President-Elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Transportation has experience in government and knowledge of trucking and infrastructure funding issues. 

Sean Duffy, most recently a Fox Business host, was a Republican U.S. representative from Wisconsin between 2011 and 2019.

“Sean will use his experience and the relationships he has built over many years in Congress to maintain and rebuild our nation’s infrastructure, and fulfill our mission of ushering in the Golden Age of Travel, focusing on safety, efficiency, and innovation,” Trump said in a statement.

Duffy joined Fox News Media in 2020 as a contributor offering political analysis and has hosted “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business with Dagen McDowell since 2023.

The Department of Transportation is the home of agencies that regulate the trucking industry, including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The department also regulates other modes of transportation such as airlines, rail, and marine.

Trump's DOT Nominee Has Government Experience

Unlike some of the president-elect’s picks for his cabinet, Duffy has experience in government.

“As a former member of Congress, Sean Duffy understands how to navigate the political landscape in Washington to get things done, something that we will need in the next leader of the U.S. Department of Transportation as we begin the process of reauthorizing the federal surface transportation programs,” said Jim Tymon of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in a statement.

Rep. Rick Larsen, a Democrat from Washington and the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said in a statement that he looks forward in the next Congress to working with his colleagues on the committee to pass a surface transportation bill.

“Transportation policy has a long bipartisan history, and I look forward to continuing to maintain the tradition under former Representative Sean Duffy’s leadership and working together to pass the next surface transportation authorization… if he is confirmed.”

Trucking Groups Praise Duffy Nomination

The American Trucking Associations and the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association, two groups which are often on the opposite side of trucking issues, both released statements praising the nomination.

The American Trucking Associations called Duffy an “exceptional choice to lead the Department of Transportation."

During his time in the House, Duffy “supported pro-trucking policies to strengthen the supply chain and our ability to keep the nation’s goods moving safely and efficiently,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear in a statement.

“We know Congressman Duffy understands that and the opportunity now before us to improve our transportation network by reducing congestion, investing in truck parking, enhancing highway safety, and supporting the development of innovative technologies,” Spear said.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association said then-Representative Duffy supported an effort by OOIDA (which did not succeed) to allow small business truckers with a strong safety record an exemption from the electronic logging device mandate.

“We look forward to working with him in advancing the priorities of small business truckers across America, including expanding truck parking, fighting freight fraud, and rolling back unnecessary regulations,” said OOIDA President Todd Spencer in a statement.

Some of Duffy’s Trucking-Related Work in Congress

• Duffy backed the 2015 Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which was the first long-term surface transportation reauthorization law in over a decade, providing funding through fiscal year 2020.

• He backed a bill that would have increased federal truck weight limits to improve freight efficiency. 

• He cosponsored a bill that would have amended the Clean Air Act to keep the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, saying the law did not authorize or require the regulation of climate change or global warming.

• He supported legislation allowing hair-testing to be used to meet DOT drug-testing requirements.