K-TRIPS Modifying a Route Using Via Points Tutorial Video

Welcome back to the Truck Routing and Intelligent Permitting System, also known as K-TRIPS, user tutorial videos. This video will show how to modify a route using the Via Points option.

K-TRIPS allows you the option to request certain routes by using Via Points. These points can be entered by specifying certain highways to be used, or by selecting points from the map to be included when determining the route.

Via Points are typically entered when the system-generated route is not the preferred route.

For this example, I have selected a route coming into Kansas on US Highway 50 from Colorado and exiting Kansas on into Oklahoma. The Origin and Destination have already been set.

Once you click Validate and Run, K-TRIPS will determine the quickest, safest route of travel and display a map of that route. You can see this route is traveling US-50, US-183, US-54, I-235 to I-35 into Oklahoma.

If you would like to consider an alternate route, you can do so using Via Points.

To add a Via Point, click the Expand Chevron icon to expand the Enter Trip Panel. Via Points can be specific highways or map locations.

To route using specific highways, select Highway from the Via Points dropdown list. An empty field will be displayed to enter the highway names of the preferred route of travel. For this example route, I want to travel US-400, US-54, US-281, KS-42, I-235, to I-35 into Oklahoma.

I will input the proper highway names in the empty field. Highway names must be entered in the proper format, such as “I” for interstate, “US” for US highways, or “KS” for Kansas highways, followed by a hyphen and the road number. Separate road names with a comma only and omit any spaces.

Type US (for a US highway) dash 400 comma US dash 54 comma US dash 281 comma KS (for a Kansas highway) dash 42 comma I (for an interstate) dash 235. I did not include any spaces.

Please note that it is best not to duplicate the Origin or Destination in the list of Via Points.

Once the highways have been entered, click the Validate and Run button to recalculate the trip to include the requested Via Highways entered.

If the route requested has any restrictions, the system will ignore the request and route an approved route. You can see that the route did not get what I requested. As I travel along the Blue Highlighted trip line, I can see in Dodge City my route changed from US-400 to US-56 to US-283 in order to keep the route as close to the request as possible. I requested US-400 to US-54. I can zoom all the way in to find out where the restriction is in the route that has caused K-TRIPS to reroute.

Click the Get Restriction Information for Road radio button above the map after zooming in, and then click the red highlight located on the highway in question. The Restriction Information screen will be displayed. This screen gives a detailed description of the restriction affecting travel on the roadway selected. For this example, there is a No Permits Restriction located on this particular section of roadway, so the system will not allow us to travel that way. You can then adjust your route as needed. So, I will just put US-56, US-283, and US-54 in place of the other two highways. Click the Validate and Run button. Go over the new route.

If you don’t happen to know the exact names of the highways you want to travel or if you prefer, you can also enter Via Points by clicking specific locations to be routed by using the map display.

I’ll use the same origin and destination as before, and click the Validate and Run button to generate a route. Click the Expand Chevron Icon to expand the Enter Trip Panel. Select Find on Map from the Via Point dropdown list, and then click the Select on Map link to display the Select Lat/Lon vias on Map screen.

From here, I’m going to select the city of origin, which will be Coolidge, from the dropdown list and click the Go button. This will focus the map on Coolidge. Drag the map along the route you want to travel, selecting points as you go along.

For this route, we want to travel US-400, US-56, US-283, US-54, KS-42, I-235, and I-35 into Oklahoma. I’m going to find US-56 on the map. Make sure you are zoomed in close enough to see both directions of travel, so I will zoom in as close as I can here.

Click the Select Radio button above the map and click a point close to the intersection of US-56 and US400. Zoom out and continue dragging the map along the route of travel. Repeat the previous step, selecting different points on the highways to travel. I will select a point on US-283, US-54, US-281, and KS-42. Once I get to , I want to be sure to select a point on the roadway in the correct direction of travel.

Please note that Via Points do not have to be entered in consecutively traveled order. You can decide if you want to add this point to the end of the list or before a specific Via Point by selecting the option from the dropdown list located above the map. If you forget a point, you can add that point even after you’ve already selected several Via Points on the map.

Once the points are selected, click the Expand chevron icon to open the Enter Trip Panel.

If there are extra or unwanted Via Points in the list, they can be removed by clicking the Remove link next to the Via Point.

Click the Validate and Run button to run the requested route. If there are any restrictions, the system will route as close to the requested route as possible.

You will be prompted with a map display of the route for your review. You can see our requested route has been highlighted in blue.

Turn-by-turn directions are located under the map to validate the route of travel.

This concludes the K-TRIPS user tutorial video on how to modify a route using via points. Don’t forget more videos are available for your convenience.