4 Truck Driver Resume Examples & Templates for 2024

Truck drivers, responsible for delivering goods safely and efficiently across various distances, are essential in the logistics and transportation industry. Their role requires excellent driving skills, adherence to safety regulations, and the ability to manage long hours on the road. Creating a well-written truck driver resume is essential for getting a job that you’ll really enjoy.

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Sample Truck Driver Resume—See more resume samples here.

Truck Driver Resume Example

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Entry-Level / Junior Truck Driver Resume Example

An entry-level or junior truck driver is typically new to the field and is gaining experience in long-haul or local deliveries. They’re eager to learn and contribute to the team while developing their driving skills. Below, you’ll find a resume sample for an entry-level truck driver.

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Middle Truck Driver Resume Example

A middle-level truck driver has a few years of experience in the field and is proficient in handling various types of deliveries. They have developed a good understanding of transportation logistics and can manage more complex driving routes. Here's a resume sample for a middle-level truck driver.

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Experienced / Senior Truck Driver Resume Example

A senior truck driver has extensive experience in the field and is highly skilled in managing complex driving routes, handling specialized cargo, and ensuring compliance with all transportation regulations. They’re capable of leading teams and ensuring the safe and efficient delivery of goods. Here's a resume sample for a senior truck driver.

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Resume Templates for Truck Drivers

After analyzing 11 million resumes using the Zety Resume Builder, these are the top 3 resume template choices of truck drivers.

Cascade

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For truck drivers, I believe the Cascade resume template is a top choice. Its clean, dual-column layout efficiently separates personal details from work experience, making it easy for hiring managers to find essential information quickly. This minimalistic design highlights your driving skills and employment history without any distractions. This clean resume template is perfect for showcasing your ability to manage logistics and long-haul driving effectively.

Concept

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In my opinion, the Concept resume template is perfect for truck drivers who want a modern yet practical design. The single-column layout ensures that everything is clearly presented, with a sidebar that neatly organizes contact details and key competencies. This polished layout helps recruiters focus on your driving experience and qualifications. By adopting this visual resume style, you can present your career in the trucking industry in a professional and appealing way.

Diamond

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From my perspective, the Diamond resume template offers a sophisticated and clear presentation for truck drivers. Its two-column design effectively separates personal information and a professional summary from detailed sections on experience, education, and certifications. The structured format, with visually appealing bullet points, ensures easy navigation. This unique resume template is a great example of a modern resume style, ideal for organizing and professionally presenting your driving credentials, making it easy for recruiters to understand your qualifications.

How to Write a Truck Driver Resume:

1. Pick the Best Format for a Truck Driver Resume

The best truck driver resume format will grab his attention like an air horn. The reverse-chronological driver resume format does that. How? By shortcutting right to the important info. It lists your last job first.

Use clear, legible fonts and big, friendly headings. Finally, save your resume as a PDF. PDFs preserve the resume formatting when you send them. MS Word resumes can scramble in transit.

But—does the company you’re applying to accept commercial truck driver resume PDFs? If the job description doesn't ban them, that's a green light. Just make sure to check.

Want to explore other formats for a resume for truck drivers? See our guide: 3 Best Resume Formats: How to Choose the Right One [Examples].

Of course, you'll add basic contact info to your truck driver resume:

• Full Name
• Updated Phone Number
• Professional Email Address

But add a LinkedIn profile. Many don't, but 87% of hiring managers consider them essential.

If you're not on LinkedIn, don't panic. There's a great guide here on how to make a professional LinkedIn profile. You can also add an X handle and other social media hangouts to a resume for truck drivers.

Pro Tip: Do you have Facebook closet skeletons? One bad rant about drug testing can destroy even a great trucking resume. See this guide to tidying up your online presence.

2. Describe Your Truck Driver Experience on a Resume

You don't need experience to fill just any old truck driver job description, but a resume for a truck driver without experience will default to the lowest-paying work.

