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Cdl Driver Resume Examples

Your resume provides your first big opportunity to make the right impression, and we provide the tools you need to do so. Use our CDL driver resume examples and our Resume Builder to breeze through the process of creating a published document for each job you apply for. We also list skills you can highlight in your resume to help you bypass automated resume-sorting systems.

Truck drivers represent the most common CDL drivers, but many other professionals need CDLs for work, such as operators of school buses and some garbage trucks. Together, commercial drivers form a workforce that is 3.51 million strong, according to Data USA.

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What is a Cdl Driver ?

CDL drivers form the backbone of the transportation industry and the complex delivery systems that allow companies to speed up delivery times. These professionals operate vehicles that require commercial driver endorsements for work. The requirements for CDL endorsements do vary by state, but states tend to recognize each other’s CDL drivers. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, drivers of the following vehicles typically need commercial driver’s licenses:

  • Passenger vehicles transporting a certain number of people
  • Trucks transporting toxic material
  • Trucks with tanks built in
  • Trucks featuring double or triple trailer attachments

What Makes This a Great
Cdl Driver Resume Example?

LiveCareer helps you find career fulfilment by making it easier for you to secure the best CDL jobs on the market. Use our CDL resume examples to determine what the final product should look like and aim toward that goal. Here are some specific ways that our resume examples make it easier for you to create and fine-tune your resume:

  • Professionally-written content: CDL drivers spend most of their working hours behind the wheel, so when it comes to writing you may want help to get the creative juices flowing. Key samples of powerful pre-composed phrases in this resume include “drive defensively” and “diverse delivery expertise.”
  • Choice of resume formats: A combination format like this resume example provides opportunities for a mid-career professional to demonstrate their commercial driving and vehicle inspections skills. It also leaves ample room to detail work history, education and even a summary of qualifications. For entry-level or senior-level positions, another resume format might be more appropriate.
  • Appropriate template choices: CDL drivers work in various industries, and some are more serious than others. Even so, as this job seeker shows in the CDL resume example, using a versatile resume template with professional but unconventional colors can grab the employer’s attention.

3 Cdl Driver Professional Summary Examples

Summarizing years of experience on the American roads into a tiny paragraph can prove difficult. CDL resume examples provide inspiration, or use our Resume Builder for step-by-step content tips. Our builder will recommend resume content written by our team of certified resume writers to help you craft a great professional summary. Here are three summary examples you could create using our builder:

  1. Experienced CDL driver with a spotless driving record and a commitment to driving defensively. Particularly skilled at taking on long-haul delivery assignments that involve cross-country trips. Possesses sound knowledge of traffic regulations across all southern states and knows back roads intimately.
  2. Commercial truck driver who spent the past 15 years serving garbage disposal companies, school districts and retail chains across the Snowbelt, including Canada and Alaska. Proven ability to safely navigate through inclement weather during the winter months. Particularly interested in taking on more intercountry routes.
  3. Emerging driving professional who originally obtained a CDL five years ago to transport a personal destination trailer for 1,000 miles, twice per year. Worked as a school bus driver within the Maiden County school system for the past year. Proven ability to maintain order on the bus.

3 Cdl Driver Work Experience Examples

CDL drivers are among the most important workers to the American economy, yet many drivers sell themselves short in the work history section by not providing the right details. Consult our CDL resume examples to get a head-start, and use our Resume Builder to perfect the details of your work experience by adding metrics when possible. See below for three recommendations of what to include:

  1. Completed thorough inspection of the vehicle before and after transporting loads to ensure safety.
  2. Maintained a 97% on-time delivery rating, even during seasons of inclement weather.
  3. Transported office furniture on behalf of clients and assisted with the unloading and basic setup.

Top Skills for Your Cdl Driver Resume

Because CDL drivers work in so many industries, these positions can call for a variety of necessary skills. Our resume examples and builder show strong suggestions. Remember to consider the industry and the specific duties of the job. Here are four hard and soft skills that apply to multiple industries:

Hard Skills

  • Safe lifting of heavy items
  • Transporting passengers
  • Long-haul driving
  • Operating garbage disposal vehicles

Soft Skills

  • Time management
  • Self-motivation
  • Listening
  • Flexibility

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Cdl Driver FAQs

What is an endorsement on a CDL?

Commercial driver’s licenses include specific codes that determine what types of vehicle the holders can operate or what they can transport. Here are the six endorsements and what each one means:

  • H – hazardous materials
  • N – tank vehicle
  • P – Passenger
  • T – double or triple trailers
  • S – school bus
  • X – combination of T and H

What is the highest CDL license?

There are three classes of commercial driver’s licenses. These include classes A, B and C. Class A offers the most privileges and the fewest restrictions. Take a look at the details below to see why:

  • Class A: Vehicles with a combined weight of 26,001 or more
  • Class B: Only a single vehicle weighing 26,001 or more
  • Class C: Vehicles that fall outside Class A or B requirements, such as passenger vehicles

How can I get my CDL without going to school?

There are some states that allow drivers to take the test without attending classes. The Advanced Technology Institute explains that you would need to identify one of the states that allows this, surrender your driver’s license and apply for the CDL permit. Then, after the waiting period expires, take the test. It identifies Virginia as a potential option. However, the institute advises against this.