LTL Driver Resume Guide (2026): Linehaul, City P&D, and Dock Workflow Bullet Templates

LTL Driver Resume Guide (2026)

LTL (less-than-truckload) is a distinct trucking world. The carriers are national (Old Dominion Freight Line, Saia, Estes Express Lines, XPO, ArcBest, TForce, Averitt Express, Pitt Ohio, Dayton Freight), the work segments sharply (linehaul versus city P&D), and the driver economics are different — most major LTL carriers pay hourly or a mileage+stop combination and offer strong benefits, home-time, and pension or 401(k) programs. Doubles/Triples (T) endorsement is standard-expected at most LTL linehaul operations.

This guide is the LTL-specific companion to the main truck driver resume guide. It covers the linehaul vs. city P&D segmentation, the 28' pup and doubles/triples fluency that LTL recruiters expect, and the dock and terminal workflow that belongs in the experience bullets.

TL;DR — What an LTL resume needs

Lead with CDL-A + T (Doubles/Triples) in the credentials block — it's expected at LTL linehaul. Segment the resume: linehaul (terminal-to-terminal, overnight, home most days) or city P&D (pickup and delivery, multi-stop, home daily). Name the LTL carrier you've run for (Old Dominion, Saia, Estes, XPO, ArcBest, TForce, Averitt). Quantify stop count per day (city P&D) or trips per week (linehaul), on-time performance, and OS&D-free record.

What LTL recruiters scan for

The five-signal screen:

1. CDL-A with T (Doubles/Triples) endorsement — not universally required, but expected at most linehaul operations.
2. Linehaul vs. city P&D clarity — different skills, different recruiters often.
3. LTL carrier names — Old Dominion, Saia, Estes, XPO, ArcBest, TForce, Averitt, Pitt Ohio, Dayton Freight, R+L Carriers.
4. Equipment fluency — 28' pup trailers, sets (doubles), converter dollies, liftgates, forklifts.
5. Dock workflow and handheld-scanner fluency — electronic BOL, POD, labeling, pallet-level scanning.

LTL credentials block

Linehaul:

CDL CREDENTIALS CDL-A · Ohio · Exp. 2029-04 Endorsements: T (Doubles/Triples), H (Hazmat — helpful for placarded LTL) DOT Medical Card: current through 2027-09 ELDT: Old Dominion new-driver training (2022-07) — compliant per 49 CFR Part 380 Smith System five-keys defensive driving: current TSA Hazmat clearance: current

City P&D:

CDL CREDENTIALS CDL-A · Georgia · Exp. 2028-10 Endorsements: T (Doubles/Triples) DOT Medical Card: current through 2028-02 ELDT: Saia CDL-A orientation (2024-03) — compliant per 49 CFR Part 380 Forklift-operator certification: current (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178) Electric pallet-jack / liftgate fluency

Linehaul vs. city P&D — the LTL split

Two jobs, one industry. Segment the resume accordingly:

• Linehaul — terminal-to-terminal driving, typically overnight, often on 28' pup doubles (a "set") or triples where legal. Drivers usually home most days on a pattern-schedule. Pay is commonly CPM + stop + hook/drop pay or hourly. The carriers look for T endorsement, clean driving record, and night-shift tolerance.
• City P&D — daytime pickup-and-delivery routes within a single terminal's radius (30–80 mile bubble typical), averaging 15–25 stops per day, with handheld-scanner POD, liftgate and forklift work, and strong customer-facing interaction. Home daily, hourly pay standard. The carriers look for clean MVR, physical-work tolerance, and forklift / liftgate fluency.

Summary examples

Linehaul, mid-career:

CDL-A LTL linehaul driver, 5 years with Old Dominion Freight Line on a Midwest-to-Southeast overnight lane. T (Doubles/Triples) endorsed, 28' pup doubles fluent, 380,000 accident-free miles, 99.4% on-time across 950+ dispatches. Clean MVR 6+ years. Seeking a regional linehaul seat out of Memphis.

City P&D, senior:

CDL-A LTL city P&D driver, 8 years with Estes Express Lines on a metro Atlanta P&D route. Averaged 22 stops per day and 8,400 route miles per month across 4 years. Forklift-certified (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178), liftgate and electric-pallet-jack fluent. Zero OS&D claims in 3 consecutive years.

Mixed linehaul / P&D:

CDL-A LTL driver, 6 years with Saia, split across linehaul (overnight terminal-to-terminal) and daytime city P&D seats. T and H endorsed, forklift-certified, 28' pup doubles fluent. Seeking a home-daily city P&D seat out of Nashville.

Experience bullets — LTL specifics

Linehaul (doubles): - Drove LTL linehaul terminal-to-terminal on a Midwest-to-Southeast overnight lane (Columbus → Charlotte → Atlanta) pulling 28' pup double-trailer sets. - Executed pre-trip pup and converter-dolly inspection, pintle-hook coupling / uncoupling, and airline / light-cord hookup per carrier SOP; zero coupling-related incidents across 950+ dispatches. - Maintained 99.4% on-time arrival at destination terminal and 380,000 accident-free miles over 5 years.

Linehaul (triples, where legal): - Ran LTL linehaul triples (three 28' pup sets) on a Western regional lane (Salt Lake City → Portland) where state law allows. - Completed 3-pup hitching sequence, converter-dolly connection, and airline integration per carrier SOP; maintained zero triples-related incidents across 1,200+ dispatches. - Drove through mountain-pass winter conditions with chain-up, jake-brake, and descent-speed discipline per carrier protocol.

