The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has a turnover problem—enough to make carriers blush. But where carriers suffer high driver turnover, FMCSA has high administrator turnover.
With President-elect Donald Trump poised to take over federal agencies at the beginning of 2025, another transfer of FMCSA leadership is likely. Here is a background on FMCSA’s last seven administrators, how long their tenures lasted, and where they are today.
See also: Driver retention begins during recruitment
FMCSA’s administrator turnover history
The agency enjoyed stable leadership in its infancy. From 2001 to 2017, FMCSA went through five administrators over 16 years.
Transportation Secretary: a more stable role
The U.S. Secretary of Transportation heads the Department of Transportation. The role saw much more stable leadership, with only one sudden departure since 2017.
With every new president in the White House, the role of transportation secretary changed. An acting secretary filled the role for the first few weeks of the president’s term until the president's pick is confirmed by the Senate.
Michael Huerta served as Trump’s first acting secretary from Jan. 20 to 31, 2017. Elaine Chao served as official secretary from January 2017 until January 2021, when she resigned early after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Steven Bradburty temporarily served as acting secretary for the final days of Trump’s presidency.
For the first two weeks of Biden’s presidency, Lana Hurdel was acting secretary of transportation. Biden chose Pete Buttigieg to be his official Transportation Secretary. Buttigieg held the role since 2021 but will be replaced once Biden leaves the White House in January 2025.
The next DOT leader is a mystery. According to Politico, some top contenders include Representatives Sam Graves and Garret Graves.
After 2017, however, leadership departures became frequent. The administration burned through eight administrators in just seven years. Only two of those eight administrators since 2017 were Senate-confirmed. 2024 had the worst turnover yet; the year saw three different administrators to date.
Raymond Martinez: 25 months
The Trump Administration picked Raymond P. Martinez to lead the FMCSA in September 2017, filling a monthslong vacancy left by Scott Darling when Donald Trump became president. In March 2018, Martinez was officially sworn in as a Senate-confirmed administrator.
In October 2019, Martinez stepped down from the leadership position, citing a wish to be closer to his family. His term lasted roughly 25 months.
Today, Martinez continues to work for the DOT as a senior advisor at the Volpe National Transportation Research Center.
Jim Mullen: 10 months
Jim Mullen took over as administrator immediately after Martinez’s departure in October 2019. Mullen stepped down in August 2020, replaced by James “Wiley” Deck. His term lasted about 10 months.
Today, Mullen operates his own consulting service, acts as executive director of the Clean Freight Coalition, and is chief strategy officer for the National Motor Freight Traffic Association.
Wiley Deck: 5 months
Deck took Mullen’s place in August 2020 and stuck with the agency until the end of Trump’s presidency. Once Biden took office, the Biden administration picked a new leader to take Deck’s place. Deck’s term lasted about five months.
Today, Deck is the VP of government affairs and public policy for Plus, an autonomous driving software company.
Meera Joshi: 12 months
In January 2021, Meera Joshi took over as the new FMCSA administrator and as Biden’s first FMCSA appointee.
Biden quickly nominated Joshi for Senate approval. However, Joshi soon accepted a position as New York City deputy mayor and left FMCSA in January 2022. Her term lasted about 12 months.
Today, Joshi remains New York City’s deputy mayor for operations.
Robin Hutcheson: 20 months
Robin Hutcheson took Joshi’s place as acting administrator that same month. Biden nominated Hutcheson for Senate approval in April 2022. Five months later, Hutcheson became the first Senate-confirmed FMCSA head since Martinez’s departure in 2019.
In January 2024, a year and a half after the confirmation, she departed the agency. Her term lasted 20 months.
Today, Hutcheson operates her own consulting service, Hutcheson Advisory.
Sue Lawless: 6 months, Vinn White: incumbent
Sue Lawless took over as interim agency head to replace Hutcheson in January, moving from her previous position as FMCSA’s executive director and chief safety officer.
In June, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that Lawless would be replaced by Vinn White. Lawless’s term lasted six months.
Today, Lawless again acts as FMCSA’s executive director and chief safety officer, while White remains FMCSA’s current acting administrator.
Who will be the next administrator?
Once Trump returns to the White House in 2025, the Department of Transportation and FMCSA will likely have new leaders.
Who will fill that role—and how long they will last—is still a mystery today.
About the Author
Jeremy Wolfe
Editor
Editor Jeremy Wolfe joined the FleetOwner team in February 2024. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with majors in English and Philosophy. He previously served as Editor for Endeavor Business Media's Water Group publications.