I know this topic has become a little quite... but I too have the same requirement...
I tried downloading the default_flat_rate_shipping module and modifying the files (names, folders) and file content to a different name in the hope that I would have the standard flat rate displayed on checkout with the new "major areas flat rate" module.... after 2 days of reading all the documentation online, trying countless ideas and playing exhaustively with the developer tools extension... I'm not sure that its even possible for somebody to build an extension for Abantecart without having some serious PHP skills... if somebody could do a little example like this one from opencart (.../viewtopic.php?t=30226) I would be the happiest man alive.