Sean Duffy
Secretary of Transportation
Office of the Secretary
55,000 reports
U.S. Department of Transportation
U.S. Department of Transportation leadership and operating administrations
Government · Divisional structure · 55K employees · Washington, DC
10
Agency head span
↓ tighter than peers (avg 12)
5
Avg span
wide
3
Max depth
3 levels
Interactive org chart
U.S. Department of Transportation organizational chart
Explore the agency leadership model, component structure, and reporting layers from official public sources.
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This org chart is derived from the U.S. Government Manual and official USDOT pages, reflecting the Department’s Cabinet-level leadership, operating administrations, and principal policy offices as documented in official sources.
What to model
Use the chart to test org decisions, not just view reporting lines
Start with the public baseline, then use the scenario views and source-backed changes to ask what happens when leadership, span, or team ownership shifts.
Scenario views in the chart
- Add Department-wide Chief Data and AI Officer Model the addition of a cross-department Chief Data and AI Officer reporting to the Deputy Secretary to coordinate data, statistics, and AI policy across operating administrations.
Atlas work this supports
- Compare public operating models Use this official-source baseline to compare agencies, components, reporting layers, and field-office networks.
- Model vacancies and transitions Create planning scenarios for acting leaders, new offices, component moves, and cross-agency coordination changes.
- Keep an official source trail Track source URLs, leadership updates, and agency structure changes in one Atlas workspace for review.
The people
Key leaders and offices
12 senior leadership roles or offices from official public sources. Use this section as a current agency-leadership index, not a private-company filing table.
Polly E. Trottenberg
Deputy Secretary of Transportation
Office of the Secretary
2 reports
Laura Schiller
Chief of Staff
Office of the Secretary
1 reports
Carlos Monje, Jr.
Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy
Policy
2 reports
Eric J. Soskin
Inspector General
Office of Inspector General
0 reports
John E. Putnam
Acting General Counsel
Office of the General Counsel
0 reports
Bryan Bedford
Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
0 reports
Open Role
Administrator, Federal Highway Administration
Federal Highway Administration
0 reports
Derek Barrs
Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
0 reports
Open Role
Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration
Federal Railroad Administration
0 reports
Nuria Fernandez
Administrator, Federal Transit Administration
Federal Transit Administration
0 reports
Stephen Carmel
Administrator, Maritime Administration
Maritime Administration
0 reports
The operating model
How U.S. Department of Transportation divides the work
3 offices, branches, or components organize the agency mission. Tile size scales with estimated staff where public estimates exist.
Federal Aviation Administration
45K employees
p12
Regulates civil aviation and operates the national air traffic control system.
Federal Highway Administration
3K employees
p13
Oversees federal-aid highway programs and national highway policy.
Federal Transit Administration
2K employees
p16
Provides financial assistance and policy guidance for public transit systems.
The agency brief
What this U.S. agency structure tells us
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is a Cabinet-level executive department led by the Secretary of Transportation, who is appointed by the President with Senate confirmation and serves as the principal adviser on federal transportation policy. USDOT operates under a strongly divisional structure composed of mode-specific operating administrations (aviation, highways, transit, rail, motor carrier safety, maritime, pipelines, and vehicle safety), each with statutory authorities and nationwide field operations. This structure allows the Department to regulate safety, distribute grants, and develop policy across all major transportation modes while maintaining centralized policy coordination through the Office of the Secretary. Structurally distinctive features include the coexistence of large regulatory bodies (e.g., FAA, NHTSA) with grant-making and infrastructure delivery administrations (e.g., FHWA, FTA), and an independent Inspector General reporting directly to the Secretary. The Department’s public mission is to ensure the safety, efficiency, sustainability, and accessibility of the U.S. transportation system for citizens and commerce.
- Mode-based operating administrations
- Independent Inspector General reporting to Secretary
- Cabinet-level policy authority with decentralized execution
The comparison
Compare with related agencies
Compared with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), USDOT has fewer law-enforcement components and a more sector-regulatory focus, similar in some respects to the Department of Energy’s mix of policy offices and semi-autonomous administrations. Unlike the Department of Commerce, USDOT’s divisions are organized …
Senior office count
U.S. Department of Transportation
15
Reporting depth
U.S. Department of Transportation
3 levels
3 levels
3 levels
4 levels
Current signals
What changed recently
No recent leadership changes are documented in the provided official source text.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who leads the U.S. Department of Transportation?
The U.S. Department of Transportation is led by the Secretary of Transportation, who is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.
What does the U.S. Department of Transportation do?
USDOT establishes national transportation policy and oversees safety, infrastructure investment, and regulation across aviation, highways, transit, rail, maritime, motor carrier, pipeline, and vehicle safety.
What are the major offices or components of the U.S. Department of Transportation?
Major components include the Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Maritime Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
Who does the U.S. Department of Transportation report to?
The Department of Transportation is part of the Executive Branch and reports to the President of the United States.
How can this org chart be used for planning or analysis?
The org chart helps policymakers, analysts, and partners understand reporting relationships, statutory authorities, and how transportation functions are divided across operating administrations.
Sources
Reference
Cite this page
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APA 7th
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"U.S. Department of Transportation Organizational Structure." Creately, April 1, 2026, https://creately.com/org-chart/us-government/department-of-transportation/. Accessed .Chicago 17
Creately. "U.S. Department of Transportation Organizational Structure." Last modified April 1, 2026. https://creately.com/org-chart/us-government/department-of-transportation/.Permanent URL: https://creately.com/org-chart/us-government/department-of-transportation/ · last updated 2026-04-01