The incident happened Wednesday as the M-1070 Heavy Equipment Transport vehicle was on a delivery route to the military in Southern California, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.
The driver, 63-year-old Patrick VanNess of Los Angeles, was arrested after leading authorities on a pursuit, during which he drove the truck through a gate and onto Sandspit Beach in the Los Osos area.
The vehicle was removed Thursday after it got stuck in the sand.
VanNess is expected to be charged with theft of the vehicle, which is worth more than $500,000, according to the sheriff's office.