Senate confirms Robin Hutcheson as FMCSA administrator

It’s official. After working in an interim role for about nine months, Robin Hutcheson has been confirmed as the administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

The Senate confirmed Hutcheson through a voice vote on Thursday, Sept. 22.

Hutcheson will serve as the agency first permanent administrator since Ray Martinez stepped down in October 2019. Since then, the agency has been directed by Jim Mullen, Wiley Deck, Meera Joshi and Hutcheson – all in an acting administrator capacity.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association said it is hopeful Hutcheson will make it a priority to end many of trucking’s chronic problems.

“OOIDA has quickly developed a valued relationship with Ms. Hutcheson since her appointment as acting administrator in January,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said. “Under her leadership, we are hopeful these discussions will result in solutions to longstanding problems within the industry such as parking, predatory leasing agreements, excessive detention time, and inadequate compensation among others. If the agency prioritizes issues like these in a cooperative manner with professional drivers, the trucking profession will become more appealing to all.”

Before accepting her role at FMCSA, Hutcheson served as the U.S. Department of Transportation’s deputy assistant secretary for safety policy starting in January 2021. She also has been the director of public works for the city of Minneapolis and the transportation director for Salt Lake City. In addition, she was on the board of directors for the National Association of City Transportation Officials for seven years.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., lauded Hutcheson’s experience before the Senate vote on Thursday.

“During a time when our supply chains are being tested to their limits, I believe that her public and private experience, as well as her experience at both the local and federal level, will bring a unique perspective to the role and improve the safety of our transportation networks.” LL