Derek Barrs, the trucking industry's top choice to lead the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), will finally get his chance, even if he was apparently the second choice of the Trump administration's Department of Transportation.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated Barrs to take over the post that was surprisingly vacated late last week by Adrienne Camire, who resigned her post after just two weeks on the job. If confirmed, Barrs would be the agency’s first permanent administrator in more than a year.
Derek Barrs has more than 33 years of experience in law enforcement, advancing to the rank of chief.
He has been an active member of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) in multiple roles, including serving as the President of the Associate Members, where he represented motor carriers and suppliers to the industry.
"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.
ATA, the Truckload Carriers Association, and the National Tank Truck Carriers in January sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to express support for Barrs.
Spear was optimistic that under an admin with a deep background in trucking and highway safety "FMCSA will make significant progress towards achieving our shared priorities of improving highway safety and efficiently delivering the nation’s freight."
Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association President Todd Spencer was similarly hopeful that collaboration with Barrs would advance "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."