City P&D: - Operated LTL city pickup-and-delivery route in metro Atlanta on a 53' dry-van tractor-trailer with liftgate and Estes-branded handheld BOL scanner. - Averaged 22 stops per day and 8,400 route miles per month, executing pallet-level scanning, customer-facing signature capture, and electronic POD upload. - Completed forklift and electric pallet-jack operations at pickup and delivery sites with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178 forklift certification current.²

Multi-stop retail / industrial P&D: - Ran LTL city P&D serving retail and industrial customers on 50-mile metro radius with 15–25 stops per day and 4,200–6,800 lb per stop average. - Handled specialty freight (placarded Class 3 and 8 hazmat, temperature-controlled food-grade) on appropriate loads with H endorsement and carrier-specific training current. - Maintained zero OS&D claims across 3 consecutive years and 18,000+ stop-events.

Skills section — LTL specifics

• Trailer types: 28' pup (single), 28' doubles (set), 28' triples (where legal), 48'/53' tractor-trailer (LTL city, mixed configurations).
• Coupling: pintle hook, converter dolly, pup-trailer airline integration, pup light-cord, fifth-wheel-slider on 53' tractor.
• Dock workflow: electronic BOL, pallet-level scanning, customer-facing POD signature, OS&D reporting via carrier-issued tablet or handheld.
• Equipment: liftgate (rail-style, tuck-under, column), electric pallet jack, sit-down forklift, stand-up walkie, hand truck.
• Forklift certification: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178 powered-industrial-truck certification, carrier-specific refresher (typically every 3 years).
• Compliance: HOS (11/14/70), 30-minute break, ELDT per 49 CFR Part 380, LTL carrier-specific safety SOP.
• ELD / scanner: Samsara, Motive, carrier-specific (Old Dominion's proprietary system, Saia's handheld platform, Estes's e-POD stack).
• Hazmat add (LTL-common): H endorsement for placarded packaged hazmat on LTL loads, TSA clearance current, HM-126F annual training.

Education and certifications

• CDL Class A + ELDT per 49 CFR Part 380.¹
• T (Doubles/Triples) endorsement — expected at most LTL linehaul carriers.
• Carrier-specific orientation — Old Dominion, Saia, Estes, XPO, ArcBest, TForce, Averitt, Pitt Ohio, Dayton Freight, R+L Carriers.
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178 forklift certification (city P&D).
• Smith System or carrier-specific defensive driving.
• H (Hazmat) endorsement useful for placarded LTL loads.
• TWIC useful for port-adjacent and rail-ramp LTL lanes.

Common LTL resume mistakes

1. No linehaul vs. city P&D segmentation — recruiter can't route you.
2. Missing T endorsement when applying to linehaul.
3. No LTL carrier names — LTL is a named-carrier industry.
4. Missing forklift certification for city P&D.
5. No stop-count metric for city P&D — it's the productivity signal.
6. No trips-per-week / lane-specific detail for linehaul.
7. Applying with dry-van OTR language instead of LTL-specific vocabulary.

LTL FAQ

How does LTL pay compare to OTR dry van?

LTL pay structure is different from OTR. Linehaul typically combines CPM + stop pay + hook/drop pay, or runs hourly on certain carriers. City P&D is almost always hourly with overtime. Many LTL carriers offer union contracts (Teamsters at Holland, ABF/ArcBest Freight, YRC/Yellow historically) with pension and 401(k) programs that compound into long-term earning power above OTR dry-van averages, though advertised CPM may look lower. The CPM → Annual Salary calculator is CPM-focused; LTL is often better compared on total compensation.

Do I need prior LTL experience to apply?

No. Major LTL carriers (Old Dominion, Saia, Estes, XPO, ArcBest) have robust training programs for new CDL-A drivers and commonly hire experienced dry-van OTR drivers into linehaul seats. City P&D is often the entry point because the driving is simpler and the customer-facing skill is learned on the job.

What's the best path: linehaul or city P&D?

Depends on lifestyle. Linehaul is overnight work on a pattern schedule — home most mornings, weekends varying. City P&D is daytime work with stronger home-daily rhythm. Drivers who want consistent sleep schedule often prefer P&D; drivers who prefer less-stop driving often prefer linehaul.

What's "union LTL" vs. "non-union LTL"?

Holland, ABF (ArcBest Freight), and some Eastern LTL carriers run under Teamsters contracts with pension and structured wage scales. Old Dominion, Saia, Estes, and many others are non-union with wage scales and company retirement plans. Both pay competitively; the difference is in how benefits and wage escalation are structured.

How is doubles / triples different from standard driving?

Doubles require pup-trailer coupling discipline, converter-dolly inspection, and airline / light-cord integration. Triples add a third pup and require very specific state-legal route planning — only a few states allow triples. Both require T endorsement, and the pre-trip time is longer than a single 53' tractor-trailer.

Build your LTL resume in ResumeGeni

ResumeGeni's CDL template includes LTL-specific bullet libraries (linehaul doubles, linehaul triples, city P&D), pre-fills LTL carrier references, and runs your draft through the ATS analyzer. Start an LTL resume.

Related guides

• Main Truck Driver Resume Guide (pillar)
• Dry Van Driver Resume Guide
• Hazmat Driver Resume Guide
• CDL Class A Resume Guide

Last verified: 2026-04-17.