Patent attributes
A control circuit automatically determines a number of unloaders to task with unloading a cargo container at a cargo-container unloading area as a function of (1) the weight of the cargo container including the plurality of physically-discrete shipping containers loaded therein and (2) how many of the physically-discrete shipping containers are loaded in the cargo container. By one approach this comprises calculating a ratio of the weight with respect to the number of physically-discrete shipping containers and correlating that ratio with a human-resource metric. By one approach the number representing how many physically-discrete shipping containers are loaded in a given cargo container is derived from a bill of lading and/or an advanced shipping notice as may correspond to a given shipment. The weight metric, in turn, can be provided by a scale. By one approach the scale is proximal to the cargo-container unloading area.
