The U.S. Senate has confirmed Derek Barrs as the next administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Since former FMCSA chief Raymond Martinez left in October 2019, the position has had high turnover. Of the 10 different administrators, only Robin Hutcheson was confirmed. The other acting administrators were deputy administrators, who do not require Senate confirmation.
The Senate, while scurrying to end the government shutdown, confirmed Barrs on Friday as part of a rapid resolution that confirmed 108 total appointments.
Barss is a retired highway patrol chief and current infrastructure design firm leader. He joined the American Trucking Association’s Law Enforcement Advisory Board in 2021 and has been an active member of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.
Trucking industry associations quickly celebrated the confirmation.
“Following extensive advocacy by ATA, we are pleased that the Senate has voted to approve the nomination of Derek Barrs to serve as administrator of FMCSA,” Chris Spear, ATA president and CEO, said. “Mr. Barrs’ confirmation was long overdue, and with rising concerns about motor vehicle safety enforcement, his leadership is urgently needed to drive accountability, strengthen state-level compliance, and ensure only qualified commercial drivers operate on our nation’s roadways.”
“The Alliance is looking forward to working with FMCSA Administrator Barrs and the FMCSA team to continue to strengthen our partnership, share expertise, and enhance safety initiatives with the goal of reducing crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving commercial motor vehicles,” Collin Mooney, CVSA executive director, said.
“OOIDA and professional truckers across America congratulate Derek Barrs on his confirmation to lead the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration,” Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, said. “For months, we have said Mr. Barrs is the right choice for this role, and his leadership will only strengthen the strong partnership truckers already have with Secretary Sean Duffy and the team at U.S. DOT to improve highway safety.”
