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Driver CV example and writing guide

Updated 28 July 2026

A good driver CV gives employers quick, credible evidence of safe working, dependable service and well-organised journeys. This guide explains how to present that evidence clearly, whether you are applying for your first driving post or bringing years of commercial experience.

Driver CV examples

Experienced Professional Lorry Driver

Mid-level

Dependable professional lorry driver with six years of transport and delivery experience across Birmingham and the West Midlands. Holds a category C licence and Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC), with practical experience of vehicle checks, route planning, journey records and multi-drop deliveries.

Why it works: This driver CV sample shows credible progression into goods-vehicle work, with quantified evidence of reliable deliveries, careful record-keeping, safety checks and customer service.

Goods vehicle operationPre-shift vehicle safety checksRoute planning and delivery-window managementDriving-hours complianceTachograph and journey recordsDigital proof of delivery

How to write a driver CV

Use reverse-chronological order if you have substantial driving experience, placing your latest position first. If you are new to the occupation or moving from unrelated work, a skills-based opening can give transferable evidence more space, but keep your employment dates clear. One or two pages will usually provide enough room for relevant evidence without burying it among old or unrelated details.

SectionWhat to include
Personal statementExperience level, target driving work and two strengths supported by evidence
EmploymentRecent roles first, with concise achievements rather than copied duties
SkillsDriving ability alongside navigation, vehicle care, customer service, time management and problem-solving
EducationRelevant qualifications, providers and completion dates
ExtrasLanguages or volunteering only when they strengthen your application

Tailor the personal statement to the vacancy. Name the type of work you are seeking and give one or two credible reasons why you fit it.

For each job, write three or four bullets covering actions, workload and results. Figures are useful when they come from records or results you can explain. Avoid estimating them simply to make a bullet sound impressive.

Keep the skills section selective. Match its wording to the post and support the most important skills elsewhere with examples. Present education and any role-specific qualification accurately, using the title shown on your documents. Put optional information last, and remove it if it pushes stronger recent evidence off the page.

Personal statement examples

Strong

Dependable driver with four years' experience completing urban delivery routes and helping customers at the point of delivery. Comfortable using handheld terminals and telematics, with a documented record of completing 97% of scheduled drops within their agreed windows over the past year. Calm and practical when traffic, access restrictions or late route changes disrupt the planned day.

Weak

Hard-working driver looking for a new opportunity. I am punctual, friendly and good at driving. I can work alone or in a team and will do whatever is needed.

Writing your experience

The employment section of a driver CV should record outcomes rather than repeat a job description. Build each bullet from an action, the scale of the work and the result. For example: "Completed 45 scheduled drops per shift across two urban routes, with 97% delivered inside the agreed windows over 12 months." That figure is illustrative. Use only numbers you can verify and defend at interview.

Look through route sheets, digital proof-of-delivery records, customer feedback, attendance records, training logs and appraisals for usable evidence. Depending on your work, measures might include daily drops, route mileage, delivery-window performance, failed deliveries, record accuracy, customer ratings or time saved. New drivers can quantify transferable experience too, such as customers served, shifts completed, stock handled or attendance.

Weak bulletBetter evidence-led bullet
Responsible for deliveries and paperworkCompleted an average of 38 daily deliveries and submitted digital proof of delivery for 99% of stops before shift close
Helped customers and looked after the vanResolved access or delivery queries for up to 12 customers per shift and recorded defects before departure, contributing to 9% fewer avoidable return visits over six months
Planned routes around the cityReordered a 42-stop urban route around traffic and access restrictions, cutting average late arrivals from five per week to two

For Class 1 work, useful evidence includes pre-shift walkaround checks covering tyres, brakes, lights, mirrors, load security and fluid levels. You can also describe planning around delivery windows, traffic, road restrictions and driving-hour limits, plus accurate delivery notes, tachograph records or digital proof of delivery. Where a job involved loading or unloading, state how you handled load restraint, weight distribution or the equipment you actually used. Do not imply broader duties than you performed.

Urban driving evidence may cover hazard perception, accident or incident reporting, goods security, dynamic risk assessment, telematics, handheld terminals or on-board systems. Suitable verbs include completed, delivered, inspected, recorded, planned, rerouted, secured, resolved, reported, reduced and trained. Replace vague openings such as "helped with" whenever you owned the action or result.

Key skills & ATS keywords

Hard skills

Safe vehicle operationRoute planning around delivery windows, traffic and road restrictionsPre-shift vehicle walkaround checksTyre, brake, light and mirror inspectionLoad restraint and weight distributionDelivery notes and journey recordsDigital proof of deliveryTachograph record keepingHazard perceptionDynamic risk assessment and reportingAccident reporting and incident managementTelematics and handheld terminalsOn-board weighing systemsGoods security in transitSafe use of vehicle and loading equipment

Soft skills

Time managementCustomer serviceClear communicationPractical problem-solvingSituational awarenessReliabilityPatience under pressureAttention to detailAdaptability when routes changeProfessional conductIndependent workingTeamwork with depot and loading staff

ATS keywords

safe drivingroute planningvehicle walkaround checksvehicle maintenanceload restraintweight distributiondelivery notesdigital proof of deliverytachograph recordsdriving-hour limitshazard perceptiondynamic risk assessmentincident managementgoods securitycustomer servicetelematicshandheld terminalson-board weighing systemspump truckstail lifts

Education & certifications

List qualifications in reverse-chronological order. Give each qualification's exact title, the provider or awarding body printed on the document, and the completion year. If the vacancy requests a role-specific qualification, place it where a recruiter can find it quickly. Copy licence and certificate names exactly; similar names can apply to different routes or activities.

