NAICS 484110, 484121
General Freight Trucking in Atwater, CA
The 1 ZIP codes assigned to Atwater contained 17 Trucking establishments in 2023.
- Establishments (2023)
- 17
- 1 ZIP codes
- 10 or more employees
- n/a
- Practical financing floor
- Share of county
- 9%
- Merced County
- City population
- 32,133
- 2025 estimate
Figures cover the ZIP codes the U.S. Postal Service assigns to Atwater (95301). ZIP areas are not municipal boundaries: they can extend beyond city limits and are shared between neighbouring places. This is a count of establishments in Atwater's ZIP codes, not a count of businesses inside its city limits.
Establishments by size
Employee-count distribution. For most buyers the businesses worth pursuing sit in the 5 to 49 range: large enough to have a manager and real systems, small enough to be owner-operated.
| Employees | Establishments | Share | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | 16 | 94.1% |
Business size mix
Atwater is more fragmented than California as a whole: a larger share of very small operators. Fragmented markets are where roll-ups are assembled, and where an owner nearing retirement has no obvious internal buyer.
| Share of establishments | Atwater | California | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 employeesOwner-operated, often no management layer | 94.1% | 82.9% | +11.3% |
| 5 to 49 employeesThe range most individual buyers target | 0.0% | 6.3% | -6.3% |
| 10 or more employeesPractical floor for acquisition financing | 0.0% | 2.9% | -2.9% |
Nearest comparable markets
The closest places to Atwater that also have Trucking establishments on record. Useful for spotting a gap next door, or realising the market you are looking at is already served from the town over.
| Market | Establishments | Vs state share |
|---|---|---|
| Merced | 49 | +87% |
| Livingston | 46 | n/a |
| Turlock | 98 | +243% |
| Waterford | 4 | n/a |
| Hughson | 6 | n/a |
The wider Merced County market
Employment and payroll are reported at county level only, so the figures below describe the county Atwater sits in.
- County establishments (2023)
- 193
- Merced County
- County employees
- 509
- Mid-March employment
- County annual payroll
- $27M
- All establishments
What acquirers look at
Rate-cycle exposure is severe and equipment debt is usually understated in seller financials. Dedicated contract lanes are worth far more than spot exposure.
Other industries in Atwater
Nearby cities
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ZIP Code Business Patterns. Establishment counts and size distribution by ZIP code and NAICS, aggregated over the ZIP codes assigned to each city. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 County Business Patterns. Establishment counts, employment and annual payroll by NAICS. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2026Q1). Quarterly establishment counts and employment for employers covered by unemployment insurance. Retrieved 2026-09-08.