Truck driver resume example
A complete resume for a Class A CDL driver in over-the-road and regional freight, plus summaries, bullet points, skills and how to show your record.
What hiring managers look for
Recruiters at carriers and fleets look at a driver's resume the way an insurer would. They check the CDL class and endorsements, years of verifiable driving, the equipment you've pulled and your safety record: accidents, violations and inspections. Then they look at reliability, meaning on-time delivery, hours-of-service compliance and how long you stayed with each carrier.
This example shows a Class A driver with ten years across local delivery, regional tanker and over-the-road dry van. The CDL and endorsements open the certifications, every job names the equipment and the lanes, and the safety numbers sit in the first bullets. Flatbed, reefer, LTL, owner-operator and local drivers can follow this order and swap in their own freight.
Truck driver resume summary examples
Experienced, 10 years
Class A CDL driver with 10 years and 1.1 million accident-free miles in over-the-road, regional tanker and local delivery work. Hazmat, tanker and doubles/triples endorsements and a TWIC card. 98% on-time, clean DOT inspections and no moving violations in 7 years.
New CDL graduate
Recently licensed Class A driver who completed a 160-hour CDL program with 40 hours behind the wheel, including city, highway and backing drills. Clean MVR, DOT medical card and ready for OTR or regional training with a team.
Local and LTL
LTL driver with 6 years running city pickups and line-haul at night out of a 120-door terminal. Makes 18 to 22 stops a day with a 99% on-time rate, pulls doubles and holds a hazmat endorsement.
Flatbed
Flatbed driver with 8 years hauling steel, lumber and machinery up to 48,000 lbs. Secures every load with chains, straps and tarps to DOT standards, and has had no cargo claims in 5 years.
Truck driver resume bullet points
Strong bullets start with what you did and end with what changed. Borrow the pattern, then use your own numbers.
- Drove 125,000 miles a year for 4 straight years with no accidents, tickets or log violations.
- Earned the carrier's Million Mile Safe Driver award, presented to 12 of its 900 drivers that year.
- Kept a reefer load of pharmaceuticals at 36 to 46 degrees across 1,900 miles with no temperature alerts.
- Backed into tight urban docks at 20+ grocery stores a week without a single damage report.
- Spotted a cracked brake chamber on a pre-trip and had it fixed before the run, avoiding an out-of-service order.
- Cut empty miles by 11% by working with dispatch on backhauls along regular lanes.
- Trained 5 new drivers over 4-week ride-alongs on trip planning, ELD use and securement.
- Delivered 300 loads of oversize equipment with escort cars and state permits, all on schedule.
Skills for a truck driver resume
Skills job postings ask for
- Class A CDL
- Hazmat, tanker and doubles endorsements
- Pre-trip and post-trip inspections
- Hours-of-service rules and ELDs
- Load securement
- Backing and docking
- Route planning and trip planning
- Dry van, reefer, flatbed or tanker
- Bills of lading and paperwork
- Basic truck maintenance
Skills to show in your bullets
- Safety focus
- Time management
- Independence
- Customer courtesy at docks
- Patience in traffic and delays
List the skills a posting names in its own words, and only the ones you can talk about in an interview. Qualities like these read best as results in your bullets, not as a list.
Tips for writing a truck driver resume
- 1
Open with your license and safe miles
Put your CDL class, endorsements and accident-free miles in the summary. Recruiters screen on those before they read your job history.
- 2
Name the equipment and freight
Dry van, reefer, flatbed, tanker, doubles: list what you've pulled and the kinds of loads. A carrier hiring for hazmat tanker wants to see it in black and white.
- 3
Explain short stints
Carriers check 10 years of employment for DOT rules and notice frequent moves. Show your route type and reason in a few words, like "moved to home-daily local route."
- 4
Use the numbers a safety manager tracks
On-time rate, clean inspections, HOS compliance, MPG and claims-free deliveries are all recorded. Each one is a stronger bullet than "drove safely."
Your driving record and endorsements
Carriers pull your MVR and PSP report, so your resume should match them. List each endorsement by its letter and name, then state your safe miles and your years without accidents or violations. If you have an older ticket, leave the details for the interview and focus on your record since then.
- CDL class and the state that issued it
- Endorsements: H (hazmat), N (tanker), T (doubles/triples), X (hazmat tanker), P (passenger)
- TWIC card for ports and secure facilities
- Current DOT medical card
- Accident-free miles and years without moving violations
- Safety awards from your carrier
Make it yours
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