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5 CV examples · UK · Updated October 2026

HGV Driver CV Examples and Templates (UK)

A strong HGV driver CV proves you are legal, safe and reliable before anything else. Put your licence category, Driver CPC and tachograph card in the first lines, then back them up with on-time deliveries, clean compliance records and drops per day. Open with a short personal profile.

HGV Driver CV at a glance

Best format
Reverse-chronological, single column, licence and Driver CPC first
Length
1 page for most; 2 for lead drivers and long careers
Top skills
Class 1 or 2 driving, Drivers’ hours and tachographs, Daily walkaround vehicle checks, Load security and deliveries
Key qualifications
Category C or C+E driving licence, Driver CPC card (DQC), Digital tachograph driver card
Average salary
£27,000 to £47,000 a yearstarter to experienced, National Careers Service
Typical hours
38 to 52 a weekevenings, weekends, bank holidays away from home

5 hgv driver CV examples for 2026

Below are 5 UK HGV driver CV examples, from a newly qualified Class 2 driver to a Class 1 lead driver and trainer, with ADR tanker and HIAB versions, plus personal profiles, skills, keywords and a free HGV driver CV template in Word for every example. Each one is shown at true A4 size and comes with a free single-column Word template. Open any example to read it in full.

Swipe to see all 5 examples →

Leah Thornton

Class 2 HGV Driver (Category C)

Stoke-on-Trent · leah.thornton@email.com · 07700 900184

Skills & Tools

Category C (Class 2)Daily walkaround checksDefect reportingMulti-drop route planningTail-lift and pallet truckLoad securityHandheld ePOD scannersCustomer service at the door

Personal Profile

Newly qualified Class 2 HGV driver with Category C, a Driver CPC card and a digital tachograph card, all gained in 2026. Brings three years of multi-drop van driving on rural Staffordshire routes and two years loading lorries in a tile warehouse. Seeking a first Class 2 multi-drop or day trunking role.

Employment History

Multi-drop Van Driver, Bilsmere Parcels, Stoke-on-Trent Apr 2023 – Present

  • Deliver 120 to 140 parcels a day around Leek and the Moorlands, finishing on schedule on 97% of days.
  • Walkaround check a 3.5-tonne van before every shift and log any defect in the depot app before leaving.
  • Load the van in drop order from the scanned manifest, so no time is lost at each stop.
  • Kept a clean licence with no vehicle damage claims in three years and rode along with four new drivers.

Warehouse Operative (Goods-Out), Kesterby Tiles, Stoke-on-Trent Jun 2021 – Mar 2023

  • Loaded up to 14 rigid lorries and curtainsider trailers a shift with tile pallets, following each load plan.
  • Checked straps, edge protectors and curtain buckles with drivers, learning how heavy loads are secured.
  • Operated a counterbalance forklift on the loading bay, keeping pedestrian routes clear around reversing lorries.

Sales Assistant (part-time), Hollinsby Garden Centre, Newcastle-under-Lyme 2019 – 2021

  • Unloaded supplier deliveries of compost and aggregates by pallet truck, stacking them safely in the yard.
  • Helped customers load heavy purchases and booked home deliveries with the centre’s van driver.
  • Worked weekends and bank holidays through two spring peaks without missing a shift.

Education & Qualifications

Skills Bootcamp in HGV Driving (Category C), 2026
BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Business, 2021; 8 GCSEs grades 9-4 including English and Maths, 2019

Training & Certificates

Category C (Aug 2026); full Category B licence · Driver CPC initial qualification, Parts 1 to 4 (2026); digital tachograph driver card · Counterbalance forklift basic training certificate (2022)

Additional information

  • Available for early starts, weekends, bank holidays and occasional nights out in the cab.
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Newly qualified

Newly Qualified HGV Driver CV (Class 2, No HGV Experience) CV example

Drivers who have just passed Category C and the Driver CPC, often through a Skills Bootcamp, and have van, warehouse or delivery work but no paid HGV experience yet.

Template: Skills first · 1 page

Why this example works

  • Puts Category C, Driver CPC and the tachograph card in the first line, the three checks a transport office makes before reading further.
  • Turns van work into HGV evidence: drops per day, on-time routes, walkaround checks and loading in drop order.
  • Shows load security from the warehouse side, which reassures an operator hiring a driver with no HGV miles yet.

