Truck drivers have an exciting job. They get to tour the country, see new places, and are always on the go. Essentially, the job of a truck driver is to drive a truck or tractor-trailer while complying with federal, state, and local regulations. Typically, the driver is transporting goods from one place to another. The most important aspects of a truck driver’s job include proper loading and unloading, maintaining accurate records, performing vehicle inspections and minor repairs while on the road to ensure a safe trip, and maintaining a clean and orderly truck interior and exterior. A driver may also be asked to plan routes, must be able to back an extremely large vehicle into a docking or loading station properly, and must be aware of the roads on which a truck cannot travel so as to plan the trip accordingly. A truck driver has a very exciting job, but one that also comes with a lot of responsibility.Required Education for Truck Drivers
In order to become a truck driver, you have to complete truck driving school, or trucking school. No truck driver resume is complete without education, and it’s essential that you obtain this education in order to properly drive the truck and to meet federal standards. Much of what you’ll learn in trucking school will go right onto your truck driver’s resume in the form of skills and abilities, making trucking school very beneficial to your future career. Truck driver resumes often include a list of skills such as knowing how to maneuver a large vehicle, basic truck maintenance and repair, loading and unloading, and more, and these are skills you will learn in trucking school. You can attend a community college trucking program, or you can obtain your certification through the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI), as recommended by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Either of these are acceptable for a truck driver’s resume. After you obtain your certification you’ll need your commercial driver’s license, and then you will receive on the job training. Soon enough you’ll be a full-fledged trucker, and the experience you gain will only provide you with more to add to your truck driver resume.Truck Driving Salary Expectations
Truckers can expect to earn about $18.37 per hour, or $38,200 per year, according to the national average. Texas, California, and Pennsylvania have the highest employment rate, and Alaska, Massachusetts, and North Dakota pay the highest. But the industry as a whole is growing and stable. Of course, the first step to your career as a truck driver is your truck driver’s resume. Check out the sample resume below for an idea of how to start yours.Truck Driver Resume Questions
1. How do you write an objective statement for a truck driver resume?
If you have never had a job before, when you have no prior experience as a truck driver, or if you’ve gone a few years without a job, it is appropriate to use a resume objective in your resume. Otherwise, it is more professional to write a personal summary statement instead, as you can see in our truck driver resume sample. As our resume examples show, summary statements are better able to efficiently describe who you are and why you would bring value to a company, which is why they are recommended over the objective statement.
2. How long should a truck driver resume be?
As is the case with most resumes, the shorter your document is, the better. Only rarely is it necessary for your resume to exceed a single page. That doesn’t mean you should pack as much information as possible onto the page just to squeeze everything in. An over-crowded resume looks unprofessional and intimidating to hiring managers. If you are having difficulty keeping it to one page, read through your resume objectively and eliminate any unnecessary words to make it shorter and more concise. You can also use one of the strategies demonstrated in our resume sample and list your highlights side by side instead of all in one vertical column. Using one of our resume templates will help ensure you include all of the necessary information and none of the fluff.
3. What format should your truck driver resume be in?
The resume format you choose for your resume should depend on your level of experience and the industry-specific skills you possess. If you have a decent amount of experience, it is usually best to go with a chronological resume format like the one in our truck driver resume sample. This format is most easily recognized and typically preferred by hiring managers. Because it showcases your work experience, it can set you apart from other candidates less familiar with the industry. If you have little to no previous experience but have an abundance of natural abilities, a functional resume format can help your reader focus on the skills you do possess rather than your lack of experience.
4. How do you make a truck driver resume with no experience?
Even without industry experience, you can still write a strong resume. Start by choosing a more functional format that features your professional skills more prominently. This allows you to focus on the ways you could benefit a company rather than your limited or non-existent experience. You can make your skills section stronger by including soft skills in addition to industrial abilities, like the writer did in our resume sample. If the process of writing a professional document seems daunting to you, use our step-by-step resume builder to simplify the process.
5. How many skills should you put on a truck driver resume?
List at least six, but no more than 10. If you can’t think of six industry-relevant hard skills, mention some soft abilities and personality traits that demonstrate you could be successful as a truck driver. If you have special abilities or accomplishments that set you apart from other candidates, it is a good idea to include them in this section as shown in our truck driver resume sample.
Resume Text
Shirley Ogden123 Fake Street
City, State, Zip Code
Cell: 000-000-0000
E-Mail: email@email.comSummaryTruck Driver adept at navigation and efficient, on-time deliveries. Personable and energetic. Dependable and committed to getting each job done quickly, efficiently, and safely. Over eight years’ experience in a distribution environment with in-depth knowledge of DOT regulations.HighlightsCustomer-oriented
Map reading expert
Heavy hauling
Cargo handling
Safety mindedAir Brake Certification
Great attitude
Clean DMV record
Efficient and cost-conscious
Defensive drivingExperienceFebruary 2011 to Current
Company Name City, State
Truck DriverUpdate work log daily and track all deliveries.
Communicate consistently between warehouse and customers.
Follow company procedures, safety regulations, and traffic laws.
Report delays, accidents, or other traffic and transportation situations to bases or other vehicles, using telephones or mobile two-way radios.July 2008 to January 2011
Company Name City, State
Truck DriverPerformed deliveries throughout greater New Cityland metropolitan area.
Checked all load-related documentation for completion and accuracy.
Maintained vehicle log, cargo records, and billing statements in accordance with regulations.
Obeyed traffic laws, and followed established traffic and transportation procedures.
Positioned lifting devices under, over, or around loaded pallets, skids, and boxes, and secured material or products for transport.November 2005 to June 2008
Company Name City, State
Truck DriverPresented bills and receipts and collect payments for goods delivered or loaded.
Completed routine maintenance on vehicles and auxiliary equipment, such as cleaning, lubricating, recharging batteries, fueling, or replacing liquefied-gas tank
Read maps and followed written and verbal geographic directions.
Secured cargo against inclement weather, pilferage, and damage.Education,Class A Tractor/Trailer Operator Program, Great Western Trucking School–2005LicensesCDL: Class A
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