Transport planning bosses have joined the Freight Transport Association (FTA) in welcoming Phillip Hammond to the role of transport secretary.
His move comes as the first coalition government since World War Two begins to take shape, with the majority of positions in the cabinet now filled.
The FTA said Mr Hammond's first-hand business experience would enable him to get stuck into the challenges that await the industry.
Chief executive of the FTA, Theo de Pencier, said: "Transport is inextricably linked to the economy’s wellbeing and it has an undeniable influence on business and, indeed, our daily lives. In the coming term we hope to impress on Mr Hammond why the logistics sector deserves an unswerving political commitment to ensure its future success."
Mr Hammond, 54, has a degree in philosophy, politics and economics and was first elected to the House of Commons in 1997 as MP for the Surrey constituency of Runnymede and Weybridge.