Marek Pietrzak

Class 1 HGV Driver (C+E)

Daventry · marek.pietrzak@email.com · 07700 900562

Personal Profile

Class 1 HGV driver with eight years of HGV driving and no blameworthy collisions, including four years of night trunking between distribution centres in the Midlands and the North. Holds Category C+E, an International Driver CPC card and a digital tachograph card. Experienced with double-deck trailers, tight yards and booked delivery slots, and seeking a permanent nights or tramping role.

Employment History

Class 1 HGV Driver (Nights), Crandleby Freight, Daventry Jun 2022 – Present

  • Run a nightly trunk from Daventry to Doncaster or Warrington, swapping double-deck trailers at the receiving depot and returning loaded.
  • Arrived within the booked slot on 98.7% of trunks over the last 12 months by planning breaks before leaving the yard.
  • Raised fuel economy from 8.4 to 9.1 mpg on telematics reports through better anticipation, cruise control and less idling.
  • Recorded no drivers’ hours or Working Time infringements in two years of monthly tachograph analysis reports.

Class 2 HGV Driver (Multi-Drop, Chilled), Quorley Foodservice, Northampton Mar 2019 – May 2022

  • Delivered chilled and frozen food to 14 to 18 restaurants, schools and care homes a day on an 18-tonne rigid with tail-lift.
  • Probed and recorded product temperatures at loading and at every drop, so customers always signed for food within range.
  • Upgraded to Class 1 with company-funded training, then covered weekend yard shunting on the depot’s artics.

Warehouse Operative (Despatch), Fernmarsh Cold Store, Daventry Sep 2015 – Feb 2019

  • Picked and loaded frozen orders in a minus 25°C store, building stable pallets for outbound trailers before despatch cut-off.
  • Moved onto local transfer runs in the site’s 26-tonne rigid after passing Category C with the firm’s support.
  • Trained eight agency starters in cold store PPE, pallet wrapping and despatch scanning.

Languages

  • Polish (native) and English (fluent).
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Class 1

Class 1 HGV Driver CV (C+E, Night Trunking) CV example

Category C+E drivers with a few years on artics who want a better trunking, tramping or general haulage job and need to show safe, compliant miles.

Template: Side panel · 1 page

Why this example works

  • Leads with Class 1, trailer types and the trunking pattern, matching the first filters a haulier or agency recruiter applies.
  • Proves compliance with two clean years of tachograph reports and slot performance, the numbers a traffic office tracks.
  • Shows a clear climb from cold store despatch to Class 2 and Class 1, with each licence upgrade dated.

Applying through an online portal? Use the Word download: it is the same CV in a single-column, ATS-safe layout. Keep this two-column design for emailing and networking.

Delroy Campbell

HIAB Driver (Class 2, Lorry Loader)

Wolverhampton · delroy.campbell@email.com · 07700 900735

Profile

Class 2 HIAB driver with almost ten years of HGV driving, the last four delivering bricks, blocks and timber to West Midlands building sites. Holds a Driver CPC card, a digital tachograph card and an ALLMI lorry loader certificate with remote control. Has made over 8,000 crane offloads without a lifting incident and is seeking a HIAB driver role with a builders’ merchant.

Employment History

HIAB Driver (Class 2), Pendlecott Building Supplies, Wolverhampton Mar 2022 – Present

  • Deliver 8 to 12 crane offloads a day from a 26-tonne rigid with a rear-mounted lorry loader and brick grab.
  • Check ground, overhead cables and outrigger positions at every drop, refusing two unsafe lifts until sites were ready.
  • Log daily pre-use checks on the crane, remote and outriggers alongside the vehicle walkaround before departure.

Class 2 Skip Lorry Driver, Marrowby Skip Hire, Walsall Jan 2017 – Feb 2022

  • Delivered and collected 12 to 16 skips a day across Walsall and Wolverhampton with a chain-lift skip loader.
  • Checked council permits, lights and cones before placing any skip on the road, with no permit breaches in five years.
  • Completed a waste transfer note for every collection and weighed each load at the transfer station.

Education & Qualifications

5 GCSEs grades A*-C including English and Maths, 2010

Training & Certificates

Category C (2016); Driver CPC card, valid to 2031 · Digital tachograph driver card · ALLMI lorry loader operator certificate: hook, pallet and brick grab, with remote control (2022) · Truck-mounted forklift basic training certificate (2023)

Core Skills

Category C (Class 2) · Lorry loader (HIAB) operation · Remote control crane work · Lift planning and ground checks · Outrigger set-up · Crane pre-use checks · Drivers’ hours and tachographs · Load restraint and strapping · Truck-mounted forklift

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HIAB

HIAB Driver CV (Class 2 Lorry Loader, Builders’ Merchant) CV example

Class 2 drivers who operate a lorry-mounted crane to deliver building materials and need to show ALLMI training, safe lifting and site delivery skills.

