HGV Driver CV Example

An HGV CV is a compliance document first, a sales pitch second. Recruiters and insurers filter on licence class, CPC and points before they read a word of your personal statement, so structure your CV to surface those facts immediately.

Format and length

One to two pages, reverse chronological. Contact details and a qualifications block at the top (licence category, CPC, digital tacho card, clean licence status), then personal statement, experience, education and additional certifications. No photo, no date of birth.

What to include per section

Keep every experience bullet specific: vehicle class, tonnage, haulage type, safety record and compliance. "Drove HGV" tells the recruiter nothing; "Delivered 44-tonne artic loads nationwide on tramping routes, zero incidents across 3 years" tells them everything.

HGV experience bullets must answer four questions: what did you drive, how big was it, how safely, and how often? Recruiters and insurers care about vehicle class, tonnage, haulage type and incident record above everything else, so every bullet should tie an action to a number.

The result-plus-metric pattern

Start with the vehicle and operation, then quantify safety, compliance or efficiency. Avoid duties ("responsible for deliveries") in favour of outcomes ("completed 520 fault-free journeys per year").

Before (duty, no context): Responsible for driving HGV vehicles and making deliveries on time.

After (vehicle, haulage type, metric): Delivered 44-tonne artic loads on regional multidrop routes, maintaining 99% on-time rate and zero incidents across four years.

Before (vague compliance claim): Followed all health and safety rules and kept accurate records.

After (specific compliance and system): Logged digital tachograph data daily and complied 100% with drivers' hours and rest-break rules, with zero infringements recorded.

Before (generic efficiency): Drove carefully to save fuel and reduce costs.

After (quantified saving): Reduced fuel consumption by 10% through smoother driving techniques and efficient route planning, recognised in quarterly driver performance reviews.

Action verbs for HGV roles

Delivered, operated, transported, logged, complied, maintained, conducted, reduced, completed, achieved, secured, planned, reported, mentored.

What to include in each bullet

If you are newly qualified with no HGV miles yet, bridge with transferable experience: "Completed 280+ local deliveries in a 7.5-tonne box van with tail-lift, maintaining a 100% fault-free record over three years." Show you understand the operation even without Class 1 or 2 mileage.

HGV recruiters care more about your licence and CPC than your GCSEs, so put your HGV training and certifications in a clearly visible qualifications block near the top of your CV, not buried under education.

Qualifications block (top of CV, after contact details):

• Category C+E (Class 1) HGV Licence
• Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence)
• Digital Tachograph Card
• Full clean licence, zero points

Then list specialist endorsements separately:

• ADR (dangerous goods, Classes 2, 3, 6, 8), SQA
• HIAB Lorry-Loader Crane Licence, ALLMI
• Forklift Licence (Counterbalance), RTITB

ADR and HIAB attract premium rates, so even if the target job does not strictly require them, they belong on your CV as differentiators.

Education section (lower down):

List your HGV training centre and pass date, then any GCSEs or A-Levels. If you passed your HGV test first time or hold Maths and English GCSEs, note them, they signal reliability and literacy for paperwork.

Newly qualified with no commercial miles?

Lead with "Newly qualified HGV Class 2 driver, full Driver CPC and clean licence," then bridge with transferable experience: warehouse work, forklift tickets, 7.5-tonne or multidrop van driving, manual handling. It shows you understand the operation even without HGV mileage yet.