Hessert was raised in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where he attended Cherry Hill High School East. His father, Tom Hessert Jr., won the 1988 IMSA GT Championship and scored three victories each at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. The Hessert family owns several car dealerships in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, including Cherry Hill Classic Cars, which served as a sponsor during significant portions of Tom III's racing career. Tom III currently lives in Cherry Hill with his wife and children; his eldest son is named Tom Hessert IV.
Hessert became the youngest driver to compete in the Rolex 24 at Daytona when he drove in the event in 2003 at the age of sixteen, sharing the No. 68 car for The Racer's Group alongside his father Tom Jr.
Hessert built a sustained career in the ARCA Menards Series across more than eight full-time seasons. In every one of those full-time years he finished inside the top ten in the championship standings, and he reached the top five on five occasions. His best result came in 2016, when he finished second in the overall points standings — his last full-time season in the series.
After that runner-up season, Hessert chose to run only part-time in 2017 to spend more time with his family. He made five appearances that year, sharing the Venturini No. 25 entry with a rotating cast of drivers including Christopher Bell, Spencer Davis, Raphael Lessard, Natalie Decker, and Tanner Thorson.
In 2018, Hessert returned to Venturini for the season-opening race at Daytona, this time in the No. 55 car. His only other start that year came at Indianapolis Raceway Park, where he drove the No. 22 for Chad Bryant Racing as a replacement for Chase Briscoe after the race was rescheduled due to rain, creating a date conflict with Briscoe's NASCAR Xfinity commitments. Chad Bryant Racing is the successor team to Cunningham Motorsports, for which Hessert had previously driven the No. 77 full-time.
After not competing in any ARCA races during 2019, Hessert took part in the series' preseason test at Daytona in January 2020 as the driver of the No. 2 car for Chad Bryant Racing.
Hessert made two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts in 2010 for Germain Racing, giving him a brief foothold in NASCAR's third-tier series alongside his core ARCA career.
Tom Hessert III represents the tradition of second-generation motorsport competitors who used ARCA as their primary competitive arena. His consistency — eight full-time ARCA seasons without a single finish outside the top ten in points — places him among the steadiest performers in the series' modern era even if championship glory eluded him.
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