Oakland truckers claim ‘small victory’ after judge seeks more time to review AB5 suit 

The protests at the port of Oakland are coming down to a slow after truckers claim a small victory after Alameda Country Superior Court Judge Delbert Gee delayed the restraining order port officials had wanted. The Port of Oakland’s director of communications, Robert Bernardo, confirmed to Freight Waves on Monday that “the court needed more time to review before making their final decision.”  

Miguel Silva, the owner of an intermodal company in Oakland, attended Monday’s Zoom hearing on behalf of his owner-operator, Prudencio Umana, who is one of the named defendants in the port’s suit against truckers protesting AB5, a contentious state law.  

As of publication, city and port attorneys, including Richard Elder of Lubin Olson & Niewiadomski, as well as port attorneys Mary Richardson and Catrina Fobian, had not responded to Freight Waves‘ phone calls or email requests for comment on the court filings. While some truckers protested inside designated “safe protest areas” on July 25, drayage companies that serve the port reported that none of them blocked terminal gates or prevented trucks from entering or exiting the port. According to the Oakland Police Department, no truckers were cited during the weeklong protest that began on July 18. Click here for the full story!