Truck Mechanic (Diesel) Resume Examples & Writing Guide
A truck mechanic resume gets you into the shop when it lists your ASE T-series certifications, the engines and diagnostic software you work on by name, your own tooling, and numbers such as billable hours, PM completions and comeback rate. Below is a full sample plus summaries, objectives, bullets, skills and an apprentice version.
Truck mechanic resume example
This sample is for a diesel technician with about eleven years across a dealer service department, a private fleet shop and a heavy-duty independent. The name and employers are invented. Keep the layout and swap in your own engines, software, certifications and dates.
Travis Boudreaux
Lead Diesel Technician, Medium and Heavy Truck
Shreveport, LA · (318) 555-0164 · travis.boudreaux@email.com
Summary
ASE Master Medium/Heavy Truck technician with 11 years on Class 6 to Class 8 trucks. Averages 92 billable hours per two-week period at 108% efficiency with a 2.1% comeback rate. Diagnoses Cummins ISX and X15, Detroit DD13 and DD15, and PACCAR MX engines using INSITE, DDDL and Davie4, including aftertreatment and SCR faults. Holds ASE L2 and a Class A CDL for road testing. Owns roughly $34,000 in tools.
Experience
Lead Diesel Technician · Private fleet shop, regional refrigerated carrier (140 tractors, 300 trailers)
Sep 2020 – Present
- Diagnose and repair 12 to 16 units a week across Cummins X15, Detroit DD15 and PACCAR MX power, plus Carrier and Thermo King reefer units.
- Run the shop's aftertreatment program: cleared 190 DPF and SCR fault sets last year with 8 forced regens escalated to filter bake, cutting derate-related road calls from 34 to 11 a year.
- Perform FMCSA annual inspections under 49 CFR 396.17 on 140 tractors and 300 trailers, with zero out-of-service brake violations at the 2025 CVSA roadside blitz.
- Hold a 2.1% comeback rate on roughly 620 repair orders a year and average 108% efficiency against flat-rate times.
- Lead 3 technicians and 1 apprentice on second shift, assigning work orders and signing off apprentice brake and wheel-end jobs.
Diesel Technician, Level III · Heavy-truck dealer service department (Class 8 dealer network)
Feb 2017 – Aug 2020
- Completed 700+ repair orders across warranty, campaign and customer-pay work, averaging 84 billable hours per pay period.
- Rebuilt 26 engines and 40+ transmissions and differentials, including Eaton Fuller manuals and Allison automatics.
- Passed the dealer's warranty audit two years running with under 1% of claims returned for documentation errors.
- Completed OEM training on engine electronics, aftertreatment and multiplexed chassis electrical systems, 14 courses in three years.
Apprentice, then Diesel Technician · Independent heavy-duty repair and towing shop
Jul 2015 – Jan 2017
- Started on preventive maintenance and worked up to brakes, wheel ends, air systems and clutch replacement, completing 20 to 25 PM services a week.
- Handled 6 to 10 roadside calls a month in the service truck, getting 8 out of 10 units moving without a tow.
Education
Diesel Technology Certificate, 1,320 clock hours
Red River Technical College, Bossier City, LA, 2015
High School Diploma
Caddo Central High School, Shreveport, LA, 2013
Certifications
- ASE Master Medium/Heavy Truck Technician (T2 Diesel Engines, T3 Drive Train, T4 Brakes, T5 Suspension and Steering, T6 Electrical/Electronic Systems, T8 Preventive Maintenance Inspection), current
- ASE L2 Electronic Diesel Engine Diagnosis Specialist, 2023
- ASE T7 Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, 2022
- Federal brake inspector qualification under 49 CFR 396.25, employer-documented
- EPA Section 609 refrigerant handling certification
- Class A commercial driver's license (air brake, no restriction), current
Skills
What a shop foreman looks for in the first minute
Truck shops are usually short-staffed and hiring is done by the shop foreman or service manager. They are trying to work out how much of the bay you can cover unsupervised.
- ASE certifications, by number. "ASE certified" alone means little. T2, T4, T6 and T8 each tell the foreman which jobs he can hand you. Master status and L2 change your pay grade.
