7 min de leitura16 June 2026

CV for HGV Driver in Ireland 2026

Ireland faces a chronic HGV driver shortage in 2026 — the Road Safety Authority (RSA) estimates the sector needs 3,000+ additional drivers to meet logistics demand. DHL, XPO Logistics, and Primark distribution centres are recruiting year-round, offering salaries between €35,000 and €50,000 with overtime regularly pushing total earnings above €55,000. If you hold a valid Driver CPC and a Category C or CE licence, work is available immediately. The bottleneck is your CV: most driver CVs lack the certification details, route experience, and compliance language Irish logistics employers need to see. This guide shows you how to format a driver CV that gets you behind the wheel.

What does an HGV driver earn in Ireland in 2026?

HGV drivers in Ireland earn between €35,000 and €50,000 base salary in 2026, with overtime and night premiums pushing total compensation to €50,000–€60,000 for experienced drivers. According to Indeed Ireland salary data and Fleet Transport Magazine:

Category C (rigid): €35,000–€42,000/year
Category CE (artic): €40,000–€50,000/year
ADR certified (hazardous goods): +€3,000–€5,000 premium
Night/weekend shifts: +15–25% premium
Tramping (overnight routes): €50,000–€60,000+ with subsistence allowances
Agency drivers: €16–€22/hr depending on vehicle class and route

Key employers: DHL Supply Chain (Dublin, Limerick), XPO Logistics, Primark/Penneys distribution (Blanchardstown), Tesco Ireland distribution (Donabate), Lidl (Newbridge), An Post, and agency firms like Driver Hire and Staffline.

What CV format do Irish logistics employers expect?

Large logistics firms (DHL, XPO, Tesco) use SmartRecruiters or Workday. Smaller hauliers accept emailed PDFs. The key difference from other CVs: your driving credentials must dominate the first half of page one.

Length: 1–2 pages. Most driver CVs fit comfortably on one page.
Sections (in order): Contact details → Driving licences and CPC → Vehicle experience → Work history → Additional certifications → References
Licence details: List category (C, CE, D), licence number (last 4 digits), issue date, expiry date, and any endorsements/penalty points.
Driver CPC: State module completion dates and expiry. This is a legal requirement — without it, you cannot drive commercially.
No photo, no PPS number — standard Irish format.

How to describe driving experience on an Irish CV

Irish logistics employers want route types, vehicle types, and compliance record. Every role should specify:

Before (weak): "Drove truck for delivery company." After (strong): "Drove 18-tonne rigid (DAF CF) on multi-drop Dublin metro route, completing 25–30 deliveries per shift with 99.2% on-time rate. Zero tachograph infringements over 14 months. Clean licence, no penalty points."

Before (weak): "Long distance driver." After (strong): "Category CE artic driver covering Ireland–UK–France corridor (Dublin–Holyhead–Calais). ADR Classes 3 and 6.1 certified. Averaged 800km/day with full EU tachograph compliance and zero border delays."

Mention specific vehicle makes/models (DAF, Scania, Volvo, Mercedes Actros), route types (multi-drop, trunking, tramping, ADR), and compliance record (tachograph, penalty points, driver hours).

Example CV for HGV driver in Ireland — HGV driver CV generated by MeuCV — CPC and route details

Which certifications must appear on your driver CV?

Irish logistics employers use certifications as hard filters. If your CV does not list these clearly, you will not get a call:

Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) — 35 hours of training over 5-year cycle. Legal requirement to drive commercially in Ireland. State expiry date clearly.
ADR Certificate — required for transporting hazardous goods. Classes 2 (gases), 3 (flammable liquids), 6.1 (toxic) are most common in Ireland. Significant salary premium.
Digital Tachograph Card — required for all commercial drivers. Mention your card number and that your records are clean.
Forklift licence (counterbalance) — useful for drivers who also unload. Common requirement at Tesco and Lidl distribution.
Manual Handling — required for multi-drop delivery roles where you load/unload.
CPC modules completed — list recent modules (vehicle roadworthiness, driver health, safe loading) to show currency.

List each certification with issuing body, date obtained, and expiry date. Driver CPC and ADR expire — Irish employers check these dates before interviewing.

5 errors that get your driver CV rejected in Ireland

Missing Driver CPC expiry date — without this, employers assume your CPC has lapsed. It is illegal to hire you without valid CPC.
Not specifying vehicle categories — "HGV driver" is ambiguous. State Category C (rigid) or CE (artic) explicitly. Employers need specific classes.
No mention of penalty points — Irish employers ask about driving record. If you have a clean licence, state "zero penalty points" explicitly. Silence implies something to hide.
Vague route descriptions — "delivery driver" tells nothing. Specify multi-drop urban, trunking, tramping, or ADR. Each pays differently and requires different skills.
Forgetting to mention tachograph compliance — this signals professionalism. State "full EU tachograph compliance" and whether you use digital or analogue cards.

Your next step: build your driver CV today

Ireland's logistics sector cannot find enough qualified drivers. If you have a valid CPC and the right licence category, work is waiting. Your CV just needs to present your credentials in the format Irish fleet managers scan for.

MeuCV builds HGV driver CVs with your licence categories, CPC status, ADR certifications, and route experience structured exactly how Irish logistics firms expect. Takes 5 minutes. Costs €5.99.

Create my driver CV →