Transportation & Driving Jobs in Los Angeles, CA

Freight from the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro rolls up the 710 to terminals in Gardena, Commerce and Santa Fe Springs, while LA Metro runs buses countywide, so driving work here never runs short. The guides below cover every transportation and driving role in Los Angeles.

Bus Driver Jobs CDL Truck Driver Jobs Delivery Driver Jobs Truck Driver Jobs

Why Transportation & Driving Work Is Different in Los Angeles

Los Angeles driving jobs are shaped by the water and the warehouse belt. The Port of Los Angeles is the busiest container port in the Western Hemisphere, and the Alameda Corridor and the 710 carry its boxes north to rail yards and distribution centers in Vernon, Commerce, Santa Fe Springs and the City of Industry. That concentration means most truck driving here is local: LTL carriers, bottlers, grocery and foodservice distributors and ready-mix producers run routes that bring drivers home every day, and van and box truck routes fan out from the same industrial districts into the Westside, the South Bay and the Valley.

Passenger work is just as local. LA Metro, Torrance Transit and Long Beach Transit train new bus operators from scratch and pay them while they earn the Class B license, and UCLA and USC run their own campus bus and shuttle fleets. California rules add a layer the rest of the country does not have: transit and school bus drivers need state training certificates on top of the commercial license, heavy trucks must pass CARB's Clean Truck Check emissions program, and port drivers need a TSA TWIC card for secure terminal areas.

Top Transportation & Driving Employers in Los Angeles

These employers had driver openings in the Los Angeles area on their own career sites when this page was checked:

  • LA Metro - the county transit agency hires full-time and part-time bus operators and trains them for the Class B license.
  • Saia - the LTL carrier hires Class A city drivers with hazmat, tank and doubles endorsements at its Gardena terminal.
  • XPO - the LTL carrier runs home-daily Class A night routes from Santa Fe Springs on a step pay scale.
  • Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling - the bottler hires union Class A route and transport drivers in Sylmar, Downey and the City of Industry.
  • CalPortland - the concrete producer hires Class A and Class B ready-mix drivers at its Los Angeles plants.
  • Cintas - the uniform and facility services company hires route drivers in Compton, Santa Fe Springs and Pico Rivera on a regular license.
  • UCLA Transportation - hires Class B BruinBus transit operators on the Westwood campus.

Transportation & Driving Career Paths in Los Angeles

  • Local delivery - Delivery Driver and Courier. The fastest way in, usually on a regular license, with routes out of the industrial districts south and east of downtown.
  • Commercial trucking - CDL Truck Driver, Owner Operator Truck Driver and Heavy Haul Driver. The highest-paid driving track, built on a Class A or Class B and the right endorsements.
  • Passenger transport - Bus Driver. Transit agencies hire without a commercial license and train you for one, with pay that rises on a seniority scale.
  • Operations - Dispatcher. The step off the road for experienced drivers who know the routes, the rules and the customers.

How to Start a Transportation & Driving Career in Los Angeles

  • California Class C license - issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles; covers vans and box trucks up to 26,000 pounds and is all most delivery routes need.
  • Commercial driver license, Class A or Class B - issued by the DMV after a DOT medical exam, a commercial learner's permit held at least 14 days, federal Entry-Level Driver Training and a skills test. Original application fee $100.
  • Endorsements - hazmat, tank and doubles for LTL freight; passenger and school bus for buses. Each requires DMV testing, and hazmat, passenger and school bus require Entry-Level Driver Training.
  • Transit or school bus certificate - required by the state for transit and school bus drivers, with 15 to 20 hours of classroom and 20 hours behind the wheel; the CHP tests school bus drivers.
  • TWIC card - issued by the TSA for unescorted access to secure port terminal areas; $125.25 for a new card, valid five years.
  • Long Beach City College CDL Training Program - Class A, four weeks and 160 hours, $5,595; El Camino College in Torrance also offers Class A truck driver training.

A license that matches your vehicle, the CDL and its endorsements, and the state bus certificates are legally required; the TWIC card is required only for secure port areas, and training school, experience and a clean record beyond the legal minimum are employer preference.

Transportation & Driving Salaries in Los Angeles

  • Entry - about $19 to $25 an hour for van, box truck and route drivers on a regular license and for bus operator trainees.
  • Mid - roughly $25 to $35 an hour for Class A and Class B local drivers and transit operators with a few years in.
  • Senior - about $35 to $42 an hour for endorsed LTL and transport drivers and top-step transit operators.

These are estimates from BLS 2025 data for the Los Angeles metro, where the median is $29.01 an hour for heavy truck drivers, $32.70 for transit bus drivers and $22.36 for light truck drivers, and from pay ranges local employers post. Transit agencies pay on seniority scales, with LA Metro topping out at $42.57 an hour after five years, while LTL carriers pay the most for endorsements. Public transit jobs add benefits such as Long Beach Transit's pension and LA Metro's free transit pass for operators and their dependents.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the easiest driving job to get in Los Angeles?

Van and box truck delivery, because most of it needs only a regular California license and a clean record. Bus operator jobs at LA Metro and Torrance Transit are also open to new drivers, since the agencies train you for the commercial license.

Which driving jobs pay the most in Los Angeles?

Class A LTL city drivers with hazmat, tank and doubles endorsements post $33 to $41 an hour here, and senior transit operators at LA Metro reach $42.57. Delivery drivers on a regular license typically earn $19 to $27.

Do I need a TWIC card to drive in Los Angeles?

Only for work that needs unescorted access to secure areas of port terminals, such as drayage at the Port of Los Angeles. The TSA issues it for five years, and a new card costs $125.25.

How long does it take to get a CDL in Los Angeles?

You must hold a commercial learner's permit for at least 14 days before the skills test, and Long Beach City College's Class A program takes four weeks. LA Metro's paid bus operator training, which ends with the Class B test, runs six to eight weeks.

Are there home-daily truck driving jobs in Los Angeles?

Yes, most truck driving here is local. LTL carriers such as Saia and XPO, Reyes Coca-Cola, grocery and foodservice distributors and ready-mix producers run routes out of Gardena, Santa Fe Springs, Commerce and the City of Industry.

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