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cliwant

mcp-sam-gov

by cliwant

cbp_border_wait_times

Read-only

Retrieve real-time commercial vehicle crossing delays and operational status at US border ports. Includes standard and FAST lane minutes, lanes open, and port status for Canadian and Mexican borders.

Instructions

Live CBP land-border-port wait times — current commercial-vehicle (freight-truck) crossing delays at every US Canadian- and Mexican-border port (keyless; bwt.cbp.gov). The FREIGHT / LOGISTICS situational-awareness lane: per-port commercial-vehicle standard + FAST lane delay (minutes), operational status, open-lane count, and maximum lanes — passenger/pedestrian lanes are NOT surfaced (freight lane only). Filters (optional, applied CLIENT-SIDE over the full fetched port set — the feed has NO server-side filter; an empty-string value is reported in _meta.filtersDropped, not applied): border (case-insensitive substring, 'Canadian'/'Mexican'), portName (substring, e.g. 'Laredo'); limit/offset pagination. Each row: { portNumber, portName, crossingName, border, portStatus (Open/Closed), asOf, commercialVehicle:{ maxLanes, standard:{operationalStatus, delayMinutes, lanesOpen, updateTime}, fast:{…} } }. HONESTY: this is REAL-TIME operational data — each lane carries its own updateTime (surfaced verbatim; freshness never implied live-to-the-second); delayMinutes/lanesOpen are number|null (a real 0 stays 0; an empty/N/A value — e.g. a closed lane — is null, NEVER a fabricated 0, because a closed lane's delay is UNKNOWN, not zero); the API returns the WHOLE port set so totalAvailable is the EXACT matched-port count; an outage/4xx/timeout THROWS and a non-array body ⇒ schema_drift (never a fake empty).

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
limitNoMax ports returned (default 100, max 200).
borderNoFilter by border — case-insensitive substring, e.g. 'Canadian' or 'Mexican' (the feed labels ports 'Canadian Border' / 'Mexican Border').
offsetNoZero-based page offset (default 0).
portNameNoFilter by port name — case-insensitive substring, e.g. 'Laredo', 'Detroit'.
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

The description goes far beyond annotations by detailing null handling (0 stays 0, closed lanes are null), update time freshness, response integrity (throws on errors, no fake empties), and the _meta field. This provides deep behavioral transparency.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is lengthy but well-structured with front-loading of the core purpose and subsequent sections for details. Every sentence adds value, though slight trimming could improve conciseness without losing content.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the complexity of real-time operational data with null handling, client-side filtering, and no output schema, the description is remarkably complete. It explains the data structure, null semantics, error behavior, and metadata, leaving no critical gaps.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

The schema already has 100% parameter descriptions. The description adds critical context: filters are applied client-side, no server-side filter, empty string reported in _meta.filtersDropped, and pagination via limit/offset. This adds meaningful semantics beyond schema.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the tool provides live CBP land-border-port wait times for commercial vehicles at US Canadian and Mexican border ports, using specific verbs ('Live wait times') and resource ('CBP land-border-port'). It is unique among siblings, which are unrelated government data tools.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description explicitly states it is for freight/logistics situational awareness and notes that passenger lanes are not surfaced. While it does not explicitly state when not to use, it provides clear context about its scope and limitations, guiding appropriate use.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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