Template: Timeline · 1 page

Why this example works

  • Puts the Driver CPC, tachograph card and ALLMI certificate in the profile, the checks a builders’ merchant makes before any crane work.
  • Shows lifting judgement, not just driving: ground checks, overhead cables and two refused unsafe lifts.
  • Shows a logical path from timber yard to skip loader to HIAB, each step adding lifting responsibility.

Aled Pritchard

ADR Tanker Driver (Class 1, Petroleum)

Llanelli · aled.pritchard@email.com · 07700 900318 · linkedin.com/in/aledpritchard

Personal Profile

Class 1 ADR tanker driver with 16 years of HGV driving, the last eight delivering fuel across South and West Wales. Holds ADR Core, Tanks and Class 3, a Driver CPC card and a digital tachograph card. Self-loads at terminal gantries and has made more than 4,000 forecourt and farm deliveries since 2021. Seeking a senior tanker driver role with a South Wales fuel distributor.

Core Skills

Category C+E (Class 1)ADR Core, Tanks and Class 3Bottom loading at terminal gantriesForecourt deliveries with vapour recoveryUllage and product checksMetered heating oil deliveriesSpill response and emergency proceduresADR documents and instructions in writingDigital tachograph and drivers’ hoursTanker walkaround checksCustomer site risk assessmentRural route planning

Employment History

ADR Tanker Driver (Class 1), Teifimor Fuels, Llanelli Mar 2021 – Present

  • Self-load a five-compartment articulated tanker at a Pembrokeshire terminal gantry and deliver around 36,000 litres of fuel per load.
  • Complete three to four forecourt drops a shift, connecting delivery and vapour recovery hoses and checking ullage before every discharge.
  • Achieved five years with no spills or wrong-product deliveries, confirmed by the dangerous goods safety adviser’s annual ride-along audits.
  • Proposed a pre-delivery hazard check for farm sites after a near miss with livestock, now part of every driver’s job sheet.
  • Plan rural routes around weight limits, narrow lanes and school times, keeping fully laden tankers off unsuitable roads.

Tanker Driver (Class 2, Heating Oil), Gorsfach Oils, Carmarthen Apr 2018 – Feb 2021

  • Delivered kerosene and gas oil to 15 to 20 homes and farms a day from an 18-tonne rigid tanker with a metered hose reel.
  • Moved from general haulage into tanker work after ADR training, completing a four-week accompanied induction with a senior driver.
  • Checked customer tanks for leaks, bunding and level before filling, reporting unsafe tanks to the office and the customer.
  • Covered winter peaks of up to 25 drops a day with no metering errors, keeping delivery tickets and paperwork accurate.
  • Trained two new drivers in hose handling, meter checks and safe parking on narrow farm tracks.

Class 1 HGV Driver (General Haulage), Llanfadog Haulage, Carmarthen May 2014 – Mar 2018

  • Hauled curtainsider and flatbed loads of animal feed, fertiliser and steel across the UK, with two nights out most weeks.
  • Strapped and sheeted mixed loads to DVSA load security guidance, with no load shifts reported in four years.
  • Upgraded from rigids to artics with the firm’s support and was running solo Class 1 work within a month.
  • Reported every defect on the walkaround sheet, helping the fleet pass its annual tests first time two years running.

Class 2 Driver (Agricultural), Calverdine Agricultural Contractors, Whitland Jun 2010 – Apr 2014

  • Drove a 26-tonne grain lorry at harvest and moved feed and fertiliser between farms and merchants out of season.
  • Drove tractors and trailers for silage and slurry work, building strong machinery and safety awareness.
  • Kept weighbridge tickets and harvest paperwork in order for around 30 farm customers.

Farm Assistant (part-time), Hartsby Farm, St Clears 2007 – 2010

  • Milked a 180-cow dairy herd on weekend shifts and helped with calving, feeding and yard cleaning while studying at college.
  • Drove tractors with trailers on farm tracks and minor roads, the start of a career behind the wheel.

Education & Qualifications

National Certificate in Agriculture (Level 2), Coleg Sir Gâr, 2009
7 GCSEs grades A*-C including English, Welsh and Maths, 2007

Training & Certificates

ADR driver training certificate: Core, Tanks and Class 3 (2018, renewed 2023) · Category C+E (2014) and Category C (2010) · Driver CPC card, valid to 2030 · Digital tachograph driver card · Emergency First Aid at Work (2025)

Additional training

  • Terminal safety induction and gantry loading assessment, renewed every year.
  • Annual spill kit and emergency response drill with the company’s dangerous goods safety adviser.
  • Defensive driving course for tanker drivers, taken as part of Driver CPC periodic training (2024).

