Truck Driver Resume | Create a Result-Driven Resume

As every truck driving job is not the same in terms of pay and benefits, you need to put a serious effort to approach the right job opportunity. That is where a well-written resume comes in handy.

The right resume will communicate to the recruiter that you have the required minimum qualifications to perform the task; you are well organized, thoughtful, and ready to take responsibility And here, you’ll learn step by step how to craft an excellent resume from zero..

Salary & Employment rates for truck drivers

A truck driver's job role is not merely driving a truck from A to Z. It involves more responsibilities, planning, and endurance. However, the salaries are considerably good for any employee in any sector.

The average salary of a truck driver in the USA is $60,000/ year (Payscale.com)

The pay could go up to $90,000/year based on your experience and the value you bring in. For example, apart from driving the truck, you will have responsibilities such as loading unloading, maintaining accurate records, performing vehicle inspections, and minor repairs.

Moreover, if you are a CDL truck driver, you will be paid more than the average.

What should a truck driver put on the resume?

As a truck driver, you will be asked to travel to different destinations and make deliveries. You know a proper route plan will be your best friend. Similar to this, when you have the right layout and structure in place, it's just a matter of filling in the blanks on your resume.

Here are some general guidelines:

• Limit the length of your resume to one page
• Keep your writing short and to the point
• Take note of the most important keywords in the job posting
• Prioritize your strengths
• Follow a standard layout and structure

Truck drivers are the backbone of national logistics. Logistics companies are having hundreds of job openings every month. This is because one truck driver is needed for one vehicle and that can’t be compromised.

Hiring managers receive thousands of job applications for these positions, and they don’t spend hours reading them all.

In fact, a hiring manager spends around 3-5 seconds on one application. Therefore, your application should stand out immediately to have a chance.

Here, the layout and the structure play a vital role.

The layout for this resume

The right layout will make your resume writing task ten times easier. Therefore, start your resume writing by defining your layout.

Here’s what we recommend:

• Name and contact information
• Professional summary statement
• Work history
• Education
• Skills
• Additional sections

If you want to create a great resume for your next truck driver job in ten minutes, use one of our ready-to-fill resume templates.

Best resume format

There are three types of standard resume formats.

• Functional (skills-based): A functional format emphasizes relevant skills instead of job history
• Reverse Chronological (traditional): Your most recent experience is listed first, and the rest of your previous experience follows in reverse chronological order. A great choice for a highly skilled candidate
• Hybrid (combination resume): This is a blend of reverse chronological and functional resumes

For a truck driver resume sample, we suggest using a reverse chronological format as your latest experience would be valuable for the recruiters to make a decision.

Also, consider the following bullet points:

• Send your resume in MS Word or PDF format. Check the job description for further instructions
• Maintain consistent margins
• Use readable fonts and large headings

Start with the Header

The header in your resume consists of your name and the contact details. Though this is straightforward information, this is a vital part of your document.

There are a couple of general mistakes applicants make in this section, which we have highlighted in the following examples.

A good & a bad header

Following points distinguishes a good header from a bad one:

• Always start your header with the name
• Mention your current title
• Ensure your email address is professional-looking
• Include a phone number where you can be reached directly
• Your full address is not necessary for the recruiter

About me: professional summary for a truck driver

This is the hook in your resume. Make this right: the hiring manager will read your whole resume spending more than the average time, which is exactly what we need.

Writing a compelling resume summary is not art; knowing the right structure, anyone can write it from zero. Check out the following examples and see the difference between a good and a bad resume summary.

Examples

Pick the keywords from the job description and naturally include a couple of them in the summary. Keywords such as reliability, on-time deliveries, safety, secured cargo, traffic laws, client satisfaction, and experience are some of them.

Don’t write the summary that everyone else is writing and expect a different result. Remember, only 5% of the candidates write a proper resume summary and they are the ones who get the call for the interview.

Professional objective statement for truck drivers

Write an intriguing profile summary if you are an experienced candidate. If you are applying for an entry-level position or planning a career change, you may write a Resume Objective Summary that highlights your enthusiasm and passion for the position.

Experience: how to showcase it in your resume

This is hands down the most important part of your resume. As a truck driver, having experience in different routes, getting to know the roads, understanding the related laws and regulations all comes with experience.

However, as every long-distance truck journey has a starting point, you should start somewhere even with no experience. Some companies hire truck drivers for entry levels and provide them with training under experienced drivers. We will also cover how to write your experience section even if you’re an entry-level driver.

Examples of work experience for an experienced truck driver

Most of your resume writing time should go for writing your work experience section. The reason: some recruiters only read the experience section of a candidate to make a shortlisting decision.

Examples of work experience for an entry-level truck driver

You can also write about the hours spent driving trucks in your driving school if you have no experience at all. Do not keep this section blank for any reason.

