Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Modesto.
Modesto has 36% more heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers per job than the country as a whole, about 3,510 in the metro. BLS counts 378 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 Modesto.
BLS counts about 5,740 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Modesto metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 3,510). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.36). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Modesto: 3,510 employed · $58,330 median, 61st-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Modesto: 1,010 employed · $43,800 median, 55th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Modesto: 330 employed · $51,990 median, 22nd-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Modesto: 300 employed · $107,390 median, 40th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Modesto: 290 employed · $79,600 median, 45th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Modesto: 420 employed · $76,640 median, 7th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Modesto: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Driver Recruiter
Modesto: 730 employed · $77,070 median, 26th-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Modesto: 800 employed · $66,800 median, 15th-highest of 112 metros
The roles behind most of our Modesto, CA searches in this trade: CDL-A Truck Driver and CDL-B Truck Driver.
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Modesto.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Modesto earn a median $58,330, level with the $58,640 national figure, and 61st of 112 metros. Pay runs $38,530 at the tenth percentile to $78,030 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, at $76,640 against $61,770 nationally. BLS withholds Modesto pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Modesto median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $58,330 | $38,530–$78,030 | $58,640 | −1% | 3,510 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $43,800 | $34,380–$94,620 | $44,860 | −2% | 1,010 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $51,990 | $38,890–$78,980 | $50,340 | +3% | 330 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $107,390 | $69,230–$202,600 | $107,230 | 0% | 300 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $79,600 | $51,100–$128,450 | $80,730 | −1% | 290 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $76,640 | $47,740–$97,980 | $61,770 | +24% | 420 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | – | – | $52,260 | – | – |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $77,070 | $48,890–$120,330 | $75,940 | +1% | 730 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $66,800 | $45,690–$94,840 | $62,890 | +6% | 800 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Modesto 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 Modesto's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Modesto rose from 165 in 2018 to 378 in 2023, up 129%, ahead of the 49% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 34%, to about 2,195 people. Average annual pay there went from $52,663 to $64,737 (+23%), in step with the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 165 | 378 | +129% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 1,642 | 2,195 | +34% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $52,663 | $64,737 | +23% |
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
Modesto runs 36% more commercial trucking workers per job than the country as a whole — well above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching 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 Modesto's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Modesto ranks 87th for headcount, 56th for median pay and 15th 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 Modesto, the pool is deep and still growing, so the constraint is competition rather than supply. Move fast on good candidates, because another local firm is probably talking to them too.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Modesto metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Nearby markets competing for Modesto talent.
The closest metro we cover is Stockton, about 25 miles away, with roughly 10,110 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (2.9 times Modesto's 3,510). San Jose pays the most nearby, a $70,730 median, 21% above Modesto. That is the number any Modesto offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. San Francisco has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modesto | – | 3,510 | $58,330 |
| Stockton | 27 mi | 10,110 | $60,470 |
| San Jose | 53 mi | 5,360 | $70,730 |
| Sacramento | 71 mi | 10,960 | $60,810 |
| San Francisco | 78 mi | 16,450 | $66,450 |
| Fresno | 91 mi | 8,170 | $55,740 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Modesto crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Modesto in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- North County Corridor Phase 1UndisclosedUnder construction
A new four-lane, access-controlled expressway with a new interchange at Roselle Avenue and grade-separated structures over the BNSF rail line.
- Sutter Health Advanced Cancer Center and Care Complex$380MGroundbreak January 2026, completion by 2029
A four-story, 165,000 sq ft facility on the Memorial Medical Center campus - cancer treatment on floors 1-2, a 4-OR ambulatory surgery center on floor 3, and 50+ outpatient exam rooms on floor 4.
- Seventh Street Village apartments$56M ($33M in state funding)Completing late 2027
A five-story, 79-unit downtown Modesto apartment building for low-income residents.
These are the 3 projects we track in Modesto. The Modesto market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Modesto.
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 Modesto a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
For every light-truck driver BLS counts in Modesto there are 3.5 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers - 3,510 against 1,010, 5th of 112 on that ratio.
Weighted that far to Class A, the linehaul and regional pool is deeper than the headcount suggests and the local-delivery bench thinner.
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 Modesto.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Modesto?
BLS puts the Modesto median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $58,330 a year, about the same as the $58,640 national median. That ranks 61st of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $38,530 and $78,030, a 2.0x 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 Modesto?
Not by national standards. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make up 36% more of the Modesto workforce than they do nationally, about 3,510 people. The 378 general freight trucking companies here average about 5.8 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 129% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Modesto?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Modesto, a $107,390 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician at $76,640, 29% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $43,800. Relative to national pay, Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician is the strongest-paying role here (24% above).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Modesto?
BLS counted 378 general freight trucking companies in Modesto in 2023, employing about 2,195 people between them. Up from 165 in 2018, a 129% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 5.8 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay about the national average of $65,587.
Which nearby metros compete with Modesto for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Stockton (27 miles, about 10,110, $60,470 median), San Jose (53 miles, about 5,360, $70,730 median) and Sacramento (71 miles, about 10,960, $60,810 median). Stockton has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. San Jose pays 21% more, which is where Modesto employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Modesto has one of the deeper pools of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers we cover, but the best of them are already working. Let's find the ones ready to move.
Schedule a Discovery Call →