Just a few short weeks after announcing the appointment of Adrienne Camire as FMCSA's Acting Administrator, the Trump Administration has just announced the nomination of Derek Barrs to head the agency.
Barrs formerly served as the Chief of the Florida Highway Patrol and was more recently appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to the Flagler County School Board. Barrs is also a member of the American Trucking Associations' Law Enforcement Advisory Board as well as the Florida Trucking Association.
The announcement of Barrs' appointment comes just weeks after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had announced former Federal Highway Administration Chief Counsel Adrienne Camire would be taking the reigns of FMCSA as Acting Administrator. However, speculation quickly grew that Camire had departed that position when her information was removed from the FMCSA's leadership website shortly thereafter.
In a statement on its website, the ATA praised Barrs' appointment. "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,” said ATA President & CEO Chris Spear. “Derek’s extensive public service at the Florida Department of Transportation and Florida Highway Patrol make him exceptionally well qualified to be FMCSA administrator. 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."
Barrs will face Senate confirmation and could become the agency's first confirmed administrator since Robyn Hutcheson left the agency in 2023.
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