- Engines and software. Cummins, Detroit, PACCAR MX, Volvo, International, Caterpillar for older units, plus INSITE, DDDL, Davie4, Premium Tech Tool, JPRO. Aftertreatment and electrical diagnosis are the skills in shortest supply.
- Your tools. A heavy-duty tech is expected to own their hand tools. Give a dollar figure for the box, and mention a laptop and diagnostic subscription if you have one.
- Numbers. Billable hours per pay period, efficiency against flat rate, comeback rate, PMs per week, or units per shift. Comeback rate especially: it tells the foreman if the job gets fixed the first time.
- CDL and brake inspector status. A tech who can road-test a truck and sign an annual inspection is worth more than one who cannot.
“Put your ASE numbers, your engine platforms and your diagnostic software in the top third of the page. And tell me your comeback rate. I would rather hire a tech who turns 90 hours clean than one who turns 110 and I see half of them back.”
Diesel mechanic resume summary and objective examples
Use a summary once you have a couple of years in the bay. Use an objective if you just finished school or are moving over from auto, agricultural or heavy equipment work. Three lines, and lead with the certification level.
ASE-certified diesel technician (T2, T4, T6, T8) with 8 years on Class 7 and 8 trucks. Turns 88 billable hours per pay period at 105% efficiency with a 2.4% comeback rate. Diagnoses Cummins X15 and Detroit DD15 aftertreatment faults with INSITE and DDDL.
ASE Master Medium/Heavy Truck technician with L2 diesel diagnosis and 12 years across dealer and fleet shops. Rebuilt 40+ engines and mentors 4 technicians on electrical and aftertreatment work. Signs FMCSA annual inspections and holds a Class A CDL for road testing.
Fleet diesel technician maintaining 180 power units and 320 trailers on a 90-day PM cycle, holding 96% fleet availability. Cut road calls from 41 to 18 a year by tightening wheel-end and air-system inspection standards. Works in Dossier and reviews DVIRs daily.
Diesel technology graduate (1,320 clock hours) with ASE T8 Preventive Maintenance Inspection passed and 400 shop hours on brakes, air systems and PM services. Owns $9,000 in hand tools. Seeking an entry-level heavy truck technician role with a path to T2 and T4.
Automotive technician with 6 years and ASE A1, A5 and A6, moving into heavy truck work. Strong on electrical diagnosis and brake hydraulics, and has completed a 40-hour air brake course. Seeking a Class 8 shop that will support ASE T-series testing.
Mechanic job description for a resume: bullets that work
Do not paste the shop's job posting. Write the work you actually turn, with a count or a rate. Here are bullets grouped by the kind of job. Use the ones that match your bay.
Diagnosed and repaired 140+ engine faults a year on Cummins X15 and Detroit DD15 using INSITE and DDDL, including injector cutout tests, EGR flow faults and low-power complaints.
Completed 9 in-frame and 4 out-of-frame overhauls in one year, holding all cylinder-kit and bearing clearances to OEM spec with zero warranty comebacks.
Cleared 190 DPF, DOC and SCR fault sets, performed 60 forced regens and replaced 22 DEF dosing units, cutting derate road calls from 34 to 11 a year.
Performed FMCSA annual inspections under 49 CFR 396.17 on 140 tractors and 300 trailers with zero out-of-service brake violations at roadside in two years.
Completed 20 to 25 PM services a week on a 90-day cycle, including oil sampling, DPF ash checks, wheel-end play and air-system leak-down tests.
Traced 70+ intermittent electrical faults a year on multiplexed chassis using wiring diagrams and a scope, including CAN bus and starter-circuit voltage-drop testing.
Replaced or rebuilt 40+ Eaton Fuller manual transmissions, Allison automatics and drive axles, with clutch and driveline runout checked to spec on every job.
Averaged 92 billable hours per two-week period at 108% of flat-rate time, with a 2.1% comeback rate across 620 repair orders a year.
Ran 8 to 12 roadside calls a month in the service truck, getting 80% of units moving without a tow and averaging 74 minutes on site.
Trained 4 apprentices on brake, wheel-end and PM work; all 4 passed ASE T4 or T8 within 18 months.
