Barrs, a former chief of the Florida Highway Patrol with over three decades of public safety experience, steps into the nomination process amid a series of leadership changes at the agency. Camire, who was appointed acting administrator on March 7, was removed from the agency’s leadership page less than two weeks later. By March 21, the Department of Transportation had deleted a press release announcing her appointment and has not commented publicly on her departure. It remains unclear if she will return to her prior position as senior adviser.

Barrs brings a wealth of experience in transportation safety. In addition to his roles with the Florida Highway Patrol and Florida Department of Transportation, he has consulted on traffic and commercial vehicle safety projects across multiple states.

He joined the American Trucking Associations’ Law Enforcement Advisory Board in 2021 and has held positions with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, including serving as president of its Associate Members group. Barrs was also appointed to the Flagler County School Board in 2023 by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Industry groups have expressed strong support for Barrs’s nomination. In January, the American Trucking Associations (ATA), the Truckload Carriers Association, and the National Tank Truck Carriers jointly urged U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to consider Barrs for the role.