of the shipping data associated with the hazardous shipment. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the location event further indicates that the hazardous shipment is being moved from a first location to a second location. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors of the lift truck computing device are further configured to receive information identifying the second location of the hazardous shipment. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the information identifying the second location is received as input from a user. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the information identifying the second location is received from one or more radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the information identifying the second location is received from one or more barcode labels. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the information identifying the second location indicates that the hazardous shipment is within a trailer identified by a unique trailer number, a side of the trailer in which the hazardous shipment is located, and a distance the hazardous shipment is within the trailer relative to a trailer door.