Freight News, Road

Camire Vanishes, Barrs Nominated to FMCSA Post

[ April 3, 2025   //   Gary Burrows ]

The Trump administration has nominated Derek Barrs to serve as Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator after acting administrator Adrienne Camire inexplicably disappeared from the agency’s top post, Transport Topics reports.

            Barrs, a former Florida Highway Patrol chief with more than three decades of public safety experience, would take a role that has seen a series of leadership changes.

Camire served as chief counsel to the Federal Highway Administration during Trump’s first term .In January, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy named Camire senior advisor to the FMCSA’s administrator.

Camire was named acting FMCSA administrator on March 7, but she vanished from the agency’s leadership page less than two weeks later. Afterward, the agency’s leadership page replaced Camire with Sue Lawless as executive director and chief safety officer, with Jesse Elison listed as chief counsel. By March 21, the Department of Transportation removed a press release announcing her appointment and made no public comment about her departure. It is unclear whether she will return to her previous position as a senior adviser, according to the press report. She previously had more than 20 years of experience in regulatory work, including roles as an attorney and adjunct professor.

The reason for the sudden departure has not been publicly announced. FMCSA has not issued a statement, and the Department of Transportation has not commented on the change.

He joined American Trucking Associations’ Law Enforcement Advisory Board in 2021 and has held roles with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, including serving as president of its associate members group. Barrs was also appointed to the Flagler County School Board in 2023 by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. He also worked as a consultant on traffic and commercial vehicle safety projects in multiple states, in addition to his tenure with the Florida Highway Patrol and FDOT.

Barrs has receive strong support from industry groups ATA, the Truckload Carriers Association and the National Tank Truck Carriers.

The agency’s leadership has seen frequent turnover in recent years. Prior to Camire’s departure, the record for shortest term belonged to Wiley Deck, who led the FMCSA for five months at the end of Trump’s first term, Transport Topics reported.

Tags: American Trucking Associations, Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration