Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Stockton.
Stockton has 163% more heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers per job than the country as a whole, about 10,110 in the metro. BLS counts 1,016 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 Stockton.
BLS counts about 15,990 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Stockton metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 10,110). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 2.63). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Stockton: 10,110 employed · $60,470 median, 30th-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Stockton: 2,680 employed · $46,570 median, 21st-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Stockton: 670 employed · $55,780 median, 12th-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Stockton: 800 employed · $101,340 median, 70th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Stockton: 430 employed · $83,470 median, 28th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Stockton: 760 employed · $70,410 median, 22nd-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Stockton: 270 employed · $58,690 median, 24th-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Stockton: 1,160 employed · $76,560 median, 34th-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Stockton: 2,440 employed · $73,970 median, 4th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Stockton.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Stockton earn a median $60,470, 3% over the $58,640 national figure, and 30th of 112 metros. Pay runs $40,500 at the tenth percentile to $80,070 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, at $73,970 against $62,890 nationally.
| Role | Stockton median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $60,470 | $40,500–$80,070 | $58,640 | +3% | 10,110 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $46,570 | $36,190–$85,760 | $44,860 | +4% | 2,680 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $55,780 | $37,060–$83,460 | $50,340 | +11% | 670 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $101,340 | $72,270–$179,870 | $107,230 | −5% | 800 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $83,470 | $54,650–$144,390 | $80,730 | +3% | 430 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $70,410 | $46,990–$90,170 | $61,770 | +14% | 760 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $58,690 | $42,540–$103,660 | $52,260 | +12% | 270 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $76,560 | $48,640–$126,280 | $75,940 | +1% | 1,160 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $73,970 | $47,450–$95,330 | $62,890 | +18% | 2,440 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Stockton 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 Stockton's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Stockton rose from 322 in 2018 to 1,016 in 2023, up 216%, ahead of the 49% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 32%, to about 6,210 people. Average annual pay there went from $53,672 to $63,184 (+18%), slower than the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 322 | 1,016 | +216% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 4,720 | 6,210 | +32% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $53,672 | $63,184 | +18% |
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
Stockton runs 163% 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 Stockton's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Stockton ranks 44th for headcount, 28th for median pay and 1st for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. That puts it among the deepest commercial trucking labor markets in the country.
| 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 Stockton, the pool is deep but local employers have been cutting headcount. Experienced people are here, and some will be open to a move, so a clear offer and a defined path up usually beat a higher posted rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Stockton 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, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield and Modesto, so candidates licensed there can work in Stockton without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: California Department of Motor Vehicles. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Stockton talent.
The closest metro we cover is Modesto, about 25 miles away, with roughly 3,510 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (0.3 times Stockton's 10,110). San Jose pays the most nearby, a $70,730 median, 17% above Stockton. That is the number any Stockton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockton | – | 10,110 | $60,470 |
| Modesto | 27 mi | 3,510 | $58,330 |
| Sacramento | 44 mi | 10,960 | $60,810 |
| San Jose | 54 mi | 5,360 | $70,730 |
| San Francisco | 63 mi | 16,450 | $66,450 |
| Fresno | 118 mi | 8,170 | $55,740 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Stockton crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Stockton in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- NorCal Logistics Center342-acre industrial park (~4.4M sq ft planned)Multi-year buildout
A large-scale industrial park designed for e-commerce fulfillment, distribution, and advanced manufacturing - sustained warehouse-construction demand for years.
- Walmart fulfillment center900,000 sq ftOpening 2026
A new high-tech fulfillment center at 150 Mariposa Road expected to employ more than 1,000 people - substantial warehouse-facility MEP demand.
- I-5 Stockton Channel Viaduct ReplacementNearly $1B ($532M already allocated via SB1)Construction begins 2026, completion 2031
The largest project investment in Caltrans District 10 history - replacing aging bridge structures on one of California's busiest highways.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Stockton market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Stockton.
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 Stockton a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
For every light-truck driver BLS counts in Stockton there are 3.8 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers - 10,110 against 2,680, 4th 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 Stockton.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Stockton?
BLS puts the Stockton median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $60,470 a year, 3% above the $58,640 national median. That ranks 30th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $40,500 and $80,070, 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 Stockton?
Not by national standards. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make up 163% more of the Stockton workforce than they do nationally, about 10,110 people. The 1,016 general freight trucking companies here average about 6.1 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 216% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Stockton?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Stockton, a $101,340 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Route / Delivery Supervisor at $73,970, 27% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $46,570. Relative to national pay, Route / Delivery Supervisor is the strongest-paying role here (18% above). Fleet Manager trails national pay the most (5% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Stockton?
BLS counted 1,016 general freight trucking companies in Stockton in 2023, employing about 6,210 people between them. Up from 322 in 2018, a 216% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 6.1 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $63,184, 4% below the $65,587 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Stockton for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Modesto (27 miles, about 3,510, $58,330 median), Sacramento (44 miles, about 10,960, $60,810 median) and San Jose (54 miles, about 5,360, $70,730 median). San Jose pays 17% more, which is where Stockton employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Stockton 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.
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