Truck Driver Cover Letter Advice from HR Pros

To give you the best chances to land the role of a truck driver in a company of your choice, we have put together some of the most important tips from HR experts. These tips are presented in this article in keeping with the different sections of a typical cover letter. By following these tips, you should be able to draft a captivating cover letter and get hiring managers to consider you for the job.

Cover Letter Header

The first section of your cover letter contains your contact information. This is the first place in the document that hiring managers look at, even though it rarely plays a part in how they determine your eligibility for the role. However, if HR decides to hire you as the truck driver for the advertised position, the information contained in the header will come in handy. It will be used, alongside your resume, to notify you.

There is no complex trick to drafting a good cover letter header here. All you need to include in the section is your name and address. You can follow the brief outline below for this process:

1. Write your full name and include as many relevant professional and educational certification titles (in abbreviations) as possible. A good example of this name format is John Gates, CDL, EPA, DDI.
2. Write your city and state of residence. Don't add your home address unless specifically requested.

You should also add the date you submitted the cover letter. This will indicate to HR that it is recent and specific to the job you are applying for.

Greeting

The cover letter greeting follows the same style as the greeting in a formal letter. However, the address is not the traditional ‘Dear Sir’ or ‘Dear Madam’ used in formal and semi-formal letters. Cover letter greetings are more specific and often convey to the hiring team that you did a bit of investigation into the hiring company, and are familiar with HR protocols.

With truck driver positions, it is usually not easy to find out the name of the hiring manager. As a result, you may not be able to use the most appropriate address for them, which is a Mr. (if the manager is male) or Ms. (if the manager is female) and their last name. Nevertheless, it is acceptable to generalize the address by using ‘Dear Hiring Team’ or ‘Dear Hiring Manager.’

Here are addresses you should never use:

1. An arbitrary name such as Dear John Doe or Dear Jane Doe.
2. To Whom It May Concern.
3. Just Sir, Ms., Mrs., or Madam.

Introduction

Likely, the HR manager in the company you are applying to already has a heap of applications to contend with. Hence, your cover letter needs to catch their attention and hold it long enough for them to consider you seriously. This is where the cover letter introduction comes in.

The introduction section will contain the most relevant information about yourself and your interest in the job. You signal to the hiring manager that you are qualified for the role using a combination of related achievements, relevant interests, and an accurate understanding of the job requirements.

Here is a workable guideline you can follow to draft a captivating introduction in your truck driver cover letter:

1. Introduce yourself by stating your name, age (if age restrictions are included in the job requirements), certifications, and experience.
2. Indicate your interest in the company and note how the job you are applying for aligns with your career objectives.
3. Mention the skills and qualifications you consider the job advert to have emphasized and show that you possess these skills and qualifications.
4. Close with a strong emphasis on your being suitable for the job based on your interest, skills, and qualifications.
5. Use a confident tone throughout this introduction section rather than an imploring or desperate tone.

Middle Paragraphs

Hiring managers generally spend more time in the middle paragraphs of cover letters. It is in these paragraphs that you present point after point about why you are qualified for the available truck driver position. Here is also where you go into great detail about yourself and a bit about what you have learned about the job and the company offering it.

The middle paragraphs of cover letters are about elaboration. So, you don’t have to hold back about what you can do for the hiring company. A practical model for drafting these paragraphs is to adopt the layout style of a modern resume. Talk about your professional experience as a truck driver, relevant certifications (CDL, EPA, DDI, etc.) and your education. Add extra information (such as recommendations) that might make you stand out amongst the applicants.

A good idea is to use bullets to highlight your work history and certifications. This will help you draw the attention of the hiring manager by showing them critical information at a glance.

Here is a guide for the middle paragraphs of your cover letter:

1. Be as specific as possible in the career and certification highlights paragraph.
2. Cite relevant examples of challenges you faced as a truck driver in a former job and explain how you solved them.
3. Mention other skills (mostly soft skills) that have assisted your truck driving career, including auxiliary skills such as documenting (log keeping).
4. Be realistic and practical. Don’t say that you can work from home.

Ultimately, these paragraphs should not be more than 3. So, make sure they are compact and filled with only the most relevant information.

Conclusion and Closing

The conclusion is the easiest section of the cover letter. All you need to do here is mention that you expect a response from the hiring company. This is the call to action (CTA) section, so you have to be smart about how you phrase your suggestion for further communication. “I look forward to…” is one of the most popular and effective closing cover letter phrases, so use it at least once.

You can mention an alternative email or work address where HR can reach you if further communication is required. Also, you may include when you can start working with the hiring company if you land the job.

Lastly, be courteous in the way you end the letter. Don’t use informal expressions such as ‘Thanks,’ ‘My thanks, ‘Thanks a lot,’ ‘Cheers!’ or ‘Nice one.’ Simply write ‘Thank you.’

Extra Tips about Language and Formatting

1. Be as specific as possible in the career and certification highlights paragraph.
2. Use active words instead of passive words to ‘drive along’ your descriptions and explanations. This makes your cover letter more alive and captivating.
3. Use bullets to draw attention to points about your work history and professional credentials.
4. Pay attention to the job description and requirements, and use the keywords that represent these requirements in your cover letter.
5. Use the same font throughout the cover letter. You may use slightly larger or smaller fonts for headings or bulleted lists.
6. A single page is enough for a good cover letter. So, make sure your truck driver cover letter succinctly packs all the information you want to convey to your potential employer.

HR content specialist

Sam M. Dike

Sam is a HR content specialist. He enjoys sharing career advice and helping professionals land the right jobs. You`ll always find him conquering quests in video games when he`s not writing about human resources.