Trump taps Derek Barrs to head FMCSA

Washington — President Donald Trump has nominated Derek Barrs to lead the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Barrs served as chief of the Florida Highway Patrol from January 2001 to January 2020, after spending a decade as deputy sheriff in the Madison County (FL) Sheriff’s Office. He joined HNTB Corp., a transportation infrastructure organization, in January 2020 as associate vice president.

Barrs also is part of the American Trucking Associations’ Law Enforcement Advisory Board. He has held multiple roles with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, an ATA press release states.

Barrs’ nomination is with the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. A nomination hearing date has yet to be listed on the committee’s website.

If confirmed, Barrs would become FMCSA’s first permanent, Senate-confirmed administrator since Robin Hutcheson, who was confirmed in September 2022, resigned in January 2024.

The Department of Transportation on March 7 appointed Adrienne Camire as acting and deputy administrator of FMCSA, but she only spent about two weeks on the job.

Camire wasn’t listed on the agency’s leadership page after online updates made March 19. The agency didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

ATA President and CEO Chris Spear supports Barrs’ nomination.

“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,” Spear said in the release. “Derek’s extensive public service at the Florida Department of Transportation and Florida Highway Patrol makes 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.”

In January, ATA, the Truckload Carriers Association, and National Tank Truck Carriers wrote a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy backing Barrs’ candidacy to lead FMCSA.

UPDATE: An FMCSA spokesperson responded to S+H’s request for comment on March 25, stating, “Adrienne Camire is no longer with the agency. I can confirm Jesse Elison is the senior political official at FMCSA.”