Biden taps FMCSA acting administrator Robin Hutcheson to lead the agency

Washington — President Joe Biden has announced his intent to nominate Robin Hutcheson as administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which hasn’t had a Senate-confirmed leader since October 2019.

Hutcheson has served as FMCSA’s acting administrator since Jan. 19, after Meera Joshi, Biden’s initial nominee to lead the agency on a full-time basis, withdrew her candidacy upon accepting an offer to serve as New York City’s deputy mayor for operations. Jim Mullen and Wiley Deck served as acting administrators after FMCSA’s most recent Senate-confirmed leader, Raymond Martinez, stepped down almost 2½ years ago.

According to an April 6 White House press release, Hutcheson came to FMCSA after working as the Department of Transportation’s deputy assistant secretary for safety policy. In that role, she led department safety policy while coordinating other efforts, including those related to COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery, per a DOT press release.

Her other previous work experience includes serving as director of public works for the City of Minneapolis, as well as transportation director for Salt Lake City, UT. Additionally, Hutcheson is a past president and member of the board of directors for the National Association of City Transportation Officials.

American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear supports the nomination of Hutcheson and hopes for a “swift confirmation” by the Senate.

“Her continued leadership comes at a critical time for the agency, as the pandemic, natural disasters, workforce shortages and other factors continue to challenge the freight economy in ways never seen before,” Spear said in a press release. “America’s trucking industry is the backbone of our economy, and we depend on partners in government who value data and stakeholder input to meet real-world needs and ensure the safe movement of freight across our nation’s highways. That’s particularly timely now, as DOT works to implement the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will strengthen highway safety standards while helping our industry meet the nation’s growing freight demands.”