AB5 does and will probably ruin the trend of reduced wait times at ports. Video and eyewitness reports indicate that the lofty status of the Port of Oakland is in jeopardy.
However, for the moment the national average wait time for maritime sea ports in general is down, and at 116 minutes ports are in third place in reducing wait times among industry averages, and leading the charge is (has been) the Port of Oakland.
The Port of Oakland was at a 75-minute wait time, according to the SONAR chart below.
So before the AB5 protests this week, that meant you could pull three containers out of Oakland and grab some lunch before your counterpart in Boston made one trip.
And still at the bottom of the list of wait times are Distributors of all kinds. At 155 minutes, that industry group still leads other industry groups for the longest wait times.
This trend will likely continue as sales to inventory ratios remain negative and retailers continue to see declining sales.
In fact, looking at the trend in rail yards in the SONAR chart below, we can see the impact of mismanaged railroad operations and the impacts of delayed chassis moves from warehouses across the nation.
While not quite at the food distributor level, a 148-minute average wait at railyards is the longest we have recorded in the industry sector.
Along with the West Coast port situation, I am not confident this trend will change in the near future.
Peace and love
