In terms of historical evolution, the predecessor of the transportation major of Chang'an University was the majors of "Automotive Application Engineering" and "Transportation Management". In 1951, Xi'an Automobile Mechanics School began to recruit college and technical secondary school classes for automobile operation and maintenance. In 1954, the academic system of the automotive technology management and maintenance major was changed to four years. In 1956, four classes from Chengdu joined the automobile major. In 1957, the school began to recruit international students, and 10 Vietnamese students entered the automotive major. In 1958, under the auspices and guidance of teachers such as Guo Kecha, the first mini car was designed and manufactured. In 1958, Beijing Institute of Highway and Technology merged with Xi'an Automobile Machinery School to form Xi'an Highway College. At the same time, the Department of Automobile of Xi'an Highway College was established to recruit undergraduates majoring in automobile application and maintenance, road construction machinery, and mechanical manufacturing. In 1962, the academic system of automobile design and manufacturing and automobile application and repair was changed to five years. In 1963, classes such as Qi 08 and Qi 09 were rated as advanced league branch and were praised by the Communist Youth League Provincial Committee and the League Central Committee. In 1963, the major of transportation management was approved. In 1965, the college began to recruit undergraduate students majoring in transportation management. Since 1967, due to the impact of the "Cultural Revolution", the enrollment of this major has ceased. From 1974 to 1976, three-term workers, peasants and soldiers were recruited for the major of automobile application engineering. In 1977, the college entrance examination was resumed, and the enrollment of automobile application engineering resumed. In 1978, "ABE type capacitor discharge ignition device" and "NGW type planetary gear reducer standard series (JB1799-76)" won the "National Science and Technology Conference Award". In 1998, the Ministry of Education issued a catalog of undergraduate majors in ordinary universities, and adjusted the majors of "Automotive Application Engineering" and "Transportation Management" to "Transportation". In 2003, the major of transportation was recognized as a characteristic major in Shaanxi Province and in 2005 as a famous major in Shaanxi Province. In 2007 it was approved as a national characteristic major. In 2008, the teaching team was honored with the Provincial-level teaching team. In 2010, the major of transportation was approved as one of the outstanding engineer education training-plan majors, and the college began to recruit students in 2012. In 2014, it was selected into the pilot program of comprehensive reform of undergraduate majors in Shaanxi. In 2017, it was approved as a "First-Class Majors" in Shaanxi. In 2008, 2014, and 2018, it passed the National Engineering Education Certification for three times consecutively, becoming the earliest and also the longest-lasting approved transportation major. In 2019, it was selected into the "National First-Class Majors".

After nearly 70 years of development, the transportation major in Chang'an University has become a social influential "National First-Class Major" with long history, abundant resources, distinctive characteristics and outstanding advantages. It has trained more than 8,000 undergraduates in the field of transportation.

In terms of education condition, the transportation major has first-class support conditions. It has two national-level transportation experimental teaching platforms, named "National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center for Road Traffic and Transportation Engineering" and the "Road Traffic Engineering Virtual Simulation Experimental Teaching Center". There are two national transportation virtual simulation experimental teaching projects, "Automobile Safety" and "Intelligent Networked Vehicle Safety Distance Monitoring and Anti-collision". In addition, it has industry key laboratories, an innovative test zone for transportation talent training, and commercial vehicle applications innovative experimental zone for training entrepreneurial talents in the manufacturing field, etc. Besides, there are the Western Traffic Safety and Intelligent Control Collaborative Innovation Center, the Key Laboratory of Automobile Transportation Safety Technology Transportation Industry, the Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Transportation New Energy Development and Application and Automobile Energy Saving, the Shaanxi Provincial Road Traffic Intelligent Inspection and Equipment Engineering Technology Research Center, transportation engineering laboratories, structural laboratories, and engine-automobile performance laboratories and other experimental research and teaching institution. Furthermore, the original value of experimental equipments exceeds 60 million yuan, including road traffic intelligent detection technology and equipment development research platform, driving behavior information fusion and feature extraction integrated test platform, human-vehicle-environment system virtual simulation experiment Platform, road traffic accident analysis and reproduction simulation experiment platform, automobile comprehensive (safety) performance testing platform, vehicle dynamic environment simulation stimulation and safety performance test platform, and automobile comprehensive performance test field etc.

In terms of faculty resource, there are 33 full-time teachers, 25 full-time teachers, and 8 part-time teachers. 92% of the faculty have a doctorate degree, and 72% are graduate advisors. There are 3 provincial-level teaching teams (Shaanxi Provincial Teaching Team, Hundred Talents Program Team and Shaanxi Thousand Talents Team), 1 provincial-level teaching master studio, 1 innovation team of the Ministry of Education, 1 provincial-level talent training innovation experimental zone. Chang’an university is the chairman institution and secretary-general institution of "Road Transport Engineering" Teaching Guidance Sub-Committee. The teaching team won the second prize of National Teaching Achievement, 2 first-prize and 4 second-prize of Shaanxi Province Teaching Achievement Award 2 items and second prize 4 awards. There are nearly 20 courses and bilingual model courses. The team undertook a number of national, provincial and ministerial level scientific research projects, and had numerous scientific research achievements.

In terms of student-awards, the students have participated in the national-level entrepreneurial innovation competition, the "Challenge Cup" college student extracurricular academic science and technology competition and various provincial and school-level competitions. The number of students participating in the different competitions has increased year by year, and the coverage rate of undergraduates participating in various projects and competitions has reached more than 90%. Since 2012, undergraduate students majoring in transportation have participated in 685 national college student innovation and entrepreneurship training programs, and won 17 various national college student competition prizes. The students have obtained 164 patents.

In terms of outstanding alumnus, the transportation major is known as the "Whampoa Military" in the field of transportation. There are many outstanding alumnus making great contribution to the national transportation industry.