Languages

  • Welsh and English (fluent), used every day with farm and forecourt customers across Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion.

Volunteering

  • Volunteer driver for a local young farmers’ club, moving show equipment and marquees to the county show each summer.
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ADR tanker

ADR Tanker Driver CV (Class 1, Fuel Distribution) CV example

Class 1 drivers with ADR tanks training who deliver fuel or chemicals, and general haulage drivers moving into tanker work.

Template: Bold header · 2 pages

Why this example works

  • Lists ADR modules with first and renewal dates, so a fuel distributor sees at a glance that the certificate is current.
  • Shows tanker-specific skills in bullets: gantry loading, vapour recovery, ullage checks and no wrong-product deliveries.
  • Traces 16 years from agricultural rigid to Class 1 tanker, proving the rural road experience a Welsh distributor values.

Harjinder Bains

Lead Class 1 Driver and Driver Trainer

Coventry · harjinder.bains@email.com · 07700 900649 · linkedin.com/in/harjinderbains

Personal Profile

Lead Class 1 driver and in-house driver trainer with 18 years of HGV driving, now assessing, coaching and inducting drivers at a retail distribution centre near Lutterworth. Holds Category C+E, a Driver CPC card and a digital tachograph card. Supports a fleet of 140 drivers on compliance, incident reviews and telematics coaching. Working towards the Transport Manager CPC and seeking a transport supervisor or senior driver trainer role.

Employment History

Lead Class 1 Driver and Driver Trainer, Ostlebury Retail Distribution, Lutterworth Feb 2020 – Present

  • Assess every new Class 1 driver with an on-road drive, yard reversing test and walkaround check, onboarding around 45 drivers a year.
  • Coach drivers flagged by telematics for harsh braking or speeding, cutting the fleet’s monthly harsh-event rate by 38% over 2024 and 2025.
  • Review weekly tachograph infringement reports with the transport manager and hold one-to-ones, halving repeat infringements within a year.
  • Investigate collisions and near misses using camera footage and recommend training or route changes; reversing incidents fell from 31 to 17 a year.

Class 1 HGV Driver (Double-Deck Trunking), Haverwick Logistics, Coventry Mar 2015 – Jan 2020

  • Pulled double-deck trailers between three regional distribution centres on a rotating pattern of days and nights.
  • Drove around 500,000 miles without a blameworthy collision and received the company’s five-year safe driver award.
  • Appointed driver mentor in 2018, buddying newly qualified Class 1 drivers through their first four weeks on the fleet.
  • Trialled new double-deck trailer tail-lifts and wrote the safe operating card later used across the fleet.

Class 1 HGV Driver (General Haulage), Danesmere Transport, Nuneaton Apr 2011 – Feb 2015

  • Hauled curtainsider and flatbed loads across the UK, typically tramping three nights a week from Monday to Friday.
  • Secured steel coils, machinery and mixed pallets with chains, straps and edge protection, with no load shifts reported.
  • Covered occasional Saturday yard shunting in weeks without nights out, coupling and checking up to 20 trailers a shift.
  • Built good working relationships with customer goods-in teams, often securing earlier unloading slots on busy days.

Class 2 Dray Driver, Cotsby Drinks Distribution, Coventry Jun 2008 – Mar 2011

  • Delivered kegs and cases to 12 to 16 pubs and clubs a day, lowering kegs into cellars safely with the drayman.
  • Planned the drop order around town centre loading restrictions and each licensee’s opening times.
  • Returned empty kegs and gas cylinders, reconciling counts with the depot at the end of every shift.

Warehouse Operative, Elmstow Wholesale, Coventry 2004 – 2008

  • Picked and loaded grocery orders for convenience stores on early shifts, often staying on to help load late vans.
  • Rode along with the delivery drivers on Saturdays, which led to company-supported Class 2 training.

Education & Qualifications

A-levels: Business Studies (C), Geography (D), 2004
9 GCSEs grades A*-C including English and Maths, 2002

Training & Certificates

Category C+E (2011) and Category C (2008) · Driver CPC card, valid to 2029 · Digital tachograph driver card · Level 3 Award in Education and Training (2021) · IOSH Managing Safely (2023) · First Aid at Work (2024)

Professional development

  • Working towards the Transport Manager CPC in road haulage, with exams booked for 2027.
  • FORS Professional Safe Driving and LoCITY Driving courses (2024).

