President Donald Trump nominated a new administrator for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Derek Barrs, associate VP of the infrastructure design firm HNTB and former Florida Highway Patrol chief, is now in line to lead FMCSA.
The White House quietly submitted the nomination to the Senate on Monday, March 24. As of the time of writing, no official Department of Transportation press releases or social media posts announced the nomination.
The nomination comes just days after FMCSA mysteriously wiped the previous acting administrator, Adrienne Camire, from its web pages. The agency told FleetOwner only that “Adrienne Camire is no longer with the agency."
Decades of transportation experience
If confirmed, Barrs would bring decades of career transportation experience. Barrs is a retired highway patrol chief and current infrastructure design firm leader.
Barrs served Florida law enforcement for nearly three decades. He was a deputy sheriff in Madison, Florida, from 1991 to 2001, before serving as chief of the Florida Highway Patrol from 2001 to 2020.
Barrs is also listed as a member of the American Trucking Association’s Law Enforcement Advisory Board to strengthen the bond between the trucking industry and law enforcement. He previously served as associate membership president and committee chairman for the enforcement and industry modernization committee for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.
See also: Trucking and law enforcement seek common ground
Since retiring from law enforcement, Barrs has worked for infrastructure design firm HNTB.
Trucking groups applaud Barrs nomination
Trucking industry organizations, including the American Trucking Associations and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, congratulated Barrs on the nomination and said they hope Barrs will promote their regulatory priorities.
“With nearly two decades of experience in law enforcement and the commercial motor vehicle industry, Derek Barrs’ career has been defined by his emphasis on making our roads safer for all motorists,” Chris Spear, ATA president and CEO, said. “He has a proven track record of strengthening ties between the trucking industry and public safety officers to address top transportation challenges such as drug impairment, cargo theft, and human trafficking. … Under his leadership, the trucking industry is confident that FMCSA will make significant progress towards achieving our shared priorities of improving highway safety and efficiently delivering the nation’s freight.”
“We look forward to working with him in advancing the priorities of small-business truckers across America, including fighting freight fraud, rolling back unnecessary regulations, and closing regulatory loopholes to ensure the safest truck drivers remain in the industry,” Todd Spencer, OOIDA’s president, said. “We encourage a swift confirmation in the Senate and look forward to working with Mr. Barrs to improve the safety of our roadways.”
