If you want to score a trucking job, the most important thing is to get behind the wheel and prove your skillset. However, just like with any other job, employers want to know some background about you. They want to know how long you’ve been driving, where you received your training, and what type of freight you’ve hauled. The easiest way to deliver this information is to put it all together in the form of a truck driver resume.
Although many drivers think it’s unnecessary to have a resume in the trucking industry, a resume can’t hurt you. If anything, it makes you look professional, put together, and very serious about getting hired. Does crafting a resume seem daunting? No fears. Here are some resume tips for truckers!
Top Tips for Writing a Truck Driver Resume:
Highlight Your Strengths
For starters, your truck driver resume should focus on what you can do for the company—not what a company can do for you. Play up your best qualities so that your resume stands out from the pack.
Be sure to list career highlights such as:
- Relevant experience
- Accomplishments
- CDL Endorsements
- Military Service
- Awards
Don’t Forget Your Skills
Truckers need a wide range of physical, mental, and technical skills—don’t forget to mention these!
- Math: Adding, subtracting, dividing, and multiplying whole numbers, fractions, and decimals
- Technical: Basic vehicular repairs, like oil and tire changes, and engine maintenance
- Physical: The ability to lift heavy items
- Customer service: Resolving client disputes
- Time management: Meet all your pickup and delivery deadlines
- Training: Be sure to mention any experience you have training new hires—this shows leadership and time management.
Format Your Truck Driver Resume
Besides including accurate and appropriate information on your resume, formatting everything correctly is the most important thing to consider. For those without a design bone in their bodies, there are plenty of great examples and templates out there to get you started. Overall, the principles for designing your resume remain largely the same:
- Include concise and accurate contact information
- Accurately display past work experience
- Keep to a single page if possible
Again, there are lots of different versions of what the “modern” resume should look like. Trucking resumes don’t require anything too fancy, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be visually appealing and organized.
Things That SHOULDN’T be on Your Resume
Now that we’ve discussed the things you should include on your resume, it’s time to point out some very common mistakes. No one is born a professional and it takes a lot of refinement, even for truckers! Avoiding these next things can help you convince employers that you’re definitely the right fit:
An unprofessional email address: Perhaps hotbunz69 was an acceptable email address at some point, but if you’re looking to broaden your hiring horizons, try opting for a simple and appropriate email address. It’s not recommended that you use your full name, but a simple abbreviated form like [email protected] or any easily read version of your name and a simple number will do.
Bad spelling grammar: Sure, we’re truckers, not English majors—However, improper grammar could make your resume look rushed. Take the extra five minutes to make sure everything is spelled correctly and there aren’t two many grammar errors (get it?) While spelling mistakes say little about your ability to drive, they do speak to your attention to detail. If you’re going to be filling out logs or communicating with clients, proper spelling can be important.
Your social security number: There is no guarantee that your application will be kept in a safe place. Until you’re ready for employment, don’t include any information that could be stolen or used for identity theft. This seems pretty common sense, but it’s better that we mention it now!
Ready to apply for trucking jobs? Browse our list!
Trackbacks/Pingbacks