Pål Trulsen competed at the 1980-81 World Junior Championships in curling with little success, finally winning a silver medal at that event in 1983. Trulsen was on the Norwegian team at the 1992 Winter Olympics, when curling was a demonstration sport, and helped Norway to a second-place finish. Trulsen competed at the World Championships in 1993, 1997, 1999, and 2000, but failed to reach the podium. In 2001 he won a bronze medal at Worlds, the year before his career highlight, winning the Olympic gold medal at Salt Lake City.
In 2002 Trulsen added a silver medal at the World Championships, and would win another world bronze in 2003. He won another bronze medal at the 2004 European Championships, and won the 2005 European title. Trulsen made the 2006 Norwegian Olympic team, placing fifth, and then retired in 2007. He coached the Norwegian curling team that won the gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics. He later became general secretary of the Norwegian Curling Association.