Robin Hutcheson to exit FMCSA

Washington — Robin Hutcheson will step down as head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Jan. 26, the agency has announced.

In a Jan. 19 press release, FMCSA salutes Hutcheson’s efforts to take “regulatory actions to enhance roadway safety, improve quality of life for drivers, (and) leverage technology and innovation to improve safety.”

No reason was given for Hutcheson’s departure. Sue Lawless, executive director and chief safety officer at FMCSA, will take over as acting deputy administrator.

Hutcheson became the agency’s first permanent, Senate-confirmed administrator in almost three years after lawmakers approved her nomination in September 2022. She had served as acting administrator since January of that year.

Before Hutcheson, FMCSA had gone without a permanent leader since Raymond Martinez stepped down in October 2019. Jim Mullen, Wiley Deck and Meera Joshi served as acting agency administrators in the interim.

Hutcheson’s previous work experience included one year as DOT’s deputy assistant secretary for safety policy.

“It has been the most profound honor to serve in the Biden-Harris administration, and I am grateful to President Biden for appointing me to these roles,” Hutcheson said in a statement. “I thank [Transportation Secretary Pete] Buttigieg for his leadership and confidence and recognize the dedicated team of professionals at the Department of Transportation who work hand in hand with industry partners to serve the American people and keep our country moving forward.”

In a separate statement, American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear applauds Hutcheson’s work during her time with the agency, which included developing various provisions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“Administrator Hutcheson led FMCSA through a critical time as the pandemic, natural disasters, workforce shortages and supply chain disruptions challenged the freight economy in ways never seen before,” Spear said. “America’s trucking industry is the heartbeat of this nation, and we depend on partners in government like Administrator Hutcheson who value data and stakeholder input to meet real-world needs and ensure the safe movement of freight across our nation’s highways.”