Achievements

  • Shortlisted for the company’s national driver trainer of the year award in 2025, one of four trainers nominated across 11 sites.

Volunteering

  • Helps at cycle safety events run by local road safety teams, letting cyclists sit in an HGV cab to see the blind spots.

Languages

  • English and Punjabi (fluent), used when inducting drivers whose first language is Punjabi.
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Lead driver

Senior HGV Driver CV (Class 1 Lead Driver and Driver Trainer) CV example

Experienced Class 1 drivers applying for lead driver, driver trainer, driver assessor or transport supervisor roles who need to show people, compliance and safety results.

Template: Sidebar · 2 pages

Why this example works

  • Frames a driving career as a leadership one: drivers assessed, incidents investigated and repeat infringements halved.
  • Every claim carries a number a transport manager recognises, from harsh events and reversing incidents to drivers onboarded.
  • Shows current compliance knowledge, from Working Time rules to TfL’s Progressive Safe System, which suits trainer and supervisor roles.

Applying through an online portal? Use the Word download: it is the same CV in a single-column, ATS-safe layout. Keep this two-column design for emailing and networking.

HGV Driver personal profile examples

Copy the personal profile that matches your level, then swap in your own experience, settings and results.

Newly qualified Class 2 driver (no HGV experience)
Newly qualified Class 2 driver with Category C, a Driver CPC card and a digital tachograph card, gained through a Skills Bootcamp in 2026. Brings two years as a supermarket home delivery driver with a clean licence and strong customer feedback. Keen to build HGV miles on multi-drop or day work, with early starts and weekends no problem.
Career changer (leaving the armed forces)
Former Army driver with eight years in the Royal Logistic Corps, holding Category C+E, a Driver CPC card and a digital tachograph card. Experienced in convoy driving, load security and daily vehicle checks in demanding conditions, and used to strict routines and accurate paperwork. Seeking a Class 1 trunking or general haulage role in civilian transport.
Class 2 multi-drop driver
Class 2 multi-drop driver with five years on 18 and 26-tonne rigids, delivering chilled and ambient stock to 15 to 20 stores and restaurants a day. Uses tail-lifts, pallet trucks and roll cages safely, keeps ePOD and temperature records accurate and holds a clean licence. Looking for a permanent day role with regular routes.
Class 1 driver (trunking, tramping or general haulage)
Class 1 HGV driver with seven years on curtainsiders, flatbeds and double-deck trailers, covering night trunks and UK tramping work. Plans breaks and rest to the drivers’ hours rules, secures loads to DVSA guidance and has no blameworthy collisions. Seeking a Class 1 role with regular nights out or a fixed trunk.
Lead driver or driver trainer
Senior Class 1 driver and driver mentor with 15 years of HGV experience, assessing new starters, running ride-alongs and coaching drivers from telematics and camera reports. Holds the Level 3 Award in Education and Training and IOSH Managing Safely. Ready for a driver trainer or transport supervisor role with a large fleet.

Best skills for a hgv driver CV

List the skills the job advert and person specification name, in the same wording, and prove the important ones in your employment history.

Hard skills

  • Category C (Class 2) or C+E (Class 1) driving
  • Daily walkaround checks and defect reporting
  • Digital tachograph use and drivers’ hours rules
  • Route planning around height, width and weight limits
  • Coupling and uncoupling trailers
  • Load security with straps, chains, bars and sheets
  • Multi-drop deliveries with tail-lift and pallet truck
  • Reversing onto loading bays and in tight yards
  • Fuel-efficient driving
  • Delivery notes, ePOD and consignment paperwork
  • Temperature-controlled loads
  • Lorry loader (HIAB) operation

Soft skills

  • Concentration over long shifts
  • Time management
  • Staying calm in traffic and delays
  • Clear communication with the traffic office
  • Customer service at delivery points
  • Reliability and punctuality
  • Working alone with self-discipline
  • Problem-solving on the road

Systems and equipment

  • Digital tachograph and driver card
  • Telematics platforms such as Microlise or Webfleet
  • Truck sat nav with HGV routing
  • Handheld ePOD devices and scanners
  • Tail-lifts, pallet trucks and roll cages
  • Fridge units and temperature recorders
  • Lorry loader cranes with remote control

Qualifications and training

  • Category C or C+E driving licence entitlement
  • Driver CPC card (DQC), National or International
  • Digital tachograph driver card
  • ADR driver training certificate (Core, Packages, Tanks and class modules)
  • ALLMI lorry loader operator certificate (HIAB)
  • Large goods vehicle (LGV) driver C + E Level 2 apprenticeship (England)
  • Truck-mounted forklift basic training certificate

HGV Driver CV bullet point examples

Strong bullets pair an action verb with a specific task and a measurable result. Adapt these to your own numbers.

