Hockaday is professor emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. From 1983-2002, he taught a variety of transportation, civil engineering and environmental engineering classes.

Hockaday earned his M.S. degree (1968) and Ph.D. (1969) in Civil Engineering, Transportation at the University of California, Berkeley. He has worked on numerous transportation research projects, and has worked on a consultant basis in the fields of airport and airspace planning and design and environmental and operational impacts of aircraft. Hockaday is a registered professional civil engineer, environmental engineer, and traffic engineer. He is a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Dr. Hockaday has published an extensive list of articles, papers, reports and presentations. His honors and awards include the Meritorious Performance Award, School of Engineering, California Polytechnic State University, 1985 and 1987; Letter of Commendation, United States Air Force, Communications Command, 1984; and the Regents Fellowship, University of California, Berkeley, 1967.