ATA Statement on Confirmation of Derek Barrs to Lead FMCSA

Washington - Today, the American Trucking Associations applauded the U.S. Senate's confirmation of Derek Barrs to serve as administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. President Trump nominated Barrs to lead FMCSA on March 25.

"Following extensive advocacy by ATA, we are pleased that the Senate has voted to approve the nomination of Derek Barrs to serve as administrator of FMCSA," said ATA President & CEO Chris Spear. "Mr. Barrs' confirmation was long overdue, and with rising concerns about motor vehicle safety enforcement, his leadership is urgently needed to drive accountability, strengthen state-level compliance, and ensure only qualified commercial drivers operate on our nation's roadways."

"Mr. Barrs is well-equipped to meet this moment, boasting nearly two decades of experience in law enforcement as well as in the CMV industry," Spear continued. "Throughout his career, he has demonstrated his ability to bridge industry and enforcement, forge consensus, and deliver results. With Mr. Barrs' expertise and the strong support of the Trump Administration, we can uphold the highest standards of safety on our nation's highways."

Barrs has served in various law enforcement capacities for the Florida Department of Transportation and Florida Highway Patrol. Most recently, he has been a consultant on traffic-related and commercial motor vehicle safety projects across numerous states. He also joined ATA's Law Enforcement Advisory Board in 2021, and he has been an active member of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance in multiple roles, including serving as the President of the Associate Members, where he represented motor carriers and suppliers to the industry.

In addition to Barrs, ATA welcomed the Senate's confirmation of Gregory Zerzan to be General Counsel of the Department of Transportation and Michael Rutherford to be an Assistant Secretary of Transportation. Rutherford has been tapped to lead the Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy. ATA looks forward to working with the entire DOT team on transportation policy, particularly as Congress prepares a surface transportation reauthorization bill in the coming year.

ATA repeatedly called on the Senate to approve these critical DOT nominations. In January, ATA, the Truckload Carriers Association, and the National Tank Truck Carriers sent a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to express full support for Barrs.

Following a vote by the Senate Commerce Committee, ATA sent a letter to the leaders of the Senate urging them to swiftly move Barrs' nomination to the floor for the upper chamber's full consideration.

In September, ATA sent another letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune to urge him to hold a vote on Barrs' nomination.