More than twelve small trucking companies operating out of the Port of Oakland’s Terminal are being forced to vacate to make room for incoming cargo, and the company owners say they are taking it personally.
The companies have been instructed to vacate in the next 30 days, and while some trucking company owners say they knew they’d have to leave eventually, they did not expect to be forced to leave so soon.
“We’re completely caught off guard, and we don’t know what to do at this point,” said Vincent Cheng, who has run his small trucking company out of the Oakland Howard Terminal for the last year, reported ABC 7 News.
“We knew the A’s were developing a ballpark at Howard Terminal but not until 2024 or 2025, we thought we had time,” Cheng said “We had a realistic expectation this day would come but we don’t have anywhere to go but out of business,” he added, admitting that the company does rent month-to-month.
“I take this personally, we are not just truckers. These are families it impacts the entire family,” said Kimberly Sulsar from Iraheta Bros. Trucking.
The notices come as the Port of Oakland prepares to step in to help congestion at more southern California ports, but Oakland City Councilman Noel Gallo says he’s working towards a solution that would help the companies relocate to a different part of the port.
“The statement I did receive is by Friday, eleven trucking companies will have a place in Port of Oakland to continue to do business with Oakland,” Gallo said, but no further information on this possibility has been released.
“We want to see if there is a solution so small operators can have a home,” said Cheng.
The Port of Oakland released the following statement about the situation: “Tenants have long been aware of the temporary nature of their rental agreement. We will be reconfiguring this location as a temp. container yard this spring to help with supply chain efficiency at Oakland.”