How you show it matters most:

• Show your last job first. Under it, list 4-6 bullet points. 
• Cram them with measurable accomplishments that fit this job opening.
• Don't be generic. Take time to brainstorm your achievements. Something that only took a couple of hours can look great on a professional trucking resume.

But what if you don't have experience to start with?

The only way to get experience for an OTR resume is with OTR experience. You cannot get OTR truck driver resume experience by doing temp work but do these two things right, and that won't matter.

First, get a CDL. It'll take a little study time, but it'll put you in the fast lane. Next, sift your past non-trucker jobs for some trucker experience.

When detailing your experience as a truck driver, focus on your driving skills, safety practices, and ability to manage long-haul routes. Here are some examples of responsibilities for a truck driver resume:

Truck Driver Keywords for a Resume

• Operate and drive trucks to transport goods and materials to various destinations.
• Ensure timely and safe delivery of cargo, adhering to delivery schedules and deadlines.
• Perform pre-trip and post-trip inspections to ensure vehicle safety and compliance with regulations.
• Maintain accurate logs of driving hours, mileage, and delivery information using electronic logging devices (ELDs).
• Secure cargo properly to prevent damage during transit, following safety protocols.
• Plan and navigate efficient routes using GPS and other navigation tools.
• Adhere to all traffic laws, regulations, and company policies to ensure safe driving practices.
• Communicate effectively with dispatchers, customers, and other drivers to coordinate deliveries.
• Perform routine maintenance and minor repairs on trucks to ensure optimal performance.
• Manage documentation, including bills of lading, delivery receipts, and trip reports.

Plus, you can use these action verbs to effectively convey your responsibilities and achievements in your truck driver role:

Truck Driver Resume Action Verbs

• Operated
• Ensured
• Performed
• Maintained
• Secured
• Planned
• Adhered
• Communicated
• Managed
• Navigated

Pro Tip: If you're writing a delivery truck driver resume, the advice in this guide works the same. That's true whether you're applying for FedEX or UPS. It also works for Estes, or other line freight hauler jobs where you're home every night. You're all CDL truckers, so you'll have the same type of trucker resume. Just read the CDL driver’s job description. See what they're looking for and match your resume to it.

3. Create Your Trucker Resume Education Section

"Wow. We've got to hire this one." Can your truck driver resume education section make the hiring manager say those words? It's true truck drivers don't need much education. A GED and trade school are enough.

What will make a trucking company want to hire you? Reliability, honesty, work ethic, safety. If you've got them, the world is your on-ramp. You can use your education section as the perfect proof.

Start with:

• School Name
• Years in School
• Degree

If you have little professional experience, expand on your education section using bullet points. Include relevant details that show you in the best light.

To make your professional trucker resume stick out like Han Solo in a Peterbilt, see this guide: "How to Put Your Education on a Resume [Tips & Examples]."

4. Highlight Your Skills on a Resume for a Truck Driver

A well-written resume for truckers has to do more than say, "I have the skills you want." It has to be delivered like the Ice Road Truckers. How to create it?

• First, look at the trucker job description.
• Second, highlight all the trucker skills you see in it.
• Third, list the ones you have in your heavy trucker resume.
• Fourth, prove them in your resume bullet points.

Let's get the ball rolling with a list of free truck driver resume skills. The skills list below isn't comprehensive. Add to it from your own trucker skill set and from job offers online.

Truck Driver Resume Skills Examples

Soft Skills

• Reliability
• Strong Work Ethic
• Honesty
• Safety
• Dependability
• Good Judgement
• Physically Fit
• Critical Thinking
• Coordination
• Communication Skills

Hard Skills

• Log Book Record Keeping
• CDL-A
• OTR Driving
• Truck Tarping
• Load Bar Operation
• Safe Driving
• Vehicle Inspection
• Vehicle Maintenance
• Unloading Freight
• Clean Driving Record

Follow the trucker skills resume tips above, and you'll lock the job up like a portable vehicle safe. Note: That tarping skill above works great on a flatbed truck driver resume.

