A system includes a first communication module and a first ordering determination module. The first communication module is configured to be disposed onboard a first vehicle of a vehicle consist and to communicate individual messages that are targeted for communication with respective individual second vehicles of the vehicle consist. The first ordering determination module is configured to be disposed onboard the first vehicle of the vehicle consist, and to determine an order of the first vehicle and one or more of the second vehicles in the consist using message characteristic information. The message characteristic information corresponds to a transmission characteristic of the individual messages.