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
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 an objective statement 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. Because you are better able to describe who you are and why you would bring value to a company, a summary statement is usually recommended and more efficient.
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.
The type of 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 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.
Even without industry experience, you can still write a strong resume. Start by choosing a more functional format that features your 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.
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.
Now that you understand Truck Driver resume writing best practices, you should see our helpful Truck Driver cover letter sample to master all your application materials.
Show Resume TextResume Text
1 Main Street
New Cityland, CA 91010
Cell: (555) 322-7337
E-Mail: example-email@example.com
Summary
Truck 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.
Highlights
Customer-oriented
Map reading expert
Heavy hauling
Cargo handling
Safety minded
Air Brake Certification
Great attitude
Clean DMV record
Efficient and cost-conscious
Defensive driving
Experience
February 2011 to Current
Traditional Freight Services New Cityland, CA
Truck Driver
Update 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
Sampson Distribution New Cityland, CA
Truck Driver
Performed 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
JD Howell Trucking Company New Cityland, CA
Truck Driver
Presented 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–2005
Licenses
CDL: Class A