Autonomous trucking company Plus has hired former Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Deputy Administrator Earl Adams to lead the company’s public affairs and safety advocacy efforts and to advise the company on regulatory developments.
“After nearly a decade on our autonomous journey, we are on the brink of commercializing autonomous trucks,” said Plus CEO and co-founder David Liu in a news release. “Earl’s unmatched experience in transportation policy and his ability to connect diverse stakeholder groups will be instrumental to the next phase of our growth.”
Adams assumes the role held previously by Wiley Deck, another former FMCSA deputy administrator, who left the company.
“I am excited to join Plus and work closely with partners, regulators, and other stakeholders to ensure a smooth path to safely launch autonomous trucks and make our roads safer for everyone,” Adams commented.
“Plus has built a winning position as the autonomy partner of choice to global commercial vehicles makers like Traton Group, Hyundai and Iveco. I am excited to join Plus and work closely with partners, regulators, and other stakeholders to ensure a smooth path to safely launch autonomous trucks and make our roads safer for everyone.”
While deputy administrator at FMCSA under former administrator Robin Hutcheson, Adams led the team in drafting safety rules for autonomous commercial vehicles and served as its liaison to the office of the transportation secretary’s autonomous working group. He also served as the FMCSA’s chief counsel.
Prior to joining Plus, Adams was a partner at the law firm Hogan Lovells, where he led the firm’s autonomous vehicle working group.
The Biden administration “was focused on leveraging technology to get safer outcomes” in developing autonomous vehicle regulations, he told FreightWaves in an interview last year.
“We were willing to establish guardrails – that is, an actual rule – as opposed to letting the industry dictate what would happen, and I spent the better part of my two and a half years in the administration trying to develop those guardrails.”
Related articles:
Brokerage Compliance Symposium
The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.
F3 Awards Dinner
The night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.
F3: Future of Freight Festival
Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.
The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register NowThe night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register NowIndustry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now