Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023:
Earl Adams Jr. was sworn in Monday as Deputy Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Adams has served as FMCSA’s Chief Counsel since July 2021.
Earl Adams Jr.
As Deputy Administrator, Adams will join Hutcheson to lead the agency and will oversee a portfolio of initiatives across the agency’s various program offices that supports FMCSA’s mission – to prevent crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses.
“Earl is a mission-driven leader and thinker who embodies the values of our agency and the entire Department of Transportation,” Hutcheson said. “His vast experience, intellect and people skills are exactly what the role of Deputy Administrator calls for.”
Adams has extensive legal and executive experience across several modes, including surface transportation, rail and aviation. In his role as FMCSA Chief Counsel, Adams was responsible for legal policy on all aspects of agency programs and activities, including the development, issuance, interpretation, enforcement and defense of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations before state and federal courts. He also provided executive oversight for FMCSA’s technology and innovation portfolio, including rulemaking on autonomous vehicles.
Prior to joining FMCSA, Adams worked in the private sector with several law firms, and most recently as a litigation partner with a national law firm, where he also served as the managing partner of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. His legal practice has always focused on providing clients with regulatory and compliance counsel across several sectors, including transportation, renewable energy, and procurement.
