Have you finally come around to writing your professional driver resume but don't know where to start? Relax, we've got you covered! Follow our comprehensive guide and discover templates you can adjust to your liking, extensive examples, resume writing tips, and samples submitted by your fellow professional drivers. In short, everything you need to make your resume shine!
In this guide, we walk you through the key steps to writing a job-winning resume as a professional driver. Keep reading to learn all about:
- Which resume format is best for a professional driver
- Hw to write a resume summary as a professional driver
- What key skills a professional driver should include on a resume
- How to describe work experience on a resume as a driver
- Where to list education and certifications on a resume as a driver
- Where to look for the right resources for job-seeking professional drivers
Still looking for a job? These 100+ resources will tell you everything you need to get hired fast.
1. Which resume format is best for a professional driver
The first big decision to make when writing a resume as a professional driver is which format to use.
In general, drivers should use a resume format that focuses on their work experience, as employers will typically care the most about how much driving experience an applicant has.
The format that is best for this purpose is the reverse-chronological resume. This format focuses almost entirely on work experience, listing your most recent position first and working backward from there.
However, if you're new to the industry and lack an extensive work history, you may need to consider one of the following alternative formats:
- Functional Resumes: Functional resumes focus on education, skills, and unpaid experience rather than work experience. This format is well-suited for current students or recent graduates who have extensive academic experience but lack formal work experience.
- Hybrid Resumes: Hybrid resumes eliminate the emphasis on one section in particular, instead spreading the focus of the document out between all sections. This format works well for applicants changing career paths or returning from large gaps or breaks in their careers.
2. How to write a resume summary as a professional driver
A resume summary is a short, one-to-three sentence statement at the beginning of a resume.
In this summary, you should aim to grab the attention of employers with compelling details about your professional experience and accomplishments. For drivers, this may include awards, notable accomplishments, and high customer ratings.
To help demonstrate how to make your resume summary pop, below is a weak example of a resume summary, followed by a correction and explanation.
Incorrect professional driver resume summary example
Experienced Driver with several years of experience serving as a private chauffeur for celebrities. Excellent relationship-building skills, with a high customer rating. Winner of a major award sponsored by BMW.
Why is this Incorrect? In this example, the applicant is on the right track with the information they've included but needs to provide more specificity and context. This summary could be improved by including the exact number of years of experience they have and the name of the award they won.
Corrected professional driver resume summary
Professional Private Driver with 7+ years of experience serving as a family chauffeur for A-list celebrities. Received a consistent 5-star rating from 60+ clients over a 5-year period. Winner of the 2021 Professional Driver of the Year Award, presented by the QSI Awards and BMW.
Why is this Correct? In this corrected example, the applicant is incredibly specific with the details they include. They list the number of years of experience they have, as well as specifying that they served as a family chauffeur. Additionally, they include the name of the award they received and contextualize their customer rating with the number of clients they’ve had and the time period in which they have received those ratings.
3. What key skills a professional driver should include on a resume
Becoming a professional driver requires you to have both the technical ability to safely operate a vehicle as well as the interpersonal ability to build and maintain client relationships.
As such, it is crucial to include both hard and soft skills on a resume to show your full range of abilities.
Hard skills are your technical abilities gained through education and training, while soft skills are your interpersonal abilities that can be both inherent and learned. Both of these types of skills matter, as they govern how well you can both provide service to and communicate with your clients.
Keeping this in mind, let’s look at 10 examples of both hard and soft skills for professional drivers:
The best professional driver hard skills for your CV
- Knowledge of local areas (neighborhoods, restaurants, etc.)
- Navigational skills & tools
- Routine vehicle maintenance (cleanliness, oil changes, etc.)
- Vehicle safety standards
- Proper roadway etiquette
- Traffic safety laws
- Knowledge of car mechanics
- Hands-free devices (car gps systems, bluetooth calling, etc.)
- Defensive driving
- Creating liability contracts
Effective soft skills to put on your professional driver resume
- Friendly demeanor
- Timeliness & time management
- Verbal communication
- Empathy & patience
- Organization
- Attentive driving
- Reliability
- Leadership
- Punctuality
- Self-confidence
4. How to describe work experience on a resume as a driver
Your work experience section is arguably one of the most important sections of your resume as a professional driver. In this section, you'll describe your past work experience including key skills, responsibilities, and accomplishments.
When describing your work experience, make sure to keep your entries concise with one-to-two line bullet points. Generally, you should aim to keep each bullet point one sentence in length.
