Below is a list of 20 truck driver interview questions with their best answers to help you ace your next interview and work for your dream company. Let’s get started.
1. Why Are You Interested In This Role?
Your response to this question helps the interviewer to understand your motivation behind applying for this job. The best way of responding to this question is to discuss your love for travel and your passion for exploring different places while on the road.
Sample Answer
“I love being on the road. I have always been passionate about trucking since it allows me to explore different sights and meet new people. This job caught my interest because I saw an opportunity to grow in this industry and fulfill my passion.”
2. What Are The Roles Of A Truck Driver?
Here, the interviewer is seeking to find out whether you are familiar with the duties of a truck driver should you get hired for the job. The best strategy for responding to this question is by listing the responsibilities of a truck driver and relating them to the job at hand.
Sample Answer
“Truck driver is responsible for transporting materials and goods among retail, distribution, and manufacturing centers. A truck driver may also perform sales and customer service. Other responsibilities include inspecting vehicles for any mechanical issues associated with safe operation and basic repair work.”
3. What Are The Qualities That A Truck Driver Need To Be Successful?
The recruiting team asks this question to determine whether you know the qualities you need to possess to work successfully as a truck driver. In your answer, highlight the qualities of a truck driver as you match them with the employer’s needs.
Sample answer
“A good truck driver should be able to drive different sizes of trucks. He or she should have solid communication, navigational, time management, stress management, and customer care skills. It is also important for a truck driver to be reliable, trained, and patient to work effectively.”
4. What Major Challenges Did You Face During Your Last Role? How Did You Manage Them?
Here, the employer wants to know how effective you are at handling challenges. As you respond to this question, demonstrate your ability to solve a problem respectfully and maturely.
Sample answer
“When I was new in this industry, driving for long-distance and long hours was quite a challenge. I hardly had time for my family since most of the time, I was on the road delivering goods to customers. However, I leveraged my time management skills, organizational skills, and ability to work under pressure to overcome this challenge.”
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5. Describe Your Daily Routine As A Truck Driver?
The interviewer asks this question to find out how you prioritize your work. In your response, portray that you are a good manager of time. Show your proactive approach to work by highlighting your daily tasks as per the need of the company.
Sample Answer
“I organized my schedule based on priority issues which include:
Driving long distances to deliver goods to clients; Loading and unloading cargo;
Recording cargo deliveries; refueling and cleaning vehicles; inspecting trucks and recording issues; reporting road incidents to the dispatcher; planning routes using GPS systems, keeping an activities log and log hours; ensuring that the commercial driver license is up to date.”
6. Describe Briefly About Your Experience
The employer asks this question to find out whether your past experiences match the needs of the company. Having the job posting in mind, summarize your work history.
Sample Answer
“I have been a truck driver for 4 years now. The journey has been rewarding and encouraging. Over these years, I have gained a lot of skills in Loading and unloading cargo; Recording cargo deliveries; refueling and cleaning vehicles; inspecting trucks and recording issues; reporting road incidents to the dispatcher; planning routes using GPS systems, keeping an activities log, and log hours; ensuring that the commercial driver license is up to date. Given a chance, therefore, I will use my experience and skills to make a success in this role.”
7. What Kind Of Strategies And Mindset Is Required For This Role?
Your response to this question indicates your attitude and passion for the role. The best way to handle the question is to highlight some of the skills and strategies you’ll employ while performing your roles.
Sample Answer
“This role will require a truck driver to communicate with dispatcher and customers their goods deliveries. Thus said, truck driver must leverage their communication skills. A truck driver must know how to navigate around. It is important, to follow GPS instructions to meet deadlines on time.”
8. What Is the Biggest Challenge That You Foresee in This Job?
This question is asked to test how familiar you are with the trends taking place in this field. In your response,demonstrate that you are knowledgeable about the current changes, and should there be any challenge, you are prepared to manage it.
Sample Answer
“In the coming years, digitalization, electrification, and automation will disrupt transportation and its logistics. These trends are likely to cause increased driver shortages. Additionally, stricter emissions standards due to electrification may disrupt this industry on an unprecedented scale. As truck drivers, we must take actions early enough.”
9. How Do You Stay Motivated in Your Work?
The employer asks this question to get a better understanding of your personality and who you are as a person. In your response, provide a concise and to-the-point answer about what motivates you.
Sample Answer
“Satisfying the needs of my customers leverages my motivation. I find motivation when I make my clients happy. I feel that it is my responsibility to meet customer’s deadlines. Additionally, I am enthusiastic about this role for it allows me to explore a new and different environment. I just love that being in the right profession and this is enough motivation!”
10. Describe a Time When You Failed in This Role and The Lesson You Learnt?
The response to this question will help your interviewer to know whether you can admit your mistakes and learn from them. While responding to this question share a real situation that you failed in and the lessons you picked from it.
Sample Answer
“When I was new in this field my passion to perform would drive me to take more roles than I could handle. I would find myself driving for long hours and since I was determined to deliver goods to customers without failing on deadlines, taking short breaks was not an option. I could spend two to three days on the road without taking any stopover. This would make me get a lot of fatigue and concentrating on the road would become interrupted. One day while I was still on the road, I dozed a little bit yet I was still driving. I almost got into an accident. From that day, I have learned to take a stopover whenever I feel exhausted. I always find a parking area where I can rest and then continue with my journey when I am sober enough. “
11. Why Do You Feel You are The Most Suited for This Role?
When asking this question, the employer seeks to assess whether you have the right mix of skills, experience, education, and personal traits. In your response, convey what sets you apart from the crowd.
