With the withdrawal of Adrienne Camire as the Acting Administrator for the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration, the Trump Administration has nominated Derek Barrs to lead the agency. Barrs brings 33 years of experience in trucking, highway safety and law enforcement, having served as the Chief of the Florida Highway Patrol and as a current member of the American Trucking Associations’ Law Enforcement Advisory Board and the Florida Trucking Association.
Within the Florida Department of Transportation, Barrs worked in several law enforcement capacities. As associate vice president at HNTB, a transportation infrastructure solutions firm, Barrs has been a consultant on traffic-related and commercial motor vehicle safety projects in a number of states. He has been a member of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, where he served as President of Associate Members, representing motor carriers and industry suppliers at CVSA. Recently, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Barrs to the Flagler County School Board.
Barrs nomination has generated broad support from trucking and law enforcement, including PrePass Safety Alliance. Barrs will have a hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (Ted Cruz, R-TX, Chair), followed by confirmation proceedings before the full Senate. Dates have not been announced for those hearings.