A remote reporting unit, such as freight trailer monitoring device, generates
a
number of different status messages representing conditions such as door open,
latitude, longitude, battery condition, and the like. The remote unit combines
the status messages into an optimized output. Optimization is implemented by applying
a predetermined mapping scheme to convert the status message's values into a consolidated
output. Having optimized the message, the remote unit transmits the consolidated
output in the form of a "feature code" such as a code prefixed by star (*) or another
conventional prefix. Telephony equipment that receives the feature code via the
cellular telephone network interprets the feature codes by reversing the re-mapping process.
