FMCSA’s No. 2 leaving agency for another branch of DOT

Cathy Gautreaux

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration‘s Cathy Gautreaux, the agency’s deputy director and second in command behind Administrator Ray Martinez, is leaving FMCSA to take a position elsewhere in the U.S. DOT.

Gautreaux’s departure, which was reported by Politico on Thursday and confirmed by a senior FMCSA official, hasn’t been formally announced by FMCSA, and no reason has been given for her departure.

Gautreaux is being replaced by Alan Hanson, deputy chief of staff for Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Chao, according to Politico.

According to FMCSA’s website, Gautreaux’s main duties include managing the operations of the agency on a day-to-day basis.

She was appointed by President Trump and U.S. DOT Secretary Elaine Chao in 2017, entering the agency even before Martinez. Prior to joining FMCSA, she was head of the Louisiana Motor Transport Association, where she had worked for nearly 30 years.

The senior FMCSA official also confirmed that Gautreaux will move to a position in the U.S. DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.