Five things transport managers check on a CV in ten seconds

We asked the operators we place with what makes them stop on a CV. None of it was about formatting.

1. Licence categories, at the top

C+E, C, C1 — put them in the first two lines. If a manager has to hunt for them, they move on.

2. CPC and card expiry

Dates, not 'valid'. It tells them whether you can start on Monday.

3. The type of work, not just the employer

'Trunking, nights, drop and swap' says more than the name of a haulier they may not know.

4. Gaps, explained in one line

Gaps are normal in this industry. Unexplained gaps are what raise an eyebrow, and one sentence closes it.

5. Where you actually live

A postcode. Half the CVs we see leave it off, and the first question a manager asks is how far you are from the gate.