Sample Answer
“I possess a CDL license and I can drive trucks of different sizes. I have excellent navigational and communication skills. Therefore, I can communicate effectively with dispatchers and customers about their deliveries. I am also able to use maps and follow GPS instructions to enable me to meet every deadline on time. Additionally, I have been a truck driver for 4 years now. During this time, I have gained a lot of experience in Loading and unloading cargo; Recording cargo deliveries; refueling and cleaning vehicle; inspecting trucks and recording issues; reporting road incidents to the dispatcher; planning routes using GPS systems, keeping an activities log, and log hours; ensuring that the commercial driver license is up to date. Given a chance, therefore, I will use my experience and skills to make a success in this role.”
12. Share With Us Your Greatest Achievement.
Here, the employer seeks to understand your proven work performance and your valuable accomplishments. In your response, provide insights as to who you are as well as your proudest achievement.
Sample Answer
“My greatest achievement is contributing to retaining all our customers for the last three years. I always ensure to deliver goods on time. When I experience interruptions that are beyond my control such as heavy traffic on the road, I call my customers and seeks more time. This working relationship has made us have a mutual trust for those three years.”
13. Why Is It Important To Stop At Weigh Stations That Are Open During Your Shift?
Here, the employer wants to find out if you are familiar with the daily protocol for driving on freeways and interstates. Demonstrate that you stop as expected and you do not take shortcuts that could cost the company that has employed you.
Sample Answer
“Even if I always ensure that my load is well balanced and at the safe weight, I have to stop at weigh stations that are open during my shift. It is very important to do so to determine whether the load am carrying is too heavy or presents a risk while I am driving the truck. I observe the traffic laws as I also lower the risks for others and myself.”
14. Have You Ever Been Involved In An Accident?
This is a common question asked by most employers to learn more about your driving history. The best strategy of responding to this question is by demonstrating that you can handle accidents reasonably and calmly. You can also indicate that you are aware of traffic laws and the repercussion of not obeying them.
Sample Answer
“Yes, I have been involved in two accidents. However, I have never been charged with a DUI. The findings of the investigations indicated that the accidents were as a result of mechanical failure and hazardous road conditions.”
15. Sometimes Tight Traffic Can Cause You To Get Behind Schedule While Making A Delivery Even When The Goods Needs To Arrive On Time. Would You Maintain Or Accelerate The Speed Limit?
The employer is aware that truck drivers have tight deadlines to meet and a delay can result in late shipments. By asking this question, the employer can determine your ethical code and problem-solving skills.
Sample Answer
“Regardless of the situation, I would maintain the speed limit and call my supervisor to tell them about the delay. As stressful as it is knowing a late shipment is out of your control, you can still save your company valuable time and money by maintaining the speed limit and not getting pulled over or receiving a ticket. Further, speeding in a large semi-truck could potentially jeopardize the health and safety of other drivers on the roadway.”
16. Kindly Explain How You Plan And Organize Your Route.
Having in mind that long-haul drives can span days, the interviewer may ask you this question to assess your organizational skills. In your response, showcase that you possess good planning skills and that you can maintain focus to stay safe.
Sample Answer
“Every single time I am heading off on a route, I have to take a look at a detailed map even if I have done it before. I believe that having one last look keeps the information fresh in mind before one can begin the journey on the road. In addition, I also pick out stop points every 5 hours to stretch, use the bathroom and drink some water. This helps me to save time which I would have spent in searching for a place at the last minute.”
17. As A Truck Driver, You Will Share The Road With Other Drivers Who Do Not Drive Professionally. How will you react to other drivers being careless on the road?
The interviewer asks this question to figure out how you would behave in a typical situation such as the above. In your response, demonstrates that safety is a big part of a truck driver.
Sample Answer
“When I’m on the road, safety is my biggest priority. Even though it can be stressful to witness other drivers being careless on the road, I stay calm and focused on being safe myself. I avoid careless motorists as much as possible to lessen the chances of an accident happening. I always try to look out for other professional drivers to make sure they’re safe too.”
18. What Is One Of Your Greatest Strengths?
The employer asks this question to establish how well you are matched to the core values of the company as well as what you can bring to the company. While responding to this question, portrays confidence in your key strengths which should relate to the role at hand.
Sample Answer
“Besides possessing a clean driving record, I am a self-driven individual who can work long shifts efficiently without any issues. I always look to better myself every day. I also have a great passion for being on the road. This is my motivation and my strength. I am very flexible and can adapt to any unplanned or planned situation including driving any type of vehicle. For instance, recently the dispatcher canceled the order after discovering that he had provided us with the wrong details. Immediately after I was informed about that change, I quickly re-planned all my routes because the wrong details affected the entire schedule. Even though I managed to meet all my deadlines on time since I always leave a buffer for unexpected circumstances.”
19. Why Do You Want To Work For This Company?
This question is asked by many employers to determine whether the candidate is a great fit for the company and its culture. The best strategy of responding to this question is by tactfully sharing your core values as you align them to the company’s objective.
Sample Answer
“Your company is one of the incredible trucking companies within the district. I want to be associated with a company with a good reputation like this one. Furthermore, my objectives and values match those of this company. My strengths, skillset, and qualifications are what you are looking for in a candidate. If I get this role in your company, believe that it will be the beginning of big growth in my career as a truck driver. I am looking forward to excelling in my work and progress in this industry.”
20. In Five Years From Now, Where Do You Want To See Yourself?
Here the interviewer is seeking to find out whether you are ambitious and if you can remain loyal to the company should you be hired for this role. As you respond to this question, focus on progressive positions within the company.
Sample Answer
“I look forward to holding a management or training role in your company and be in charge of a fleet of trucks. It will be a great honor for me to begin nurturing and training others in this industry.”
Conclusion
Ensure to go through the company’s website to familiarize yourself with everyting about the company. This will maximize your chances of winning the job should the interview have questions regarding the company itself.