Education: include your academic background

The education requirements for truck driver jobs are rarely emphasized in job descriptions. However, it will reflect a positive image of an applicant with a solid educational background.

Use a proper structure for listing your education section. We suggest the following:

• Name of the school
• Degree
• Years of education
• Your learnings (optional)

Example education section of a Construction Worker Resume

The skills of a truck driver | Which ones to put on the resume

This section is especially important if you do not possess much experience for the job. However, every candidate should write this section.

You should pick the required skills from the job advertisement itself and match them with your skillset.

Here it is important that you write a mix of soft skills and hard skills in the skills section. Hard skills are industry-specific skills while soft skills are general abilities required to perform the job.

Soft Skills:

• Interpersonal skills
• Ability to work in a challenging environment
• High endurance
• Time management
• Communication
• Leadership skills
• Team player

Hard Skills:

• Vehicle inspection
• Inventory management
• Understanding of safety concerns
• Understanding of DOT regulations
• Local regulations knowledge
• Understanding of interstate routes

Additional sections for your resume

If the recruiter needs a little more encouragement to drag your resume to the "Selected" folder, here is the trick. Give them a pleasant surprise with one of your most valuable and relevant skills.

There are a couple of things you could write about.

• Computer skills and certifications
• Interests
• Languages

You could have put them under your skills section or education right?

Why are we asking you to separate them?

Simple: Everyone writes education and skills sections. Thanks to reading hundreds of resumes, recruiters are already familiar with this format. They barely read the whole sections.

By putting this important information in a separate section, you get their attention. There is a higher chance that they read it.

Computing Skills & Certifications

You can either list your computer skills if you have any, or you can list the relevant certifications.

A certification such as CDL class A will get your resume ahead of most general trucker resumes; leading to shortlisting your resume under a higher paying category.

Basic computer literacy is also important for a truck driver. You might have to read information from a system and update it. Having a basic certification in Microsoft office or similar would be advantageous.

Interests

If you have space in your one-page resume, this subsection is a valuable filler. List down 3-4 of your interests. Make sure they add value to the truck driver job you apply for.

For example, playing an intense sport like football or ruger would mean you have the strength and the endurance required to perform the daily tasks. And, this is valuable information the recruiter will definitely consider.

Languages

Having fluency in a couple of languages would be an advantage for you as a long-distance driver. In your job, while travelling between different states and dealing with, you might have to communicate with different nationalities speaking different languages.

Tips to boost your resume

Getting your truck driver resume to the top 5% of the applications at any list is the objective of this article. However, there are a couple of pro tips that you can do to boost your resume.

• If you haven’t already got the Commercial driver’s license- class A certificate, consider applying for one. If you have applied, you can state in your resume that you’re reading for the certification
• Use numbers to prove what you state in your experience and skills sections: numbers add credibility to your statements
• Make sure you don’t have any grammar mistakes in your resume: use a tool like grammarly to check

Summary: Writing a perfect resume for trucking jobs

• Your name and contact information should appear at the top of your resume
• The summary is the hook of your resume; highlight your skills, experience, and expertise in two sentences
• List your experiences in reverse chronological order; use numbers as much as possible
• Describe your basic education and the learning outcomes related to the job
• Compile a mix of soft and hard skills; give priority to the hard skills
• Provide a pleasant surprise to the hiring manager by including certifications, interests, and languages as a separate section

Write a proper cover letter for your resume

Cover letters are a great way to communicate to your employer why you will make a great hire for them. It serves as your sales pitch.

In one paragraph, describe your past experiences, strengths, and expertise. In the next paragraph, write about how you can use that experience to serve the new employer and solve their problems.

Identify the greatest problems they face when making a hiring decision for a truck driver: reliability, safe driving practices, meeting deadlines, and making deliveries on time.

It is more likely that your next employer will want to meet with you if you address these pain points in your cover letter.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best trucking companies for beginner and intermediate truck drivers?

These are the best trucking companies in the USA providing employment for beginner and experienced truck drivers: (Trucking company list payscale)

• B. Hunt Transport, Inc (average salary $50,000 per year)
• Ryder Integrated Logistics, Inc (average salary $54,000 per year)
• Waste Management, Inc (average salary $18 per hour)
• XPO Logistics (average salary $62,000 per year)

Do truck drivers really need a resume?

Truck driver jobs come with lots of responsibilities and regulatory requirements in many countries including the USA.

Therefore, employers require a comprehensive list of information to make a hiring decision.

In addition, a truck driver job is a highly demanding job; an average job opening receives hundreds of applications. Most companies use an applicant tracking system to shortlist the applications for interviews. These tracking systems require well-written resumes.

Therefore, it’s advisable —and almost mandatory— to write a complete resume to apply for a truck driver job.

Check out more templates for your truck driver resume