Here is an example of a work experience entry from a driver resume
Miller Driving Associates, Boston, MA
Private Driver
January 2017 to March 2021
- Provided exceptional punctuality to all clients, picking up and dropping off passengers in adherence to a strict schedule.
- Performed routine car maintenance including regular oil changes, wheel rotations, and tune-ups.
- Received a 5-star rating from more than 100 clients over the duration of this position.
5. Where to list education and certifications on a resume as a driver
To become a professional driver, the minimum credentials will vary from state to state but will generally include a license with a “For-Hire” endorsement. However, having some level of education, training, or certification is essential for making yourself a more competitive candidate.
As for where to list these credentials on a resume, you'll generally want to create an “Education & Licensing” section on your resume. This section can also include any certifications you hold as well.
If you have many certifications, you may even want to split your licenses and certifications off into a separate section.
Here is an example of a well-crafted education section on a driver resume
Watauga County High School, Boone, NC
High School Diploma
- Graduated: 2016
Licenses & Certificaitons
- Class D License with F, State of Tennessee, Expires 10/10/24
- Professional Driver Education Program, American Rental Association
- NSC Defensive Driving Safety Certificate, National Safety Council
6. Top resources for job-seeking professional drivers
The fact that you've made it here means that you're more than well-equipped to write a professional driver resume that impresses even the most demanding hiring managers. But that alone isn't enough to secure you the job you want. Because, before you even start putting your resume together, you must find a job posting that's worth responding to. These resources might help you with that:
- Ride-hailing apps: Platforms such as Uber, Lyft, and other ride-hailing apps offer opportunities for individuals to become independent contractor drivers. You can sign up and start driving for these services after meeting their driver requirements.
- Taxi driver associations: Based on your location, you can reach out to professional organizations like the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA), the United Taxi Workers of San Diego (UTWSD), or the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association (LTDA).
- Job boards for truckers: TruckingJobNow.com, TruckDriver.com, and Drive My Way are just a few drops in the sea of work opportunities for talented truck drivers.
- Professional trucker associations: Organizations like the American Trucking Associations (ATA), the Truck Driver Institute (TDI), or the National Association of Small Trucking Companies (NASTC) can give you access to job listings, industry news, certification and licensure programs, and so much more.
- Personal chauffeur companies: If you'd like to find employment as a chauffeur, try contacting companies like Carey International, LimoLink, or The Driver Provider that provide services for corporate travel, airport transfers, and special events.
While searching for job opportunities on websites that cater to your profession specifically is a great strategic move, don't overlook platforms that are much broader in their focus. For example, LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, or Monster can also yield interesting results.
Driver / Logistics Driver Resume FAQ
How can I showcase my skills and experience as a driver in a resume?
Start by creating a dedicated "Skills" section that highlights your relevant skills, such as proficiency in operating various types of vehicles, knowledge of transportation regulations, route planning expertise, and proficiency with GPS navigation systems. Then you can put these skills in a professional context by talking about specific achievements and results your skills helped you reach in the "Work Experience" section. To give more weight to your words, quantify your achievements by mentioning the number of miles driven, types of cargo handled, and any special projects or accolades you've received.
Any advice on what to avoid?
Steer clear of including irrelevant information or exaggerating your qualifications. Keep your resume concise and focused on your most relevant experiences and accomplishments. Additionally, proofread carefully to ensure there are no typos or grammatical errors, as attention to detail is crucial in the logistics industry.
How far back should I go with my work history on my driver resume?
Generally, it's best to include relevant work experience from the past 10-15 years. Focus on highlighting experiences and achievements that are most relevant to the driving role you're applying for. If you have earlier experiences that are particularly relevant or impressive, you can include them, but prioritize recent experiences.
Are there any specific formatting or design tips I should follow when creating my driver resume?
Always keep your resume format clean, professional, and easy to read. Use bullet points to list your skills, experiences, and achievements in a clear and concise manner. Choose a legible font and avoid using excessive colors or graphics. Additionally, proofread your resume carefully to ensure there are no typos or grammatical errors. If you want to save yourself some much needed time and energy, you can skip the formatting part by opting for resume templates designed by professionals.
Should I include references on my taxi driver resume?
That depends on the instruction in the job posting you're responding to. If it's explicitly stated that you should include references on your resume, do it. But if that's not the case, you can just indicate that references are available upon request. Then, you'll have to put all your references into a separate document and produce it when asked to. The list of your references can feature previous employers, clients, or colleagues who can attest to your reliability, professionalism, and driving abilities.