Commercial Trucking recruiters serving San Francisco.
San Francisco has about 16,450 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 22nd of the 112 we cover, and still 48% fewer per job than the country - so they are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 1,040 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 Francisco.
BLS counts about 40,100 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the San Francisco metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 16,450). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.52). 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 Francisco: 16,450 employed · $66,450 median, 3rd-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →San Francisco: 14,470 employed · $50,820 median, 2nd-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
San Francisco: 3,010 employed · $58,610 median, 6th-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
San Francisco: 3,750 employed · $145,170 median, 3rd-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
San Francisco: 7,500 employed · $118,890 median, 2nd-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
San Francisco: 1,730 employed · $82,100 median, 4th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
San Francisco: 1,960 employed · $60,980 median, 7th-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
San Francisco: 16,420 employed · $103,140 median, 2nd-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
San Francisco: 7,450 employed · $73,950 median, 5th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in San Francisco.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in San Francisco earn a median $66,450, 13% over the $58,640 national figure, and 3rd of 112 metros. Pay runs $48,300 at the tenth percentile to $94,280 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, at $82,100 against $61,770 nationally.
| Role | San Francisco median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $66,450 | $48,300–$94,280 | $58,640 | +13% | 16,450 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $50,820 | $42,300–$93,280 | $44,860 | +13% | 14,470 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $58,610 | $45,430–$93,530 | $50,340 | +16% | 3,010 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $145,170 | $79,690–$233,200 | $107,230 | +35% | 3,750 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $118,890 | $64,850–$179,150 | $80,730 | +47% | 7,500 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $82,100 | $48,900–$105,550 | $61,770 | +33% | 1,730 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $60,980 | $46,230–$98,870 | $52,260 | +17% | 1,960 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $103,140 | $61,500–$171,420 | $75,940 | +36% | 16,420 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $73,950 | $51,060–$114,390 | $62,890 | +18% | 7,450 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, San Francisco 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 Francisco's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in San Francisco rose from 545 in 2018 to 1,040 in 2023, up 91%, ahead of the 49% national rise. Their combined payroll headcount barely moved, at about 7,399. Average annual pay there went from $54,514 to $67,907 (+25%), in step with the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 545 | 1,040 | +91% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 7,514 | 7,399 | −2% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $54,514 | $67,907 | +25% |
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 Francisco runs 48% 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 Francisco's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, San Francisco ranks 22nd for headcount, 3rd for median pay and 94th 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 Francisco, the local pool is thin but growing. Expect a mix of local candidates and people recruited in from nearby metros, and budget for relocation on senior roles.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, San Francisco 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 Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton and Modesto, so candidates licensed there can work in San Francisco without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: California Department of Motor Vehicles. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a commercial trucking search in San Francisco yet. Here is what we have closed.
These are other trades in the same market. We would rather show you the searches we have actually run in San Francisco than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Roofing ShinglerThree weeks to add a safety-conscious shingler to a crew the client keeps building year-round.
- Roofing Project ManagerTwo decades of superintendent and project management experience against a five-year bar - placed in days.
- Commercial Construction ForemanFifteen years of construction with foreman-level crew leadership on both commercial and residential builds.
Nearby markets competing for San Francisco talent.
The closest metro we cover is San Jose, about 40 miles away, with roughly 5,360 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (0.3 times San Francisco's 16,450). San Jose pays the most nearby, a $70,730 median, 6% above San Francisco. That is the number any San Francisco offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. San Francisco 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | – | 16,450 | $66,450 |
| San Jose | 42 mi | 5,360 | $70,730 |
| Stockton | 63 mi | 10,110 | $60,470 |
| Sacramento | 75 mi | 10,960 | $60,810 |
| Modesto | 78 mi | 3,510 | $58,330 |
| Fresno | 162 mi | 8,170 | $55,740 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for San Francisco crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into San Francisco in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- BART / regional transit modernizationReal trend, no verified regional totalRolling
Transit infrastructure and station rebuilds. Seismic-rated civil, structural, and systems electrical work across a multi-year public pipeline.
- Transbay district high-rise towers (downtown SF)Real trend, no verified regional totalRolling
Salesforce Tower district build-out continues with adjacent office + residential towers. Seismic-rated high-rise structural + MEP at the highest wage scale in the country.
- UCSF / Kaiser / Sutter hospital expansionsReal trend, no verified regional totalRolling
OSHPD/HCAI-compliant healthcare construction. Seismic retrofit deadlines drive urgent demand for healthcare mechanical PMs and hospital-experienced trades.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The San Francisco market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in San Francisco.
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 Francisco a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
San Francisco runs close to even: 16,450 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 14,470 light-truck drivers, 1.1 to one, 110th 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 Francisco.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in San Francisco?
BLS puts the San Francisco median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $66,450 a year, 13% above the $58,640 national median. That ranks 3rd of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $48,300 and $94,280, 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 San Francisco?
Yes. San Francisco has 48% fewer heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 16,450 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 1,040 general freight trucking companies here average about 7.1 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 91% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in San Francisco?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in San Francisco, a $145,170 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician at $82,100, 43% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $50,820. Relative to national pay, Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT) is the strongest-paying role here (47% above).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in San Francisco?
BLS counted 1,040 general freight trucking companies in San Francisco in 2023, employing about 7,399 people between them. Up from 545 in 2018, a 91% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 7.1 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $67,907, 4% above the $65,587 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with San Francisco for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are San Jose (42 miles, about 5,360, $70,730 median), Stockton (63 miles, about 10,110, $60,470 median) and Sacramento (75 miles, about 10,960, $60,810 median). San Jose pays 6% more, which is where San Francisco employers tend to lose people.
Deep pool. Heavily fished.
San Francisco has 16,450 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 22nd of the 112 metros we cover, and still 48% 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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