Deliveries and customer service

  • Delivered to 22 convenience stores a night on a 26-tonne rigid, unloading roll cages by tail-lift within each store’s quiet hours.
  • Completed site inductions at more than 40 customer factories and building sites, following each one’s PPE, one-way and banksman rules.
  • Resolved a refused delivery by calling the planner, rebooking the slot and returning the load to the depot the same shift.

Vehicle checks, safety and compliance

  • Spotted a leaking air line coupling on a walkaround check and kept the trailer off the road until the workshop replaced it.
  • Planned every rural route with HGV sat nav and atlas checks, completing three years with no bridge strikes.
  • Kept tachograph records accurate, correcting two missing manual entries within a day of the traffic office flagging them.

Loading, load security and specialist equipment

  • Tipped six to eight loads of aggregate a day from a 32-tonne eight-wheel tipper, lowering the body fully before moving off.
  • Built double-deck loads with the warehouse team, keeping heavier pallets on the bottom deck and the trailer within axle limits.
  • Responded to a fridge unit alarm in transit by checking the setpoint and calling the breakdown line, keeping the chilled load below 5°C.

Efficiency, fuel and teamwork

  • Cut empty running by asking the traffic office for a backload before each unload, filling around three return trips a week.
  • Cut engine idling by 30% in one quarter after reviewing telematics reports with the driver trainer.
  • Covered 14 extra shifts during a peak-season driver shortage without breaching drivers’ hours or working time limits.

Action verbs for a hgv driver CV

Start each bullet with a precise verb instead of “responsible for”.

  • Delivered
  • Drove
  • Hauled
  • Trunked
  • Loaded
  • Offloaded
  • Discharged
  • Secured
  • Strapped
  • Coupled
  • Inspected
  • Checked
  • Reported
  • Recorded
  • Planned
  • Rerouted
  • Prioritised
  • Organised
  • Completed
  • Maintained
  • Reduced
  • Improved
  • Trained
  • Mentored
  • Assessed
  • Coached
  • Investigated
  • Resolved
  • Liaised

Find more by category with the free action verb finder.

Best CV format for a hgv driver

Use a reverse-chronological HGV driver CV in a single column: a personal profile naming your licence and Driver CPC, key skills, employment history, then licences, training and qualifications. Most drivers fit on one side of A4; lead drivers and long careers use two.

Your situationFormatLengthLead with
Newly qualified, no HGV experienceSkills-led: profile, skills, then van or warehouse work1 pageLicence category, Driver CPC, tachograph card and any driving work
Class 2 multi-drop driverReverse-chronological1 pageVehicle sizes, drops per day, tail-lift work and on-time record
Class 1 trunking or general haulageReverse-chronological1 page (2 for long careers)Trailer types, work pattern and compliance record
Specialist (ADR tanker, HIAB, fridge)Reverse-chronological with a training section1 page (2 for long careers)ADR or ALLMI certificates and safety record
Career changer (van, forces, warehouse)Hybrid: profile and transferable skills first1 pageLicence, driving or loading experience and reliability
Lead driver, trainer or supervisorReverse-chronological2 pagesDrivers coached, incidents cut and compliance results

Every example above follows these rules, on A4 and without a photo, date of birth or full address.

How to write an HGV driver CV that gets interviews

An HGV driver CV gets interviews when the transport office can see in seconds that you are legal, safe and reliable. Put your licence category, Driver CPC and tachograph card in the personal profile, then prove the rest with numbers.

Name the work and the kit, such as multi-drop on an 18-tonne rigid or trunking with double-deck trailers. Then add drops per day, on-time rate, mpg or miles without a blameworthy collision.

State your shift pattern, because many driving jobs include nights, weekends or nights out in the cab. An HGV driver, LGV driver or lorry driver CV is the same document, so use the advert’s exact title under your name.

HGV driver CV with no experience

You can write a strong HGV driver CV with no HGV experience once you hold the licence and Driver CPC. Lead with your new entitlement, then prove you are safe and dependable with van, warehouse or delivery work, on one page.

Treat a van round as driving evidence: drops per day, walkaround checks and a clean licence. Warehouse work shows loading bays and load security.

