Barrs confirmed as FMCSA administrator

On Oct. 3, the U.S. Senate confirmed Derek Barrs as the new head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The former Florida Highway Patrol chief is the ninth confirmed FMCSA administrator since the transportation safety agency was formed in 2000. 

Since former FMCSA chief Raymond Martinez left in October 2019, the position has had more turnover than your average fleet. Of the 10 different administrators, only Robin Hutcheson was confirmed by the Senate, with the others serving as deputies and acting administrators. 

The federal government has been shut down since Sept. 30, but the Senate passed a rapid resolution to confirm a total of 109 appointees, including Barrs, who spent nearly 30 years in law enforcement before working for infrastructure design firm HNTB.

Barrs also served on the American Trucking Associations’ Law Enforcement Advisory Board in 2021 and has been an active member of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.

Trucking’s reaction

Here’s what the trucking industry said following the announcement.

Chris Spear, ATA president and CEO, stated:

“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.”

Collin Mooney, CVSA executive director, said:

“The Alliance is looking forward to working with FMCSA Administrator Barrs and the FMCSA team to continue to strengthen our partnership, share expertise, and enhance safety initiatives with the goal of reducing crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving commercial motor vehicles.”

Jim Ward, president of the Truckload Carriers Association, stated:

“After a tremendous career in law enforcement, Administrator Barrs brings a unique skill set and understanding of our industry at a time when regulatory enforcement is critical to ensuring the safety of those who operate on America’s highways... TCA members have had the privilege of working with Administrator Barrs directly and have consistently expressed the highest regard for his leadership, professionalism, and dedication, supporting his efforts not only from an industry perspective, but also from personal experience.”

Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, offered:

“For months, we have said Mr. Barrs is the right choice for this role, and his leadership will only strengthen the strong partnership truckers already have with [Transportation] Secretary Duffy and the team at USDOT to improve highway safety.”

Our take

Administrator Barrs will have his work cut out for him, as the trucking industry has a litany of interconnected safety issues that threaten public safety and carrier profitability. As both a law enforcement officer who investigated the aftermath of traffic accidents and an advisor for the ATA, he should have a good sense of what needs to change and how those changes could impact the industry.

For instance, if one looks at the increase in fatalities from large truck crashes, up 50% over the last decade, they might want to look at existing technologies to mandate on trucks, such as dual-facing dash cams that monitor distracted or fatigued driving. This would be the next progression from the electronic logging device mandate. And it could help alleviate rising costs, insurance premiums, and lower the risk of a nuclear verdict, as monitoring driver actions, as well as harsh accelerating and braking, would reduce risky behavior and weed out unsafe drivers.

But truckers who see inward cams as an affront to their privacy may exit en masse, and fleets trying to fill seats could rely on graduates of fly-by-night driving schools who create a far more dangerous environment on the road.

Perhaps they could leverage next-gen inspection technology at weigh stations, replacing enforcement officers with AI, much like Major League Baseball is considering machines to call balls and strikes. This would speed inspections up and remove any bias a LEO may have, but how much tolerance does a robot have if your tread depth is just a hair too low and you’re on the way to a truck center to get new tires?

The point is, regulatory actions have consequences. But sometimes regulations are necessary. Enforcing truck requirements of operable brakes and lights, and ensuring that drivers know enough English to read signage, are perfectly in line with the federal government’s obligation to ensure public safety on its roads.

Hopefully, Barrs’ experience has given him the clarity on when to accelerate and when to hit the brakes during his tenure.