FMCSA announces administrator departure

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced the departure of its administrator Robin Hutcheson. She will depart the agency on Jan. 26.

Sue Lawless, FMCSA’s executive director and chief safety officer, will serve as acting deputy administrator and lead the agency.

Hutcheson, who joined the Biden-Harris Administration in January 2021, ends her three-year tenure. Prior to the FMCSA’s administrator position, she served as the deputy assistant secretary for safety policy within the Office of the Secretary and then as the FMCSA’s administrator.

“It has been the most profound honor to serve in the Biden-Harris Administration, and I am grateful to President Biden for appointing me to these roles,” Hutcheson said in a release.

In her role at FMCSA, Hutcheson focused on the safety of commercial motor vehicle drivers to improve safety outcomes and strengthen the supply chain.

She took regulatory actions to enhance roadway safety, improve drivers’ life quality, leverage technology to improve safety, increase the impact of FMCSA grant dollars in communities and promote transparency across the industry, the agency said.

Chris Spear, American Trucking Association’s (ATA) president and CEO, said in a statement that trucking industry depends on government partners like Hutcheson, who value data and stakeholder input to meet real-world needs and ensure the safe movement of freight across our nation’s highways.

“We applaud her communication, transparency and commitment to ATA and our members, and we wish her well in her future endeavors,” added Spear.

*This story has been updated with ATA’s comments