The recorded history of the 2nd Automotive Contact Maintenance Platoon dates back to August 1952. When the first Marine Corps Reserve Unit was formed in Sacramento, California. The unit's title has changed several times during it's existence. The original unit was designated 2ND CARGO COMPANY, USMCR, but was soon redesignated as 2ND SPECIAL TRUCK COMPANY shortly after forming. The unit was once again redesignated as Motor Transport Maintenance Company (-), with a Detachment in Abilene, Texas.

In 1979 the Detachment in Abilene became an unattached unit and the Sacramento Marines were reformed to support two separate Motor Transport Units. The units were formally designated as Detachment 3, (Rein) Motor Transport Maintenance Company, 4th Maintenance Battalion, and Detachment 1, Truck Company, 6th Motor Transport Battalion. The Sacramento Marines remain as such until 1982.

During 1982 the Truck Company Detachment was disbanded and the Maintenance Company Detachment was redisignated to it's current title. The unit originally conducted their drills one night a week at the Front Street Naval Training Center in Sacramento. In the 1960's it became apparent the training center would have to be vacated due to the construction of the I-5 Interstate Highway system. Ground was broken at the present site and the Naval Marine Corps Reserve Center was constructed.

The unit was at it's peak strength in 1967 with 299 enlisted Marines and 4 Officers. The current strength is close to 200 Marines which exemplifies the strong pride maintained in the Marine Corps Reserve by residents within the Northern California area.

The Sacramento Marines drill at the only Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center north of the City of Stockton in the central California Valley. The Marines report to the reserve center on a monthly basis from locations that include the Mt. Shasta area to the north, the Bay area to the west, as far south as Fresno, and the Reno area to the east.

The unit's current mission of performing direct support maintenance to motor transport equipment through the utilization of contact repair teams preserves the long history of motor transport support by Sacramento Marines.