Central Valley to Los Angeles freight

Our single busiest corridor

More of our loads travel between the Central Valley and Southern California than on any other corridor. From January through September 2026 the southbound count alone came to about seven loads a week.

About six in ten of those delivered in Los Angeles County, mostly City of Industry, Vernon and Commerce. The rest delivered in the Inland Empire. A few loads a week also ran back north from the Inland Empire into the valley.

Distance depends on where in the valley

The San Joaquin Valley alone is about 250 miles long, so one number does not fit. Most of our loads start in Tulare County in the south valley, about 170 to 190 miles from their delivery. Bakersfield is closer, around 110 miles from downtown Los Angeles. Fresno is about 220 miles, and Stockton about 340.

Every one of those trips funnels onto Interstate 5 at the south end of the valley and climbs the Tejon Pass, the stretch known as the Grapevine. It is a long grade in both directions with a truck speed limit and a brake check area.

Typical transit time

From the south valley the drive is three to four hours, so a morning pickup can deliver the same afternoon. In practice many of our loads pick up late in the day and deliver the next morning. From Stockton or Modesto plan on next day.

Winter is the exception. Snow and ice close the Grapevine from time to time in winter, sometimes for most of a day. When that happens trucks wait or detour through Tehachapi on State Route 58, which adds hours. We track each load, so if a closure holds your truck we can tell you where it is. We do not guarantee delivery times.

What moves on the lane

This is dry van freight, about nineteen loads in twenty, with the balance on flatbeds. It is not refrigerated.

Loads going to Los Angeles County are live unloaded and hauled almost entirely by partner carriers. Loads going to the Inland Empire are different: about three in four are dropped trailers, and our own trucks pull close to four in ten of them. Northbound from the Inland Empire back to the valley, our own trucks haul more than half.

If your dock ships this corridor several times a week, ask about drop trailer service. It is the lane where we do the most of it.

Seasonal capacity

Truck supply in the valley tightens during harvest, when produce pulls carriers away from dry freight. Booking a day or two ahead in those months gets you a better choice of trucks. More background is on the Central Valley page, and the delivery end is covered under Los Angeles and the Inland Empire.