Cargo Delivery Apparatus
A control circuit dynamically identifies ad hoc shuttle points. By one approach the control circuit identifies ad hoc shuttle points as a function of available cargo delivery vehicles and en route cargo (including items to be delivered to a specific recipient address). The control circuit then automatically assigns at least two of the available cargo delivery vehicles to meet at a particular ad hoc shuttle point in order to move at least one of the items from a first one of the available cargo delivery vehicles to a second one of the cargo delivery vehicles to thereby effect delivery of the item to the corresponding specific recipient address.
1 . An apparatus comprising:
at least one cargo delivery vehicle;
a control circuit configured to:
dynamically identify ad hoc shuttle points as a function of:
available cargo delivery vehicles that include the at least one cargo delivery vehicle; and
en route cargo including items to be delivered to specific recipient addresses; and
automatically assign at least two of the available cargo delivery vehicles to meet at a particular one of the ad hoc shuttle points in order to move at least one of the items from a first one of the available cargo delivery vehicles to a second one of the available cargo delivery vehicles to thereby effect delivery of the item to the corresponding specific recipient address.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one cargo delivery vehicle comprises a fleet of cargo delivery vehicles.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ad hoc shuttle points include at least one of:
a public parking lot;
a private parking lot;
an empty lot;
a roadside service facility;
a vehicle-weighing facility.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is further configured to instruct that the at least one of the items be removed from a larger shipping container before being moved to the second one of the available cargo delivery vehicles.
5 . The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the larger shipping container comprises a palletized plurality of items.
6 . The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the larger shipping container comprises a shipping box.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is further configured to instruct that the at least one of the items be placed in a larger shipping container with at least one other item that is also to be delivered to the specific recipient address.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
automatically assign the second available cargo delivery vehicle to meet a third one of the available cargo delivery vehicles at a second particular one of the ad hoc shuttle points in order to move the at least one of the items from the second available cargo delivery vehicles to the third one of the available cargo delivery vehicles to thereby further effect delivery of the item to the corresponding specific recipient address.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
automatically assign the second available cargo delivery vehicle to meet a third one of the available cargo delivery vehicles at a second particular one of the ad hoc shuttle points in order to move another item from the third available cargo delivery vehicle to the second available delivery vehicle, wherein the another item is also to be delivered to the specific recipient address to thereby effect delivery of both the item and the another item to the corresponding specific recipient address.
10 . The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the control circuit is further configured to instruct that both the item and the another item be placed in a larger shipping container that is to be delivered to the specific recipient address.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second one of the available cargo delivery vehicles has a smaller cargo-carrying capacity than the first one of the available cargo delivery vehicles.
12 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is further configured to instruct the second one of the available cargo delivery vehicles to complete a final delivery of the item to the specific recipient address.
13 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is further configured to: automatically assign at least three of the available cargo delivery vehicles to meet at the particular one of the ad hoc shuttle points in order to move at least one of the items from a first one of the available cargo delivery vehicles and a second one of the items from a second one of the available cargo delivery vehicles to a third one of the available cargo delivery vehicles thereby effect delivery of both the first and second item to the corresponding specific recipient address via the third one of the available cargo delivery vehicles.
14 . The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the control circuit is further configured to instruct that the first and second items be placed in a shared larger shipping container that is to be delivered to the specific recipient address.
15 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the specific recipient address comprises an address for a retail shopping facility.
16 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the specific recipient address comprises a customer address.
17 . The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the customer address comprises at least one of:
a residential address;
a business address.
18 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first one of the available cargo delivery vehicles is operated on behalf of a first enterprise and the second one of the available cargo delivery vehicles is operated on behalf of a second enterprise that is different from the first enterprise.