Trump picks Raymond Martinez to lead FMCSA

If appointed, Martinez would succeed Deputy Administrator Daphne Jefferson, who has been filling in as acting administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) following the Jan. 19 departure of previous Administrator Scott Darling.    President Donald Trump plans to nominate Raymond Martinez of New Jersey to lead the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the White House said in a statement Tuesday.
   The FMCSA employs more than 1,000 people in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and its primary mission is to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities involving large trucks and busses, according to the agency.
   Martinez’s appointment as FMCSA Administrator still has to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Scott Darling was the previous FMCSA administrator, with his last day on Jan. 19. Daphne Jefferson, the agency’s deputy administrator, has since been filling in as acting administrator.
   Currently, Martinez is the chairman and chief administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. He is also a current member of the New Jersey State Planning Commission.
   Martinez previously served as the New York State Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, chairman of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, and deputy chief of staff and special counsel to the New York State Attorney General, the White House said.
   In addition, he has served on the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators’ board of directors twice.
   Earlier in his career, he served as deputy United States chief of protocol at the Department of State, deputy director of scheduling and advance for the First Lady, as well as a special assistant at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
   The American Trucking Associations (ATA) expressed support for Martinez’s nomination to lead the FMCSA. “Mr. Martinez is well-known to our industry from his work in New Jersey and New York, and exudes the kind of professionalism, integrity and focus on safety that FMCSA needs,” ATA President and CEO Chris Spear said. “On behalf of ATA, I congratulate him on his nomination, and urge the Senate to quickly confirm him so we can begin working together on important highway safety issues.”