The route matters. Bus and coach driver candidates must possess a full car driving licence, while bus and coach drivers are required to hold the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC). NVQs/SVQs in Road Passenger Vehicle Driving at Level 2 are available as an optional qualification for bus and coach drivers. If you hold one, present it as additional training rather than a universal entry condition.

For driving lorries professionally in the UK, the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) is a legal requirement. A driver must complete 35 hours of periodic training every five years to maintain the ability to drive lorries professionally. The Driver Qualification Card (DQC) must be carried when driving a lorry, bus or coach professionally. Record only credentials and training you genuinely hold, and use the exact names shown on your documents.

For the UK Urban driver apprenticeship, either a category C licence or category C1 licence is a statutory requirement and must be passed before the apprenticeship is completed. Keep that statement tied to this specific apprenticeship route. It is not evidence that the same licence applies to every driver vacancy.

If your formal training is limited, keep this section short and factual. Include completed workplace familiarisation training when it relates to site-based transport duties, and state the workplace context rather than presenting it as a general qualification. Unrelated short courses can usually be omitted unless they explain a career change or answer a clear point in the job advert.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Listing routine duties without showing scale or results, with lines such as "completed deliveries" or "drove company vehicles".

    Add details you can substantiate, such as scheduled drops, route area, vehicle type or an on-time delivery rate. Use only figures supported by your own records.

  • Writing only about vehicle operation and leaving out customer contact.

    Include evidence of clear handovers, courteous communication and practical resolution of delivery problems. Where the role involved on-site service or support, show how your conduct affected a recorded outcome.

  • Sending the same generic driver CV to delivery, urban and goods-vehicle vacancies.

    Match the wording to the advert. Bring forward the relevant route conditions, vehicle work, delivery records, load handling or customer service, and mention a relevant licence only when it applies and you genuinely hold it.

  • Mentioning vehicle checks without explaining what was inspected or recorded.

    For Class 1 experience, describe pre-shift checks covering tyres, brakes, lights, mirrors, load security and fluid levels. Add a genuine result, such as the number of defects reported before departure.

  • Leaving journey records, delivery paperwork and digital systems out of the employment section.

    Show your experience with delivery notes, tachograph records or digital proof of delivery. Where relevant, connect telematics or handheld-terminal use to a defensible result, such as fewer record corrections.

  • Filling the skills section with broad labels such as "hard-working" and "good driver".

    Use specific terms that match your experience, such as route planning, hazard perception, incident reporting, goods security or dynamic risk assessment. Back up the most relevant skills with examples in your employment history.

Junior vs senior: what changes

AspectJuniorSenior
Personal statementFocus on safe working, reliability, transferable customer service and knowledge gained through training or supervised workplace experience. State the driving work sought without overstating limited experience.Lead with the scale of routes or operations handled, sustained delivery results, safety evidence and responsibility for drivers, records or operating standards. Keep every figure traceable to your records.
Experience evidenceUse examples from training, volunteering or transferable work. Figures for shifts completed, customers served, routes supported or accurate handovers can provide credible evidence.Quantify delivery volume, route coverage, team scope, record accuracy and service improvements over a meaningful period. For documented goods-vehicle work, include evidence of working within applicable driving-hour limits.
Vehicle checks and load handlingShow careful vehicle use, hazard awareness and any inspection experience. If loading formed part of the role, explain the equipment used and how you followed instructions.For relevant Class 1 work, demonstrate consistent pre-shift walkaround checks and knowledge of load restraint and weight distribution. Explain how you reported and resolved defects, unsafe loads or equipment problems.
Routes and time managementShow that you can follow planned routes, meet scheduled windows and communicate promptly when traffic or access problems affect a journey.Demonstrate route planning around delivery windows, traffic, road restrictions and driving-hour limits. Use evidence showing how route changes protected service while maintaining accurate records.
Documentation and technologyMention delivery notes, handheld terminals or digital proof of delivery when you have used them in employment or training. Describe the actual task instead of claiming familiarity with every system.Show ownership of journey-record quality, tachograph records, telematics reporting and corrective action. Quantify fewer missing records, entry errors or delayed proofs of delivery where your records support the result.
Leadership and customer serviceGive examples of polite customer contact, dependable attendance, clear handovers and teamwork with warehouse, loading or depot colleagues.Show coaching, work allocation, incident follow-up and resolution of difficult delivery issues. Connect leadership to a recorded service, safety or documentation result rather than relying on the job title.

Frequently asked questions

From example to application

Turn this driver example into a CV that sounds like you.

Keep the structure that works. Tailor the details around your experience, strengths, and the role you want.