NAICS 484110, 484121
General Freight Trucking in Shafter, CA
The 1 ZIP codes assigned to Shafter contained 25 Trucking establishments in 2023, of which 3 employed 10 or more people.
- Establishments (2023)
- 25
- 1 ZIP codes
- 10 or more employees
- 3
- Practical financing floor
- Share of county
- 4%
- Kern County
- City population
- 23,871
- 2025 estimate
Figures cover the ZIP codes the U.S. Postal Service assigns to Shafter (93263). 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 Shafter'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 | 15 | 60.0% | |
| 20-49 | 3 | 12.0% |
Business size mix
Shafter is more consolidated than California as a whole: fewer micro-operators and a larger share of businesses with real headcount. Fewer targets, but the ones that exist are more likely to be financeable.
| Share of establishments | Shafter | California | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 employeesOwner-operated, often no management layer | 60.0% | 82.9% | -22.9% |
| 5 to 49 employeesThe range most individual buyers target | 12.0% | 6.3% | +5.7% |
| 10 or more employeesPractical floor for acquisition financing | 12.0% | 2.9% | +9.1% |
Nearest comparable markets
The closest places to Shafter 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wasco | 14 | n/a |
| Bakersfield | 538 | +214% |
| Delano | 19 | +135% |
| Arvin | 4 | n/a |
| Porterville | 21 | +41% |
The wider Kern County market
Employment and payroll are reported at county level only, so the figures below describe the county Shafter sits in.
- County establishments (2023)
- 643
- Kern County
- County employees
- 3,306
- Mid-March employment
- County annual payroll
- $176M
- 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 Shafter
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.