Derek BarrsFlagler County School Board
Derek Barrs served in the Florida Department of Transportation and Florida Highway Patrol, and is the associate vice president for HNTB Corporation, an infrastructure design firm based in Kansas City, Missouri. He is a member of the Flagler County School Board.
Barrs joined American Trucking Associations’ Law Enforcement Advisory Board in 2021, and he has been a member of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance in multiple roles. He served as the president of the Associate Members, where he represented motor carriers and suppliers to the industry.
Barrs earned his associate degree in criminal justice from North Florida College and his bachelor’s degree in public administration from Flagler College.
Announcement of Barrs’ nomination comes just days after Adrienne Camire left her post as acting administrator of the FMCSA after just two weeks in that position.
Barrs’ nomination will face Senate approval.
Trucking organizations have praised Barrs’ selection.
Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association President Todd Spencer said, “OOIDA and the 150,000 small business truckers we represent congratulate Derek Barrs on his nomination to lead the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. We look forward to working with him in advancing the priorities of small business truckers across America, including fighting freight fraud, rolling back unnecessary regulations, and closing regulatory loopholes to ensure the safest truck drivers remain in the industry. We encourage a swift confirmation in the Senate and look forward to working with Mr. Barrs to improve the safety of our roadways.”
ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. said, “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. Derek’s extensive public service at the Florida Department of Transportation and Florida Highway Patrol make 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 such as drug impairment, cargo theft, and human trafficking.
“Derek’s deep knowledge of the trucking industry and his collaborative approach will make him an invaluable asset to USDOT. Under his leadership, the trucking industry is confident that FMCSA will make significant progress towards achieving our shared priorities of improving highway safety and efficiently delivering the nation’s freight. ATA welcomes Derek’s nomination to this important role, and we urge Senators to swiftly approve his nomination.”
In January, ATA, the Truckload Carriers Association, and the National Tank Truck Carriers sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to express full support for Barrs.
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