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Truck mechanic skills and tools to list
Twelve to sixteen lines, grouped. Diagnostic software and engine platforms go first, because those are the lines that get you called.
Diagnostics and software:
- OEM tools: Cummins INSITE, Detroit Diesel Diagnostic Link, PACCAR Davie4, Volvo Premium Tech Tool, International Diamond Logic Builder, Caterpillar ET
- Multi-brand: JPRO, Noregon, Texa, Jaltest
- Component tools: Bendix ACom, Wabco Toolbox, Allison DOC, Thermo King and Carrier reefer diagnostics
- Oscilloscope, digital multimeter, voltage-drop and parasitic-draw testing
- Wiring diagram and hydraulic schematic reading
Systems you can name:
- Diesel engines by platform (list the ones you have actually opened, not everything on the market)
- Fuel systems, injectors, high-pressure common rail, air management and turbochargers
- Aftertreatment: DPF, DOC, SCR, DEF dosing, seven-step regen diagnosis
- Air brakes, ABS, automatic slack adjusters, spring brake and treadle valves
- Suspension and steering: air ride, kingpins, drag links, alignment
- Drivetrain: manual and automated manual transmissions, differentials, clutches, driveline
- HVAC and refrigerant handling (EPA Section 609 required to buy and handle refrigerant)
- Trailer work: wheel ends, landing gear, air lines, lighting, liftgates
- Welding and fabrication for frames, brackets and body mounts
- Vocational bodies and hydraulics if you have them: dump, refuse, mixer, tanker, crane
Shop conduct and the practical stuff:
- Own hand tools (state the value), plus any specialty tooling and a diagnostic laptop
- Repair order documentation and warranty claim writing
- Fleet maintenance systems: Dossier, TMT Fleet Maintenance, Fleetio, Mitchell 1
- Second shift, weekends and on-call road service availability
ASE certifications, CDL and other credentials
The ASE Medium/Heavy Truck series is the recognized standard in US truck shops. List each test you have passed by its number and name, because each one maps to work the foreman needs covered.
- T1 Gasoline Engines, T2 Diesel Engines, T3 Drive Train, T4 Brakes, T5 Suspension and Steering, T6 Electrical/Electronic Systems, T7 Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning, T8 Preventive Maintenance Inspection.
- Master Medium/Heavy Truck Technician status comes from passing T2, T3, T4, T5, T6 and T8. If you hold it, put it in your summary line.
- L2 Electronic Diesel Engine Diagnosis Specialist is the advanced diagnostic credential and is the one that most changes what a shop will pay.
- ASE recertification is required, so give the current expiry or the year you last recertified. An expired ASE listed as current is the fastest way to lose credibility.
- Federal brake inspector qualification under 49 CFR 396.25 and inspector qualification under 49 CFR 396.19 for annual inspections. These come from training and experience your employer documents, not from a card you buy.
- EPA Section 609 certification, required to purchase and handle motor vehicle air conditioning refrigerant.
- A Class A or B CDL, listed with endorsements. Not always required, but it lets you road-test, and some fleets pay a premium for it.
- OEM factory training: Cummins, Detroit, PACCAR, Volvo, Mack, Allison, Bendix, Wabco. Group them by manufacturer with a course count and year range.
Entry-level and apprentice truck mechanic resume
Shops are short of techs and will train someone who shows up with tools and a clean license. Your resume has to prove three things: you have hands-on hours, you own a starter tool set, and you will pass a drug screen and a DOT physical.
- 1Put "Diesel Technician" or the posting's title under your name, with your school and ASE status underneath.
- 2State your program hours: "Diesel Technology Certificate, 1,320 clock hours" is more useful than the school's name alone.
- 3List every ASE test you have passed. T8 Preventive Maintenance Inspection is the usual first one and it is the work you will be handed.
- 4Write your school lab work as experience bullets with counts: how many brake jobs, PMs, air-system tests, engine teardowns.
- 5Name your tools and their value. A shop foreman genuinely wants to know whether you can start work on Monday.
- 6Add the practical qualifiers: valid driver's license, clean MVR, DOT physical current, CDL held or in progress, able to lift 75 lb, comfortable in a shop with no air conditioning in August.
