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FMCSA’s Barrs Highlights Stronger Enforcement at ATA Mid-Year
Administrator Calls for Industry Partnership to Improve Truck Safety
Key Takeaways:
- FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs urged trucking leaders May 20 in Hollywood, Fla., to partner with regulators to strengthen safety standards and remove unsafe operators.
- Barrs said FMCSA removed more than 20,000 drivers from service while intensifying efforts against fraudulent training providers, licensing abuse and “chameleon carriers.”
- FMCSA plans to modernize registration systems, improve data integration and expand investigations with federal and state partners to identify and prosecute high-risk carriers.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Derek Barrs, head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, urged trucking leaders to continue working alongside regulators to strengthen safety standards and crack down on bad actors during May 20 remarks at the American Trucking Associations’ Mid-Year Management Session.
Addressing an audience of industry leaders, FMCSA Administrator Barrs emphasized that responsible carriers play a central role in improving safety outcomes and identifying those who undermine the system.
“We cannot accomplish what we need to do without strong partnerships like the one in this room,” he said.
Barrs framed safety as a shared mission, pointing to the real-world consequences of crashes and the need for continued vigilance across the industry.
“If you’ve ever come up on a crash scene, you know exactly why we do what we do,” he said.
Targeting Unsafe Operators
Barrs highlighted ongoing enforcement efforts aimed at removing unsafe drivers and carriers from the road, noting that more than 20,000 drivers have already been taken out of service.
“This isn’t about targeting,” he said. “This is about safety.”
RELATED: FMCSA Toughens Enforcement of Carrier Number Transfers
He said FMCSA is also intensifying efforts to combat fraud in driver training and licensing, including removing thousands of noncompliant training providers and examining weaknesses in the system.
“We are not interested in band-aids,” Barrs said. “We want long-term solutions to fundamental problems.”
Modernization and Fraud Prevention
Barrs outlined efforts to modernize FMCSA’s systems, including updates to the agency’s registration platform aimed at improving oversight and preventing bad actors from entering the market.
“We have to ask why we can’t move faster and be more efficient,” he said, adding that improved data integration will help regulators identify high-risk operators earlier.
Crackdown on ‘Chameleon Carriers’
Barrs also highlighted efforts to combat so-called “chameleon carriers,” companies that evade enforcement by reconstituting under new identities.
He said FMCSA is working with federal and state partners, including the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General, to investigate and prosecute fraud.
“We are going after them,” he said.
Shared Responsibility
Barrs stressed that strong enforcement is essential to protecting carriers that operate safely and play by the rules.
“Supporting the trucking industry is not about looking the other way,” he said. “It’s about enforcing the rules fairly and going after those who undercut safe, responsible carriers.”
He encouraged continued collaboration between regulators and industry stakeholders to identify risks and improve safety outcomes.
