Truckload shipping in the Central Valley of California
Lifetime Logistics Services LLC, a Covina, California freight broker with its own trucks, runs truckload shipping out of the Central Valley at a pace of ten to twenty loads a week. Nearly all of it is dry van freight headed south from the San Joaquin Valley to Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. Send the quote form with your pickup, delivery and date, or call (562) 566-8953.
From our dispatch records, January through September 2026
- How often we run it
- Ten to twenty loads a week
- Trailer types
- Dry Van, Flatbed
- Who hauls it
- Mostly partner carriers, with our own trucks on some loads
- Drop trailers
- On some loads
- Direction
- Mostly outbound
A southbound market
For us the Central Valley is an origin. About seven in ten of the loads we handled here from January through September 2026 were leaving the valley, and almost every one of them was going to Southern California.
Our volume is heaviest in two parts of the valley. The larger is the south end, in Tulare County between Fresno and Bakersfield. The smaller is the north end, around Stockton and Modesto in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. We also load in Fresno, Bakersfield and the towns along State Route 99 between them.
The lanes we run from here
The main lane is Central Valley to Los Angeles. We move several loads a week from the south valley to receivers in City of Industry, Vernon and Commerce, about 170 miles over the Tejon Pass on Interstate 5.
The second lane runs to the Inland Empire, a few loads a week and about 190 miles. Most of those deliveries are dropped trailers. There is also a return flow: a few loads a week go from the Inland Empire back up into the valley, and our own trucks cover more than half of them.
From the north valley, the usual trip is a dry van from the Stockton area down to the San Gabriel Valley, around 350 miles. We also bring loads into the north valley from Eugene, Oregon a few times a month.
Equipment and coverage
More than nine loads in ten here are dry van. The remainder is flatbed, mostly out of the Modesto area. We do not list refrigerated service, so although the valley ships a great deal of produce, what we haul from it is dry freight that does not need temperature control.
About a quarter of our Central Valley loads rode on our own trucks in 2026, and the share is higher on the Inland Empire round trip. The rest moved with partner carriers vetted through Highway.
Planning a valley pickup
The two things that change a Central Valley quote most are the season and the pass. Trucks are harder to find during harvest, when produce pulls capacity out of the dry van market. And in winter, snow or high wind can close Interstate 5 over the Grapevine for hours, which pushes deliveries into the next day. Both are worth asking about when you request a quote.
The valley floor is flat and fast, and fog is its winter hazard. Dense tule fog between November and February can slow State Route 99 to a crawl in the morning, which makes afternoon pickups the safer choice in those months. We serve the valley from our office in Covina. We have no yard or staff in Fresno, Bakersfield or Stockton.
Lanes we run most often here
| Lane | How often | Trailer types |
|---|---|---|
| Central Valley to Los Angeles | Several loads a week | Dry Van, Flatbed |
| Central Valley to Inland Empire | A few loads a week | Dry Van |
| Inland Empire to Central Valley | A few loads a week | Dry Van |
| Eugene and the Willamette Valley to Central Valley | A few loads a month | Dry Van |
| Central Valley to Salinas and the Central Coast | About one load a month | Flatbed, Dry Van |
Questions shippers ask
- Which parts of the Central Valley do you cover?
- The whole San Joaquin Valley from Bakersfield to Stockton. Our heaviest volume is in Tulare County in the south and around Stockton and Modesto in the north.
- How long does a load take from the Central Valley to Los Angeles?
- From the south valley it is about 170 miles and normally delivers the same day or the next morning. From Stockton it is about 350 miles and normally delivers the next day. Traffic and weather on the Grapevine can add time.
- Do you haul produce or refrigerated freight from the valley?
- No. We do not list refrigerated service. The freight we move from the Central Valley travels in dry vans and on flatbeds.
- Can you set up drop trailers at a Central Valley shipper?
- Possibly. Our busiest drop trailer lane runs from the Central Valley to the Inland Empire. It depends on steady weekly volume and room in your yard, so tell us both when you ask for a quote.
Ready to price a load?
Send the quote form or call us. A person on our team replies with a price.