FTA welcomed the appointment of the former Treasury minister and hopes that her first-hand business experience and focus on economic stability are brought to bear, to the benefit of the logistics sector and the many businesses that rely on it.

Theo de Pencier, FTA’s chief executive, said: ‘We would like to congratulate Ms Greening on her appointment as transport secretary, and we look forward to working with her on the pressing challenges facing the industry right now, from investment in infrastructure to finding workable carbon solutions and the threat of planned fuel duty increases in 2012.

‘Transport is inextricably linked to the economy’s well-being and it has an undeniable influence on business and, indeed, our daily lives.  In the coming months we hope to impress on Ms Greening why the logistics sector deserves an unswerving political commitment to ensure its future success.  We will be discussing with her ways in which we can better reap all the benefits that the sector brings.’

The logistics sector employs eight per cent of the UK’s workforce and contributes around £100bn each year to the UK economy.