Imports take a significant amount of time for large raw files or tiff files in any volume. This is especially true through a usb cable and a camera. There are a few steps you can take to increase the speed of the import if you are sitting and waiting to get started in Lightroom.

1. Leave the box unchecked in the import window to preview the images. This takes a large amount of processing time to load the images to show. This is the whole point of the import – to bring in the photos to look at. Using this option is a wasted step when time is important.
2. Manually build the previews for any size except the library thumbnail. Building the 1:1 previews takes a long time and you may never view some of the images at that level. Allow Lightroom to build those as you view them. Note that once you view the image at 1:1, Lightroom saves the build and doesn’t recreate it each time. This can be another time saver.