Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s Automated Permit Route Analysis System or APRAS project updated a system launched in 1998 that provides roughly 450,000 special hauling trucking permits per year. This $15 million project upgraded outdated technologies to improve system reliability. Two of the main improvements delivered by its APRAS project centered on a better modern map-based interface and automated route generation; features that allow trucking applicants to select beginning and ending points for their proposed freight movements on a web-based map – resulting in quicker issuance of permits, less damage to roads and bridges and improved highway safety. It modernized user interfaces for both external business partners and internal permit staff, reducing the time required to complete hauling permits. New technology and GIS-based features eliminated the need for manual route creation, while map-based routing improved the auto-approval process and helped get loads on the road more quickly. As a result, overall permit processing times were significantly reduced.  APRAS is integrated into its roadway and bridge data, helping users find the most optimal route based on their vehicle and load configuration, avoiding obstacles such as construction or low bridges. Through utilization of geospatial technologies, a routing network was developed where users can generate routes that prefer higher-classification roads (e.g. interstates), reducing traffic on secondary roads when possible.