Trucks from Mexico Face Prolonged Delays

Imports from Mexico represent about 15% of the total imports into the United States. In fact, in 2018 alone, there were over 6 million truck entries into the US from Mexico, averaging out to over 17,000 truck entries per day. Companies on both sides of the border have come to rely on smooth and efficient border crossings, resulting in timely deliveries.

Over the last month, crossing has been anything but timely and efficient. While trucks have traditionally taken less than an hour on average to cross the border in some cases, they are now facing up to 10 or more hours of wait time in certain circumstances.

What is the reason for the exaggerated wait time? In March, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) redirected up to 750 officers from ports of entry to support the border patrol and help address immigration issues. This redirection of resources has put a large strain on the outnumbered staff at many of the larger ports of entry. 

The border crossing slowdown has led to increased costs for importers and shippers. Shippers not only face delays and late deliveries, but also see an increase in premium spend, as expedited shipments are also on the rise. In certain circumstances companies are even electing to send ground shipments via air charter, in order to remove the possibility of a lengthy border crossing delay.

There is no current resolution in the works and these delays will continue to be a strain on shippers, carriers, importers and end customers.  While the involved parties might not be able to improve the overall border crossing time, there are many ways to make the most of the situation. They can optimize their own carrier selection, tracking, premium approval and least cost usage processes.  Working to strengthen these areas will help offset any costs that might arise due to border wait times or late deliveries.

If you would like additional information on how your business may be affected by these border delays, or if you have any questions as to how to improve your supply chain, please contact Allyn at (239) 489-9900 or you can email us at sales@allynintl.com.

Contributor: Matthew Dreckman 

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About Allyn International

Allyn International is dedicated to providing high quality, customer centric services and solutions for the global marketplace. Allyn's core products include transportation management, logistics sourcing, freight forwarding, supply chain consulting, tax management and global trade compliance. Allyn clients range from small local businesses to Fortune 500 firms. Allyn conducts business in more than 20 languages and has extensive experience in both developed and emerging markets. Highly trained experts are positioned throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia. Allyn’s regional headquarters are strategically located in Fort Myers, Florida, U.S.A., Shanghai, P.R. China and Prague, Czech Republic. For more information, visit www.allynintl.com.