In England, the National Careers Service lists the Large goods vehicle (LGV) driver C + E Level 2 apprenticeship and Skills Bootcamps of up to 16 weeks for adults aged 19 or over with a full car licence. The armed forces also train HGV drivers.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own apprenticeship schemes, but the licence, Driver CPC and tachograph card apply in every UK nation.

How to show your licence, Driver CPC and tachograph card

Give each licence category the year you passed it: C1 covers 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes, C (Class 2) rigid lorries over 3.5 tonnes, and C+E (Class 1) artics and drawbars. Moving from C to C+E only needs the Driver CPC Part 3a and 3b tests.

List your Driver CPC card with its expiry year. You need 35 hours of periodic training every five years; GOV.UK separates National Driver CPC (UK only) from International Driver CPC (Europe too), so say which you hold.

Add your digital tachograph driver card, but never your licence number. In Great Britain, employers check your record with a DVLA check code that lasts 21 days; Northern Ireland licences use a separate service.

For specialist work, list ADR modules such as Core, Tanks and Class 3 with renewal dates, because ADR qualifications last five years. For lorry loaders, give your ALLMI operator certificate and its categories; it also lasts five years.

Keywords to include in an HGV driver CV

Include your licence category, Driver CPC, trailer types and work pattern in the advert’s exact words, such as ‘Class 1’, ‘C+E’, ‘multi-drop’ or ‘ADR’. Large hauliers, retailers and driving agencies often screen online applications with applicant tracking systems, so mirror those words in your profile, skills and bullets.

  • HGV driver, LGV driver, lorry driver, Class 1, Class 2, Category C, C+E
  • Driver CPC, DQC, digital tachograph card, drivers’ hours, working time
  • Multi-drop, trunking, tramping, nights out, day work, store deliveries
  • Curtainsider, double-deck, fridge, tipper, tanker, flatbed, drawbar
  • Walkaround checks, defect reporting, load security, coupling, reversing
  • ADR, HIAB, lorry loader, ALLMI, tail-lift, ePOD, telematics

How to show drivers’ hours and safety compliance

Show compliance with infringement-free tachograph reports, defects reported before departure and miles without a blameworthy collision. Operators are judged on compliance, and GOV.UK’s drivers’ hours rules limit most lorry driving to 9 hours a day, or 10 twice a week, with a 45-minute break after 4 hours 30 minutes.

Working time is capped separately at an average of 48 hours a week. Put a number on your record where you can, such as months without an infringement on tachograph analysis reports, and name any FORS or Driver CPC safety courses you have completed.

If you deliver in London, mention TfL’s Direct Vision Standard: lorries over 12 tonnes need an HGV Safety Permit, so confident use of blind spot and moving-off warning systems sells you for urban work.

What to include and leave off a UK HGV driver CV

✓ Include✗ Avoid
Licence categories (C1, C, C+E) with the year passed, plus ‘clean licence’ if trueA photo, date of birth, age, marital status or nationality
Driver CPC card with its expiry year, and your digital tachograph cardYour driving licence number, National Insurance number or a copy of your licence
Vehicle and trailer types: rigid, artic, double-deck, curtainsider, tanker, fridgeYour full home address (town or city is enough)
The work you know: multi-drop, trunking, tramping, nights out or site deliveriesClaims like ‘excellent driver’ with no compliance or delivery evidence
Numbers: drops per day, on-time rate, mpg, miles without a blameworthy collisionA list of every vehicle you have driven with no numbers or context
Specialist certificates such as ADR, ALLMI and forklift, each with its yearReferees’ names and phone numbers
Shift availability, including nights, weekends and nights out in the cabTables, columns and graphics that applicant tracking systems misread

How to write an HGV driver CV

  1. Read the advert for licence, vehicle and shifts. Note the licence category, vehicle or trailer type, work pattern and words the advert repeats, such as multi-drop, trunking, ADR or HIAB. Those words become your keywords, and the shift pattern tells you which availability to state.
  2. Write a personal profile. In three to five lines, give your licence category, Driver CPC and tachograph card, the driving you do, one result and the role you want. Add your availability for nights, weekends or nights out in the cab.
  3. List your key skills and vehicles. Choose 8 to 12 skills that match the advert. Mix driving skills such as coupling and reversing onto bays with compliance skills such as walkaround checks and drivers’ hours, plus the vehicles, trailers and equipment you know.
  4. Show results in your employment history. List jobs newest first with title, employer, town and dates. Give each three to five bullets that start with an action verb and include a number: drops a day, on-time rate, mpg or miles without a blameworthy collision.
  5. Add licences, training and qualifications. List each licence category with the year you passed, your Driver CPC card and expiry year, and your tachograph card. Add ADR modules, ALLMI or forklift certificates and first aid, then summarise GCSEs in one line.
  6. Check length, layout and spelling. Keep to one side of A4 unless you are a lead driver or have a long career of 15 years or more. Use a single column, a clear font and UK spelling, leave off your licence number, and save as Word or PDF.

