Top trucking safety administrator Anne Ferro stepped down Aug. 25 from her post as chief of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) after five years in the position.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx commented on Ferro’s departure: “Under Anne’s leadership, FMCSA has ushered in a new culture of safety into the commercial bus and trucking industries. She has made it more difficult for companies that jeopardize the public’s well-being to stay in business and easier for consumers to make informed choices when choosing a shipper or buying a bus ticket.”
In Ferro’s farewell statement to the FMCSA staff, she recounts the causes the agency has supported during her tenure, including greater accountability for companies and drivers, stronger oversight of high-risk carriers, better tools for law enforcement and more data for industry and the public.
Ferro remarked that the FMCSA has emphasized the contributions of truck drivers to highway safety and the economy. She also noted the pressure drivers face because they are paid by-the-mile or load instead of their total time on-duty.
Ferro’s next role is president and CEO of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.
American Trucking Associations’ President and CEO Bill Graves responded to Ferro’s resignation, “In her time with FMCSA, Administrator Ferro was a passionate advocate for the agency. We wish her well in her new role at the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators and look forward to working with her on commercial driver licensing issues.”
Scott Darling, chief counsel of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, was appointed acting administrator after Ferro’s resignation.
Ferro’s replacement was announced in a farewell email to the FMCSA staff on her last day in the position.
Prior to his appointment to the FMCSA in 2012, Darling served as deputy chief of staff and chief counsel for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the public transit agency serving the greater Boston area, where he served as the deputy chief of staff and assistant general counsel, according to the official FMCSA biography. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in Government from Clark University, a master’s degree in Public Policy from Tufts University and a juris doctor’s degree from Suffolk University.
“I am confident that Acting Administrator Darling, Deputy Administrator Bronrott, our senior executive team and each and every one of you will continue to build on the progress of the past five years,” Ferro, former FMCSA Administrator, said. “I’m counting on you, because it’s never been about me. It’s always been about us – One FMCSA – working as a team on the highest of callings in public service – saving lives.”
President Obama has not said if he will nominate Darling to be the permanent FMCSA head, which would require Senate confirmation
