Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Los Angeles.
Los Angeles has about 61,270 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 3rd of the 112 we cover, and still 26% fewer per job than the country - so they are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 6,548 business locations of general freight trucking companies across the metro. Below: local pay for every role we staff and the nearby markets competing for the same people.
Positions we recruit for in Los Angeles.
BLS counts about 131,620 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Los Angeles metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 61,270). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.74). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Los Angeles: 61,270 employed · $60,340 median, 32nd-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Los Angeles: 40,900 employed · $46,500 median, 22nd-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Los Angeles: 7,700 employed · $52,170 median, 20th-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Los Angeles: 12,260 employed · $127,500 median, 13th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Los Angeles: 17,700 employed · $94,810 median, 11th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Los Angeles: 6,520 employed · $77,380 median, 6th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Los Angeles: 10,490 employed · $59,010 median, 22nd-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Los Angeles: 36,850 employed · $80,220 median, 17th-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Los Angeles: 22,930 employed · $62,190 median, 56th-highest of 112 metros
The roles behind most of our Los Angeles, CA searches in this trade: CDL-B Truck Driver and CDL-A Truck Driver.
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Los Angeles.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Los Angeles earn a median $60,340, level with the $58,640 national figure, and 32nd of 112 metros. Pay runs $42,910 at the tenth percentile to $80,120 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, at $77,380 against $61,770 nationally.
| Role | Los Angeles median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $60,340 | $42,910–$80,120 | $58,640 | +3% | 61,270 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $46,500 | $37,650–$95,630 | $44,860 | +4% | 40,900 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $52,170 | $39,630–$80,520 | $50,340 | +4% | 7,700 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $127,500 | $70,040–$202,850 | $107,230 | +19% | 12,260 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $94,810 | $55,740–$146,350 | $80,730 | +17% | 17,700 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $77,380 | $48,550–$95,760 | $61,770 | +25% | 6,520 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $59,010 | $39,670–$81,880 | $52,260 | +13% | 10,490 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $80,220 | $51,730–$134,130 | $75,940 | +6% | 36,850 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $62,190 | $45,570–$98,990 | $62,890 | −1% | 22,930 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Los Angeles metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile; management and office roles are metro-wide. A metro ranking counts only the metros where BLS publishes that occupation.
How Los Angeles's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Los Angeles rose from 3,122 in 2018 to 6,548 in 2023, up 110%, ahead of the 49% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 23%, to about 33,453 people. Average annual pay there went from $52,172 to $62,799 (+20%), in step with the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 3,122 | 6,548 | +110% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 27,231 | 33,453 | +23% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $52,172 | $62,799 | +20% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Free Commercial Trucking hiring resources.
Definitive Guide to Commercial Trucking · 2026 Commercial Trucking Salary Guide · 3-Step Interview Guide for Commercial Trucking
Los Angeles runs 26% fewer commercial trucking workers per job than the country as a whole — well below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 , Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers. Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Los Angeles's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Los Angeles ranks 3rd for headcount, 29th for median pay and 76th for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 61,270 | $60,340 | 0.74 | 6,548 |
| Riverside | 40,230 | $60,580 | 1.77 | 3,204 |
| San Francisco | 16,450 | $66,450 | 0.52 | 1,040 |
| Sacramento | 10,960 | $60,810 | 0.76 | 1,227 |
| San Diego | 10,440 | $59,780 | 0.51 | 645 |
| Stockton | 10,110 | $60,470 | 2.63 | 1,016 |
| Fresno | 8,170 | $55,740 | 1.29 | 949 |
| Bakersfield | 7,050 | $57,690 | 1.57 | 718 |
| San Jose | 5,360 | $70,730 | 0.36 | 285 |
| Modesto | 3,510 | $58,330 | 1.36 | 378 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in Los Angeles, the headline number is misleading. About 61,270 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers work here, one of the larger workforces we cover, but relative to the size of the local economy the trade is thinner than average, so every other employer is drawing on the same people. Local employers are still adding headcount, which keeps competition for experienced people high. Expect to recruit people who are already employed, and to make the case for moving.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Los Angeles metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Nearby markets competing for Los Angeles talent.
The closest metro we cover is Riverside, about 50 miles away, with roughly 40,230 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (0.7 times Los Angeles's 61,270). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $55,740 in Fresno to $60,650 in Las Vegas, against $60,340 here. Los Angeles is the largest market for this work in the region, so nearby metros tend to recruit from here rather than the other way round.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | – | 61,270 | $60,340 |
| Riverside | 49 mi | 40,230 | $60,580 |
| Bakersfield | 101 mi | 7,050 | $57,690 |
| San Diego | 111 mi | 10,440 | $59,780 |
| Fresno | 205 mi | 8,170 | $55,740 |
| Las Vegas | 229 mi | 8,670 | $60,650 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Los Angeles crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Los Angeles in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- LA Metro Sepulveda Transit Corridor$10B+Through 2033
Heavy civil, tunnel work, station MEP. Long-duration project labor agreement.
- LAX Modernization Program (Metro Connector + Terminal upgrades)$30B totalThrough 2030
Largest single airport capital program in US. Airport-grade MEP at scale - terminal expansions, automated people mover, consolidated rent-a-car. Decade-long crew demand.
- Port of LA modernization$2.5B+Through 2028
Heavy mechanical, terminal automation, electrification per CARB regulations.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Los Angeles market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Los Angeles.
The 4 credentials that gate the work and the 4 things that most often end a commercial trucking offer are the same in every market, kept in one place: Commercial Trucking credentials and offer risks, each linked to the body that issues it. What is local is the licensing rule above and the pay further up this page.
Is Los Angeles a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Los Angeles carries 61,270 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 40,900 light-truck drivers, 1.5 to one against a 1.8 median, 81st of 112 on that ratio.
Neither end dominates, so the pool depends more on which roles you are filling than on the size of the metro.
Nationally it is 2.1 to one.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (53-3032) against light truck drivers (53-3033), across the 112 metros BLS publishes both series for.
Frequently asked - Commercial Trucking hiring in Los Angeles.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Los Angeles?
BLS puts the Los Angeles median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $60,340 a year, about the same as the $58,640 national median. That ranks 32nd of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $42,910 and $80,120, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within California, San Jose pays more, at $70,730.
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Los Angeles?
Yes. Los Angeles has 26% fewer heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 61,270 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 6,548 general freight trucking companies here average about 5.1 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 110% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Los Angeles?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Los Angeles, a $127,500 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician at $77,380, 39% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $46,500. Relative to national pay, Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician is the strongest-paying role here (25% above).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Los Angeles?
BLS counted 6,548 general freight trucking companies in Los Angeles in 2023, employing about 33,453 people between them. Up from 3,122 in 2018, a 110% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 5.1 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $62,799, 4% below the $65,587 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Los Angeles for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Riverside (49 miles, about 40,230, $60,580 median), Bakersfield (101 miles, about 7,050, $57,690 median) and San Diego (111 miles, about 10,440, $59,780 median).
Deep pool. Heavily fished.
Los Angeles has 61,270 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 3rd of the 112 metros we cover, and still 26% fewer per job than the country. The pool is deep and every employer here is fishing it. Let's get to the ones worth moving first.
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