Commercial Trucking recruiters serving San Diego.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are scarcer in San Diego than in most of the country, 49% fewer per job, so the roughly 10,440 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 645 business locations of general freight trucking companies across the metro. Below: local pay for every role we staff, the state licensing rules that apply and the nearby markets competing for the same people.
Positions we recruit for in San Diego.
BLS counts about 25,040 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the San Diego metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 10,440). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.51). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →San Diego: 10,440 employed · $59,780 median, 41st-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →San Diego: 8,240 employed · $45,670 median, 34th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
San Diego: 1,740 employed · $51,670 median, 26th-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
San Diego: 1,920 employed · $120,960 median, 20th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
San Diego: 6,120 employed · $101,230 median, 4th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
San Diego: 1,430 employed · $75,070 median, 11th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
San Diego: 890 employed · $51,860 median, 37th-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
San Diego: 9,110 employed · $81,300 median, 13th-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
San Diego: 4,930 employed · $60,590 median, 79th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in San Diego.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in San Diego earn a median $59,780, level with the $58,640 national figure, and 41st of 112 metros. Pay runs $40,880 at the tenth percentile to $78,250 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, at $75,070 against $61,770 nationally.
| Role | San Diego median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $59,780 | $40,880–$78,250 | $58,640 | +2% | 10,440 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $45,670 | $36,730–$82,840 | $44,860 | +2% | 8,240 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $51,670 | $39,560–$80,360 | $50,340 | +3% | 1,740 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $120,960 | $71,230–$201,980 | $107,230 | +13% | 1,920 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $101,230 | $57,050–$148,470 | $80,730 | +25% | 6,120 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $75,070 | $51,370–$95,520 | $61,770 | +22% | 1,430 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $51,860 | $39,600–$80,140 | $52,260 | −1% | 890 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $81,300 | $51,780–$140,130 | $75,940 | +7% | 9,110 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $60,590 | $43,980–$92,400 | $62,890 | −4% | 4,930 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, San Diego 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 San Diego's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in San Diego rose from 405 in 2018 to 645 in 2023, up 59%, ahead of the 49% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 14%, to about 3,588 people. Average annual pay there went from $49,520 to $63,260 (+28%), faster than the 23% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 405 | 645 | +59% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 3,138 | 3,588 | +14% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $49,520 | $63,260 | +28% |
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
San Diego runs 49% 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 San Diego's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, San Diego ranks 40th for headcount, 38th for median pay and 97th for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. That makes it one of the thinnest commercial trucking labor markets we recruit in.
| 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 San Diego, the local pool is thin and local employers have been cutting headcount. Senior hires often come from outside the metro or from adjacent trades, so start searches earlier than you would elsewhere.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, San Diego metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Trucking licensing in California.
An 18-year-old may hold a California CDL and drive for hire within California, but Vehicle Code 12515 requires age 21 for interstate operation, and California requires 21 for hazardous materials or hazardous waste whether the run is intrastate or interstate - so an 18-to-20-year-old cannot cross a state line and cannot take a placarded load even inside California. The Department publishes no California-specific intrastate medical waiver; it handles only the federal picture, with a Skill Performance Evaluation, waiver or exemption transmitted electronically from the National Registry alongside the medical certificate. The intrastate self-certification label is NA and the interstate one NI, and changing self-certification requires a field-office visit and a new form DL 694. One current California-only issue: the Department has announced that until further notice it cannot issue, reissue or renew limited-term non-domiciled commercial driver licences. The same state rules apply in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton and Modesto, so candidates licensed there can work in San Diego without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: California Department of Motor Vehicles. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for San Diego talent.
The closest metro we cover is Riverside, about 85 miles away, with roughly 40,230 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (3.9 times San Diego's 10,440). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $57,690 in Bakersfield to $60,650 in Las Vegas, against $59,780 here. Los Angeles has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | – | 10,440 | $59,780 |
| Riverside | 87 mi | 40,230 | $60,580 |
| Los Angeles | 111 mi | 61,270 | $60,340 |
| Bakersfield | 212 mi | 7,050 | $57,690 |
| Las Vegas | 265 mi | 8,670 | $60,650 |
| Phoenix | 299 mi | 30,480 | $59,770 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for San Diego crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into San Diego in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- San Diego International Airport New Terminal 1$3.8B total programPhase 1A open (Sept 2025); Phase 1B through 2028
Largest public works project in San Diego history. Phase 1A (19 gates, $2.6B) is already open; Phase 1B construction is underway to add 11 more gates by 2028. Airport-grade MEP, central utility plant, apron work. Multi-year demand for airport-experienced senior trades.
- Naval Base San Diego waterfront + shipyard modernization$3B+ regionalRolling
Navy/defense facility and shipyard work is the anchor of the San Diego market. Secure-facility MEP, marine/waterfront trades, and cleared crews in sustained demand.
- UC San Diego campus + research expansion$2.5B+ programPhased through 2030
Ongoing university build-out - research labs, medical, student housing. High-spec lab/cleanroom MEP and institutional construction pipeline.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The San Diego market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in San Diego.
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 San Diego a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
San Diego runs close to even: 10,440 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 8,240 light-truck drivers, 1.3 to one, 97th of 112 on that ratio.
The driving here is mostly last-mile and service, so a Class A search competes for a smaller resident pool than the total implies and often reaches outside 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 San Diego.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in San Diego?
BLS puts the San Diego median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $59,780 a year, about the same as the $58,640 national median. That ranks 41st of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $40,880 and $78,250, 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 San Diego?
Yes. San Diego has 49% fewer heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 10,440 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 645 general freight trucking companies here average about 5.6 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 59% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in San Diego?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in San Diego, a $120,960 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician at $75,070, 38% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $45,670. Relative to national pay, Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT) is the strongest-paying role here (25% above). Route / Delivery Supervisor trails national pay the most (4% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in San Diego?
BLS counted 645 general freight trucking companies in San Diego in 2023, employing about 3,588 people between them. Up from 405 in 2018, a 59% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 5.6 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $63,260, 4% below the $65,587 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with San Diego for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Riverside (87 miles, about 40,230, $60,580 median), Los Angeles (111 miles, about 61,270, $60,340 median) and Bakersfield (212 miles, about 7,050, $57,690 median). Riverside has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers this scarce in San Diego, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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