Service times at vehicle processing facilities (borders, weigh stations, land side marine port gates) are variable, thereby causing transportation planning challenges for companies that regularly visit them. Companies must either build in more time than is necessary, therefore under utilizing their equipment, or risk missing delivery windows, which can incur fines or cause lost business opportunities. In this study we examine border crossing times at Blaine, Washington between Whatcom County, Washington and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. We consider the variability in crossing times at this border crossing, and the impact of this variability on regional supply chains. We present variability data collected for bi-directional trade. Directional, daily, hourly, and seasonal variations are examined. We conducted interviews with regional carriers to better understand the current response to variability, the benefit of a reduction in variability, and how this is related to the goods moved or to other business operating characteristics. This paper describes the level of variability in border crossing times and describes carriers responses to this variability. We show that the primary strategy used, increasing buffer times, reduces carrier productivity. However, this cost is negligible due to the current nature of the industry.
Abstract