Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Chairwomen Anne Ferro announced today that she will resign her position effective Aug. 25 and will take the lead at the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators as president and CEO.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced Ferro’s resignation today and expressed his appreciation for Ferro’s leadership of the FMCSA.
“Anne has been a true leader in safety throughout her time at DOT and has become a trusted advisor and friend to me during my time as secretary,” Foxx said in a prepared statement. “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.”
During Ferro’s tenure, the FMCSA adopted the new Hours of Service rule that took effect in 2013 and mandate truckers who reach a maximum of 70 hours of driving in a week to shut down for 34 consecutive hours, including two consecutive periods of 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. The rule was largely opposed by the trucking industry.
In fact, just weeks ago, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) called for Ferro’s resignation, stating Ferro had a genuine bias against truckers and the trucking industry as a whole. The call for her resignation stemmed from a blog in which OOIDA said Ferro showed she had no interest in the future of the trucking industry. OOIDA represents the interests of professional truck drivers and small trucking companies.
Ferro was appointed to lead the FMCSA in 2009 by President Barack Obama. She became the longest serving administrator of FMCSA and only the fourth to lead the agency since its formation in 1999.
In her letter of resignation, Ferro said it had been a privilege to work with colleagues to advance FMCSA’s life saving mission.
“While the opportunity to assume this position at AAMVA is another personal dream come true, no job can match the immense honor I have had serving President Obama and Secretaries Foxx and LaHood with you — the dedicated individual who persevere every day to make safe transportation a reality for all of us,” Ferro said.
Prior to her position with FMCSA, Ferro was president at CEO of the Maryland Motor Truck Association and Maryland’s Motor Vehicle Administrator before that. She has earned degrees at St. John’s College in Maryland and from the University of Maryland.
“On behalf of the entire Department and Administration, I want to thank Anne for her extraordinary tenure and service and wish her and her family well as she embarks on the next chapter of her career,” Foxx said.
