X-ray Security Solutions for Cargo – Reducing Border Wait Times

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19 January 2026

X-ray Security Solutions for Cargo – Reducing Border Wait Times

The border agencies are constantly balancing the difficult task of enhancing interdictions while not causing traffic to stop. This challenge is made more difficult by the increasing number of high-volume crossings and mixed vehicle flows. Modern drive-through inspection systems, especially dual-energy and multi-energy systems, can help streamline operations while maintaining robust standards of detection. It is important for agencies to evaluate options by starting with proven technologies. LINEV Systems Drive-Through Portal Series (DTP) and Multi-Energy X-ray Array Portals (MEAP) are the platforms that can help. These solutions reduce friction by combining high-throughput designs, material discrimination and flexible configurations. To maximize the benefits of our X-ray security solutions for cargo, it is important to align infrastructure, lane designs, and staffing policy early in the process.

The Bottleneck Problem

Waiting times at border crossings are seldom the result of one single cause. Multiple factors can contribute to long wait times at borders. These include unpredictability of mixed traffic (cars and vans arriving simultaneously, as well as trucks, buses and loaded trucks), manual stop-start checks, incomplete documents or secondary inspections due to poor image quality. Two capabilities are often key to reducing delays:

Drive-through imaging reduces the number of stops required for vehicles that are occupied.
Images that are clear and actionable: Dual-energy and Multi-energy Imaging improve the material discrimination, reducing the number of unreliable results that need rework.

The DTP family offers both features across a variety of models. Light vehicles can benefit from occupied screening (up to 15-20 km/h, depending on the model) at controlled speeds. This helps to maintain flow and support detection requirements. Trucks and containers with high penetration (e.g. 320 mm on certain models) can see more within the cargo. This reduces the need for manual intervention. Dual-view options can reduce blind spots because they capture structures from different angles. This results in fewer secondary inspections and quicker decisions. Platforms like MEAP use multi-energy arrays in order to collect more detailed attenuation information. This allows for better material differentiation. It is particularly useful when spotting threats inside cargo that’s cluttered or layered. Operators who can confidently interpret their observations spend less time on ambiguous cases, and the whole lane runs more smoothly.

Where Throughput Gains Typically Come From

Focus on the operational levers of high-performing border sites to prevent line creep at peak times:

Designing lanes and maintaining lane discipline are important. Separate heavy vehicle and light vehicle flows whenever possible. If mixing is required, dual-view/multi-energy configurations designed for mixed traffic help keep decisions timely.
Screening policies for occupied vehicles: Systems designed to minimize dose during drive-throughs with occupants reduce the stop-and-wait cycle associated with vehicle unloading.
Options for rapid deployment: Temporary lanes can be set up during construction or seasonal spikes, stabilizing traffic without the need for major civil works.
Image review efficiency: Clearer pictures and consistent operator workflows can help reduce review time per vehicle. This is especially true when assisted by software that provides detection prompts.

LINEV Systems offers a variety of configurations and form factors to support these levers. These include relocatable portals as well as stationary ones, with single- or dual-view options, and multiple energy options. Relocatable configurations are crucial for borders that have unpredictable peaks. They can help prevent queues from spreading across the logistics network. It is important to choose the right tool for your traffic profile when adopting X-ray security solutions for cargo. Dual-view systems for light vehicles are ideal for passenger cars and vans. They can be used at low speeds to screen passengers. Dual-view designs can be tailored for large hollow structures or overhead compartments in bus lanes. Solutions that focus on penetration and geometry coverage and that have multi-energy capabilities to improve material discrimination are ideal for heavy cargo lanes that carry dense loads.

Matching solutions to border realities

There are no two identical borders. What “good” means is shaped by geography, traffic composition and risk models. There are some recurring patterns that allow the DTP Series or MEAP family to map well with needs.

Mixed traffic corridors – Dual-view and multi-energy configurations allow for the processing of passenger vehicles, loaded trucks, and buses on the same lane, with fewer blind spots.
High-density cargo : Systems with strong steel penetration and material differentiation keep manual inspection rates in check.
Compact layouts and small exclusion zones allow solutions to fit into constrained spaces and reduce the need for rework on existing infrastructure.
Surge management: Easy-to-relocate deployments can quickly be moved or set up to meet seasonal demands, roadworks or incidental pressure.

As borders are highly regulated environments and are governed by strict regulations, safety and dose management are paramount. Some platforms are designed to reduce radiation exposure to drivers and passengers. This allows for occupied screening to be done at a controlled speed. It is also easier to operate when people don’t have to leave their cars for inspections.

Practical Ways to Reduce Delays

Sustained time savings usually come from small, consistent efficiencies across the lane, not just one big change. Agencies aiming to realize throughput gains quickly often focus on:

Standardizing operator workflows around dual-view imagery to reduce second looks.
Using multi-energy imaging to triage ambiguous cargo faster.
Aligning secondary inspection triggers with improved image clarity to lower false positives.
Coordinating with logistics stakeholders so documentation is ready before arrival, making image review the critical path rather than paperwork.

These steps don’t require speculative technologies. They build on the core strengths of modern drive-through systems already used at borders and large checkpoints worldwide.

Separate queues for light vs. heavy vehicles whenever geometry allows.
Keep relocatable capacity in reserve for planned peak seasons.
Track per-lane decision times and use that data to refine operator rotations and break schedules.
Leverage assistance software to standardize annotation, escalation, and audit trails.

As agencies refine these practices, they often discover that average per-vehicle handling times drop noticeably, even before any major capital changes beyond the imaging lane itself. Integrating our X-ray security solutions for cargo into a border environment also means thinking beyond the portal: where images are reviewed, how alarms are handled, and how data records move into existing security or logistics systems. While integration specifics vary by site and policy, the goal is consistent: to create a smooth, traceable path from scan to decision to release or escalation.

Why Multi-Energy and Dual-View Matter

The queue length is as much a function of variance as of the average processing time. Uncertain images, blind spots, and ambiguous density signatures all increase variance. Certain vehicles take much longer than the average, and these outliers determine the queue at busy times. Dual-view and multi-energy imaging reduce hidden voids, overlapping structures, and clutter in cargoes. Together, they can reduce the number of vehicles that become outliers. The occupied drive-through screen simplifies logistics for light vehicles and busses. Drivers stay inside, speed is controlled, and vehicle handling can be predicted. Strong penetration and better coverage geometry reduce secondary interventions for heavy cargo. Each minute saved on uncertainty adds up across the queue. Consider the following when choosing between available configurations:

Mix of vehicles: only light vehicles, only heavy cargo, or mixed lanes.
The desired operating speed for occupied screening.
Risk profile ties penetration and image requirements to the required quality.
Site constraints: footprints, power zones, and exclusion areas
Permanent vs. temporary or seasonal:

Border teams can improve their performance by adjusting these variables without compromising the interdiction mandate. Modern inspection lanes are not the answer to all problems. They can make complex systems more manageable and predictable. Benefits include smaller and steadier queues; fewer escalations caused by ambiguity; and a more consistent workload for operators. Borders need robust tools that are adaptable and have been tested in the field. The DTP Series and MEAP platforms deliver the fundamental capabilities to support the mission of drive-through screening, material discrimination, and deployment flexibility, so agencies can reduce queues while maintaining a high standard of control. It’s possible, with careful planning, to reduce dwell times, improve the experience of travellers and carriers, and increase security without compromising on lane design, image review workflows and staffing. As your operation matures, you can adapt configurations to changing traffic and risk conditions while maintaining the focus on reliable, consistent outcomes provided by X-ray security solutions for cargo.

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