HGV Driver salary in the UK

National averages for England. Use them to benchmark offers, not as a promise for any single job.

£27,000average starting salary
£47,000average with experience
38 to 52typical hours a week

The National Careers Service puts average pay for a hGV driver at £27,000 a year for new starters, rising to around £47,000 with experience. Typical hours are 38 to 52 a week, with evenings, weekends, bank holidays away from home.

Source: National Careers Service, HGV driver job profile (Department for Education), contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are averages; pay varies by region, employer and experience.

Covering letter tip for a hgv driver

Use a short covering letter to match the advert line by line: licence category, Driver CPC, vehicle type and shift pattern. Add one proof point, such as an on-time record or a clean tachograph history, and say when you can start and whether nights out suit you. Keep it under 250 words.

Start from our cover letter templates or draft one in seconds with the cover letter generator.

HGV Driver CV FAQ

How long should an HGV driver CV be?
One side of A4 is right for most HGV drivers, including newly qualified drivers and Class 2 or Class 1 drivers with up to three jobs. Lead drivers, driver trainers and drivers with long careers, such as 15 years or more across several jobs, can use two pages. Either way, keep your licence categories, Driver CPC and best numbers on the top half of page one.
What should I put in a personal statement for an HGV driver CV?
Give your licence category, the driving you do, one result and the job you want, in three to five lines. On a UK CV this is usually called a personal profile. Mention Class 1 or Class 2, your Driver CPC, vehicle types such as double-deck or tanker, a figure such as on-time deliveries, and your shift availability.
How do I write an HGV driver CV with no experience?
Lead with your new licence, Driver CPC and tachograph card, then use van driving, warehouse, forklift or delivery work as evidence. Give each role a result, such as drops per day, a clean licence or trailers loaded, and mention load security. Keep it to one page and offer an assessment drive in your covering letter.
What skills should I put on an HGV driver CV?
Start with the skills the advert names, usually safe driving in the right category, daily walkaround checks, drivers’ hours and tachograph use, load security and customer service at deliveries. Add specialist skills such as coupling, tail-lift work, ADR or lorry loader operation, then prove the key ones with numbers in your employment history.
What qualifications do I need to be an HGV driver?
You need a full car licence, a lorry licence for the right category, a Driver CPC and a digital tachograph card, and you must be over 18. In Great Britain you apply for provisional lorry entitlement with a D2 form and a D4 medical report. Keeping your Driver CPC needs 35 hours of periodic training every five years, and dangerous goods work also needs ADR.
What is the difference between Class 1 and Class 2 on a CV?
Class 2 is the everyday name for Category C, rigid lorries over 3.5 tonnes, while Class 1 means Category C+E, artics and drawbars. Write both on your CV, such as ‘Class 1 (C+E)’, because adverts and applicant tracking systems use either term. Upgrading from C to C+E only needs the Driver CPC Part 3a and 3b tests.
Should I put penalty points on my HGV driver CV?
Write ‘clean licence’ if you have no points, because many adverts ask for it. If you have points, you do not need to list them on your CV, but answer honestly when the application form or interview asks. Never add your licence number: in Great Britain, employers check your record with a DVLA check code.
Do I need a cover letter for an HGV driver job?
Send a short covering letter whenever the advert asks for one or lets you upload documents, because it helps you stand out from similar CVs. Match the advert in three short paragraphs: licence and Driver CPC, the vehicles and work you know, and your shift availability. Many hauliers and agencies use online forms, so answer those questions just as carefully.
Should I put references on my HGV driver CV?
No, you do not need to list referees on a UK HGV driver CV. Employers usually ask for references after an interview or offer, so leave the section off or write ‘References available on request’. Check that a former transport manager or supervisor has agreed to give one before you apply.
How do I show ADR or HIAB training on my CV?
List each certificate in your training section with its modules or categories and the year, then prove it in a bullet. For ADR, write the modules, such as Core, Tanks and Class 3, and the renewal date, because ADR qualifications last five years. For HIAB work, give your ALLMI lorry loader operator certificate and its categories, such as hook, brick grab and remote control. Some building sites also ask for a CPCS A36 or NPORS lorry loader card, so list one if you hold it.