- 7One page, plain layout, PDF. Bring a printed copy to the shop in person; in this trade, walking in still works.
Completed 400 supervised lab hours: 55 brake and wheel-end jobs, 30 PM services, 12 injector and fuel-system repairs and 3 full engine teardowns and rebuilds on Cummins ISB and Detroit DD13 trainers.
Performed 30 to 40 oil and filter services a week on medium-duty box trucks and completed pre-trip air-brake and light checks on 15 units a day.
Tools: $9,400 in hand tools and a rolling box, 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch impact, torque wrenches to 600 ft-lb. Valid Class D license, clean MVR, current DOT physical, Class A CDL permit held.
Format, length and keywords for a mechanic resume
- One page. Foremen read these on a clipboard next to a parts counter.
- Order: header with target title, summary, certifications, skills and software, experience, education, tools. Certifications go above experience on this resume because they are the screening question.
- Single column, plain black text, no photo, no graphics. Shops print resumes and the print is often bad.
- Add shift availability and whether you will take road-service call. Second and third shift openings are the ones most shops cannot fill.
- PDF unless the application asks for Word. Name it Firstname-Lastname-Diesel-Technician-Resume.pdf.
Posting words worth mirroring when they are true of you: diesel engine, Class 8, medium duty, heavy duty, ASE, T2, T4, T6, T8, L2, aftertreatment, DPF, SCR, DEF, air brakes, ABS, electrical diagnosis, wiring diagram, hydraulics, preventive maintenance, DOT annual inspection, DVIR, overhaul, in-frame, drivetrain, welding, CDL, road service, flat rate, billable hours.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write a diesel mechanic resume?
Start with the posting's job title, then a three-line summary that leads with your ASE level and names your engine platforms and diagnostic software. Put certifications above experience. Write each job as bullets with counts: units per week, billable hours, efficiency, comeback rate, PMs completed. One page, plain layout, PDF.
What skills should a truck mechanic put on a resume?
Diagnostic software (INSITE, DDDL, Davie4, JPRO), engine platforms you have actually worked on, aftertreatment diagnosis, air brakes and ABS, chassis electrical and wiring diagrams, drivetrain, hydraulics if you have vocational experience, plus your own tools with a value and the fleet maintenance system you document in.
How do I list ASE certifications on a resume?
By test number and name, with the year or expiry: "ASE T4 Brakes, current to 2029." If you have passed T2, T3, T4, T5, T6 and T8, write "ASE Master Medium/Heavy Truck Technician" and list the tests behind it. Never show an expired ASE as current, because shops verify.
What is a good objective for a mechanic resume?
Two or three lines with hard facts: program hours completed, ASE tests passed, tool value and what you want next. For example: "Diesel technology graduate, 1,320 clock hours, ASE T8 passed, $9,000 in tools, seeking an entry-level Class 8 technician role with support for T2 and T4 testing."
Should I put my tool value on a resume?
Yes. In heavy-duty shops, technicians supply their own hand tools, so a foreman reads a dollar figure as a sign of how much of the job you can pick up on day one. One line under skills is enough, plus any specialty tooling and a diagnostic laptop.
Do I need a CDL to work as a truck mechanic?
Not usually, but it helps a lot. A technician with a Class A or B CDL can road-test a repair instead of waiting for a driver, and some fleets pay extra for it. List the class, endorsements and current status under certifications, and mention it in your summary if the posting asks for it.
How long should a truck mechanic resume be?
One page. Give the last ten years in full bullets and compress older jobs into single lines. Two pages are only worth it if you have run a shop, held a long OEM training record and can keep a number on every line.
How do I move from auto mechanic to diesel truck mechanic?
Lead with the transferable strengths, which are electrical diagnosis and brake work, and name your ASE A-series tests. Then show you have started on heavy-duty specifics: an air brake course, T8 testing, or any Class 6 to 8 work you have touched. Say in your objective that you want a shop that supports T-series testing.
Ready to write yours?
The builder suggests a summary from your own experience, then checks it against the job posting.
How this page was made: a first draft was written with AI assistance from cvplex's example library, then edited and fact-checked by the cvplex Careers Team. Examples are fictional composites; numbers are illustrative. Report an error via the editorial policy page.