Vehicle route and schedule exception reporting system

Abstract

A route exception reporting apparatus is mounted in a mobile shipping vehicle having a predetermined geographic route. The shipping vehicle may be a self-propelled vehicle containing cargo or may also be a separable self-contained shipping container carried on a transportation vehicle. At least a portion of the predetermined route is stored in the apparatus on board the shipping vehicle. The apparatus is provided with a geographic locating means for determining the shipping vehicle location, a comparator means for comparing the shipping vehicle location with at least one point of the predetermined route and a communication means for communicating with a central station. The apparatus is configured to communicate the shipping vehicle location to the central station when the comparator means computes a difference between the shipping vehicle location at a particular point in time and the predetermined route point corresponding with that particular time point which exceeds a predetermined limit. The central station may be provided with an alarm and display means for notifying personnel at the central station of the occurrence of a route location exception.