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Trailer truck driver skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Martin Garsee
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical trailer truck driver skills. We ranked the top skills for trailer truck drivers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 54.5% of trailer truck driver resumes contained cdl as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a trailer truck driver needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 trailer truck driver skills for your resume and career

1. CDL

Here's how trailer truck drivers use cdl:
  • Maintained North Carolina Class A CDL with HazMat and Tanker Endorsement
  • Received Class A Licensee CDL.

2. Commodities

Here's how trailer truck drivers use commodities:
  • Transported commodities to specified destinations safely.
  • Transport perishable commodities in timely manner.

3. DOT

Here's how trailer truck drivers use dot:
  • Maintain and operate tractor trailer combinations within DOT regulations.
  • Pay for and maintain the proper DOT medical cards needed to operate a class-A tractor trailer vehicle.

4. OTR

Here's how trailer truck drivers use otr:
  • Trained in over 600 hours and OTR training.
  • Transport and Storage - Materials OTR truck driver

5. Tractor-Trailer Combination

Here's how trailer truck drivers use tractor-trailer combination:
  • Operated tractor-trailer combination pulling 48 foot food grade tank trailers transporting bulk milk between farms, dairies and commercial establishments.
  • Drive trucks with capacities greater than three tons, including tractor-trailer combinations, to transport and deliver products.

6. Asphalt

Here's how trailer truck drivers use asphalt:
  • Transported asphalt to work sites, gaining a general knowledge of asphalt paving equipment and procedures.
  • Deliver asphalt, dirt, and ABC to various customers around Phoenix area in a belly dump.

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7. Tractor-Trailer Truck

Here's how trailer truck drivers use tractor-trailer truck:
  • Deliver goods while operating a tractor-trailer truck over intercity routes or spanning several states.
  • Drive tractor-trailer truck to transport road base products, materials to specified destinations.

8. Federal Regulations

Federal regulations refer to the set of rules, both general and permanent that are published in the Federal Register by the agencies of the federal government and the executive departments. Federal regulations are the large body of rules that govern federal practice. Examples of these laws include taxes and financial regulation, discrimination law, wages law, and so on.

Here's how trailer truck drivers use federal regulations:
  • Maintained current truck logs and inspection sheets in accordance with state and federal regulations.
  • Maintained logs of working hours and followed applicable state and federal regulations.

9. Federal Motor

Here's how trailer truck drivers use federal motor:
  • Transport freight in accordance with federal motor carrier safety regulations, accountability of products incoming/outgoing accompany with bills for customer/third party.
  • Performed vehicle safety inspections required under section 396.13 of the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Regulations.

10. Safety Equipment

Here's how trailer truck drivers use safety equipment:
  • Keep a record of vehicle inspections and make sure the truck is equipped with safety equipment
  • Observed and followed all safety rules and procedures, including wearing required personal safety equipment.

11. Safety Procedures

Safety procedures are a set of standardized procedures, that ensures minimal to no risk to people, resources, and the work environment. A company follows the step-by-step safety procedures as it they not only keep the customers and the employees safe, but also help in avoiding legal claims.

Here's how trailer truck drivers use safety procedures:
  • Followed appropriate safety procedures for transporting general freight.
  • Followed Safety procedures for transporting hazardous goods.

12. Unload Trucks

Unload trucks is an activity that is undertaken to remove items that have been carried on a truck. It could be raw materials, work-in-stock or finished products. Unloading a truck may require people and some equipment that may help unload items that are too heavy or dangerous for humans to handle.

Here's how trailer truck drivers use unload trucks:
  • Load and unload trucks at the warehouse and on delivery sites.
  • Load and unload trucks 53' trailers with hand carts, NYC to Pennsylvania

13. Vehicle Inspections

Vehicle inspection refers to the checking of vehicles in terms of safety measure standards.

Here's how trailer truck drivers use vehicle inspections:
  • Coordinate vehicle inspections and repairs and troubleshooting vehicle malfunctions on the road.
  • Assist other employees with other assigned tasks related to Company business actively participate in JSA creation/implementation and vehicle inspections.

14. Driver Logs

Here's how trailer truck drivers use driver logs:
  • Maintained driver log in accordance to federal law and regulations.
  • Maintain driver log in accordance with I.C.C.

15. State Regulations

State regulations are the rules made by the state authorities under a specific Act. When a government intervenes in the private market to implements policies, they are known as state regulations. These policies help in achieving the economic, political, and social targets which might not be able to achieve otherwise.

Here's how trailer truck drivers use state regulations:
  • Maintained all documentation in accordance with HOS requirements and federal and state regulations.
  • Maintained records required by Federal and State regulations.
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What skills help Trailer Truck Drivers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What type of skills will young trailer truck drivers need?

Martin GarseeMartin Garsee LinkedIn profile

Executive Director, NAPFTDS

To enter the trucking world, a person should have a clean driving record and a clean criminal (not sure if there is a better word) history.
To enter the industry, have obtained a CDL, that in itself requires a "new" set of skills than driving an automobile.
Ability to communicate, you will have to communicate with dispatchers, customers, and other drivers.
Ability to work with minimum supervision.
The trucking industry operates 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, and realizes that there is not typically a "set" schedule to work.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about trailer truck driver

List of trailer truck driver skills to add to your resume

Trailer truck driver skills

The most important skills for a trailer truck driver resume and required skills for a trailer truck driver to have include:

  • CDL
  • Commodities
  • DOT
  • OTR
  • Tractor-Trailer Combination
  • Asphalt
  • Tractor-Trailer Truck
  • Federal Regulations
  • Federal Motor
  • Safety Equipment
  • Safety Procedures
  • Unload Trucks
  • Vehicle Inspections
  • Driver Logs
  • State Regulations
  • Traffic Laws
  • Log Book
  • Hazardous Materials
  • Emergency Equipment
  • CB
  • Vehicle Service
  • Landing Gear
  • Pre-Trip Inspections
  • Traffic Violations
  • GVW
  • GPS
  • On-Time Delivery
  • Safety Rules
  • Radiator Fluid
  • Electrical Lines
  • Delivery Schedules
  • Inspect Goods
  • Dangerous Goods
  • Plan Routes
  • Billing Statements
  • Post-Trip Inspections
  • Construction Materials
  • Uncouple Trailers
  • Vehicle Logs
  • Alertness
  • Trip Logs
  • Truck Cab Computers
  • General Freight
  • Frozen Food

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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