Want to supercharge your skill section? Use the sample truck driver resume from the top of this guide. Also, see this article: Best Examples of What Skills to Put on a Resume (Proven Tips).

5. Add Certifications to Your Truck Driver Resume

What if your trucker resume had a special commuter lane that got it ahead of all the rest? You do. It's called a CDL. If you don't have one, get one. If you do, display it. Put it in a special certifications section in your CDL Class A truck driver resume.

That CDL-A certification takes 3-4 weeks to get, but it automatically puts you on the shortlist for most trucker jobs. The FAST Card is great trucker resume candy too. Consider applying for it.

Of course, you also need a valid driver's license, but you knew that. If yours has been revoked, looking around for a driver's license template can lead you straight to jail.

Other certifications for heavy trucking resumes are doubles/triples, tankers, and hazmat. Any of these can set you above the herd.

Want to figure out what else to put on a resume for a trucker? See this guide: What To Put On A Resume To Make It Perfect [Tips & Examples].

6. Include Other Sections for an Effective Truck Driver Resume

Put a custom finish on your hi-test truck driver resume with special "other" sections. Those push you past "qualified" into the "I have to interview this guy" zone. Whatever you add, make sure the bullet points show you as more Tom Brady than Tow Mater.

What activities do you do right now that would make good fodder on a commercial truck driver resume? Your hobbies and interests don’t have to be related to your job. If you do any volunteer work, be sure to mention it. Also highlighting that you’re doing sports can also prove your determination and discipline, which are traits that employers look for.

Pro Tip: Spend the 3-4 weeks to go to trade school. Some companies let you train on the job, but they pay considerably less for the privilege. 

7. Write a Truck Driver Resume Objective or Resume Summary

Get the attention of a recruiter like a magnesium flare with a truck driver resume summary or resume objective. Think of them as hooks.

A resume summary proves your worth by showing your accomplishments. It's for truck drivers hauling plenty of experience.

A truck driver's resume objective statement shows your passion for the job. Use it if you’re not an experienced candidate.

The manager may read only your resume summary, so include your best 1-2 professional achievements in it. It's the only way to keep him reading.

Don't have a lot of experience? Well, time for a resume without experience. Use a truck driver resume objective. A resume objective shows your passion for the job opening. It gets you hired from sheer grit, with no truck driver experience.

But here's a trick. You should still put some impressive hooks in it. A CDL license is a big perk. That ATA membership helps, too. Between the two, you'll wake the hiring manager up like an in-cab ionizer.

For more resume tips, see these guides: How To Write A Resume Summary: 21 Best Examples You Will See AND +20 Resume Objective Examples - Use Them on Your Resume (Tips).

8. Attach a Cover Letter

No one reads generic cover letters. A good one can get your over-the-road truck driver resume read thoroughly.

You just have to make your cover letter about the most important thing in the HR manager's life. 

Start with their name. Next, add a fact or two you like about the trucking company. Third, show how your trucking skills can help. Tell them about a big accomplishment that fits his needs. Last, add a call to action. Something like, "I'd love to talk with you about how I can help Schneider National."

Writing a truck driver cover letter with no experience? Highlight your passion and excitement for the job. Your trucking resume and cover letter will form like Voltron. Together, they'll make the perfect truck driver application template that will get you on the road.

Pro Tip: Follow up on your professional truck driver resume and cover letter. It's a great way to remind the manager about you at hiring time.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Considering other jobs in travel & transportation? Perhaps one of these guides will interest you too:

• Bus Driver Resume
• Delivery Driver Resume
• Dispatcher Resume
• Driver Resume
• School Bus Driver Resume
• Logistics Coordinator Resume
• Logistics Manager Resume
• Logistics Resume
• Uber Driver Resume
• Forklift Operator Resume
• UPS Resume

Still need more examples? Check Sample Resumes to Land Any Job.

About Zety’s Editorial Process

 This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines. We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

Sources

• https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/fast
• https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/2005%20CDL%20Driver%20Manual%20-July%202014%20-%20FINAL.pdf