Okan Gurbuz
by Okan Gurbuz
For many travelers, a delay at the border is measured in minutes. For others — including manufacturers waiting on parts, commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) moving time-sensitive goods or communities dependent on cross-border trade — those same delays carry a much higher cost.
Yet for years, understanding these costs caused by border delays has been a challenge.
Although border delays are typically represented by wait times, the value of that time does not carry the same cost for every driver. A 20-minute delay for a passenger vehicle is not the same as a 20-minute delay for a truck carrying perishable goods or just-in-time manufacturing components. Without a consistent way to translate those delays into economic impact, it becomes difficult for planners and decision-makers to fully understand where investments are needed most.
To address that gap, researchers at the Center for International Intelligent Transportation Research (CIITR) developed the Direct Cost Estimation Tool (DCET), a framework designed to convert border delay into measurable economic impact.
From minutes to meaningful metrics
The DCET Dashboard integrates multiple data sources — including border wait times from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, vehicle volumes from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and cost factors tied to both freight and passenger travel — to estimate the direct cost of delay across various border crossings.
What makes this approach distinct is how it addresses the context behind each trip.
For CMVs, delay costs vary depending on what is being transported. Time-sensitive commodities, such as just-in-time manufacturing goods or perishables, carry significantly higher costs when delayed compared to other freight. For passenger vehicles, the tool incorporates the value of time for drivers and passengers, along with vehicle operating costs, to estimate the broader impact of delay on everyday travelers.
DCET introduces a consistent way to define delay itself. By establishing a “free-flow” baseline using observed crossing times, the tool identifies how many vehicles experience delay and how much additional time they spend at the border. This allows for more meaningful comparisons across locations and over time.
The DCET framework has developed steadily over time. Originally introduced to estimate delay costs for U.S.-bound CMVs at select crossings, the tool has since expanded in both scope and capability. Researchers have incorporated additional data sources, refined cost calculations and extended the methodology to include passenger vehicles and broader geographic coverage.
What began as a focused analysis in El Paso has grown into a national-scale effort. The most recent version of the tool applies a standardized approach across 49 major land ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders, capturing the vast majority of cross-border traffic.
Using 2024 data, the analysis estimated that border delays result in more than $1.5 billion in direct economic costs annually. While passenger vehicles account for a large share of the total due to their high volume, CMV delays remain especially significant in regions like Texas, where higher-value and time-sensitive goods face greater risk.
Turning analysis into action
To make these insights more accessible, CIITR researchers developed an interactive dashboard that allows users to explore delay costs across crossings, regions and vehicle types.
Rather than requiring technical expertise, the dashboard is designed for planners, policymakers and local agencies seeking to better understand the economic impact of border operations. By presenting delay in terms of cost, it provides a clearer foundation for comparing crossings, identifying priorities and supporting funding decisions.
For metropolitan planning organizations and local governments, this type of information can serve as a valuable tool in demonstrating need, helping translate observed congestion into measurable economic impact backed by consistent methodology.
Looking ahead
The current analysis reflects a single year of data and represents a conservative estimate of total delay costs. As cross-border trade and travel continue to grow, opportunities remain to expand and refine the tool, incorporating additional data sources, extending analysis across multiple years and further enhancing decision-support capabilities.
By continuing to improve how delay is measured and understood, tools like DCET can help move the conversation beyond wait times alone, toward more informed, data-driven decisions that support the efficiency and resilience of border transportation systems.
View the tool
Okan Gurbuz is an associate research scientist with the Center for International Intelligent Transportation Research in TTI’s Dallas Office.