diff --git a/system_tests/bigquery.py b/system_tests/bigquery.py
index 6a3d8b22e913..8a5d56e7717d 100644
--- a/system_tests/bigquery.py
+++ b/system_tests/bigquery.py
@@ -424,3 +424,87 @@ def _job_done(instance):
         by_age = operator.itemgetter(1)
         self.assertEqual(sorted(rows, key=by_age),
                          sorted(ROWS, key=by_age))
+
+    def test_load_table_from_storage_write_truncate(self):
+        import csv
+        import tempfile
+        from google.cloud.storage import Client as StorageClient
+        local_id = unique_resource_id()
+        BUCKET_NAME = 'bq_load_test' + local_id
+        BLOB_NAME = 'person_ages.csv'
+        GS_URL = 'gs://%s/%s' % (BUCKET_NAME, BLOB_NAME)
+        ROWS = [
+            ('Phred Phlyntstone', 32),
+            ('Bharney Rhubble', 33),
+            ('Wylma Phlyntstone', 29),
+            ('Bhettye Rhubble', 27),
+        ]
+        TABLE_NAME = 'test_table'
+
+        s_client = StorageClient()
+
+        # In the **very** rare case the bucket name is reserved, this
+        # fails with a ConnectionError.
+        bucket = s_client.create_bucket(BUCKET_NAME)
+        self.to_delete.append(bucket)
+
+        blob = bucket.blob(BLOB_NAME)
+
+        with tempfile.TemporaryFile(mode='w+') as csv_file:
+            writer = csv.writer(csv_file)
+            writer.writerow(('Full Name', 'Age'))
+            writer.writerows(ROWS)
+            blob.upload_from_file(
+                csv_file, rewind=True, content_type='text/csv')
+
+        self.to_delete.insert(0, blob)
+
+        dataset = Config.CLIENT.dataset(
+            _make_dataset_name('load_gcs_write_trunc'))
+
+        retry_403(dataset.create)()
+        self.to_delete.append(dataset)
+
+        full_name = bigquery.SchemaField('full_name', 'STRING',
+                                         mode='REQUIRED')
+        age = bigquery.SchemaField('age', 'INTEGER', mode='REQUIRED')
+        table = dataset.table(TABLE_NAME, schema=[full_name, age])
+        table.create()
+        self.to_delete.insert(0, table)
+
+        def _job_done(instance):
+            return instance.state in ('DONE', 'done')
+
+        job_1 = Config.CLIENT.load_table_from_storage(
+            'bq_load_trunc_1' + local_id, table, GS_URL)
+        job_1.create_disposition = 'CREATE_NEVER'
+        job_1.skip_leading_rows = 1
+        job_1.source_format = 'CSV'
+        job_1.write_disposition = 'WRITE_EMPTY'
+
+        job_1.begin()
+
+        # 8 tries -> 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + 16 + 32 + 64 = 127 seconds
+        retry = RetryInstanceState(_job_done, max_tries=8)
+        retry(job_1.reload)()
+
+        self.assertTrue(job_1.state in ('DONE', 'done'))
+
+        job_2 = Config.CLIENT.load_table_from_storage(
+            'bq_load_trunc_2' + local_id, table, GS_URL)
+        job_2.skip_leading_rows = 1
+        job_2.source_format = 'CSV'
+        job_2.write_disposition = 'WRITE_TRUNCATE'
+
+        job_2.begin()
+
+        # 8 tries -> 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + 16 + 32 + 64 = 127 seconds
+        retry = RetryInstanceState(_job_done, max_tries=8)
+        retry(job_2.reload)()
+
+        self.assertTrue(job_2.state in ('DONE', 'done'))
+
+        rows, _, _ = table.fetch_data()
+        by_age = operator.itemgetter(1)
+        self.assertEqual(sorted(rows, key=by_age),
+                         sorted(ROWS, key=by_age))