SAN DIEGO — Jim Mullen, former acting administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, has joined autonomous truck developer TuSimple, the company announced Sept. 30. Effective immediately, Mullen will serve as TuSimple’s chief legal and risk officer. In his new role, Mullen will oversee legal affairs and risk-management strategy, and help develop TuSimple’s approach to safety.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jim to the TuSimple team. His experience leading the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will prove to be invaluable to our company as we work to introduce L4 autonomous trucks to the market by 2024,” said Cheng Lu, president of TuSimple. “Additionally, Jim brings over 15 years of legal experience in the trucking industry, and that wealth of knowledge will support public and private partnerships as TuSimple continues to scale autonomous operations.”
While serving as acting administrator for FMCSA, Mullen was responsible for regulating more than 530,000 trucking companies, 12,000 bus and motorcoach operators, and approximately 4 million interstate commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders. Notable accomplishments during his FMCSA tenure include Hours of Service reform, autonomous commercial vehicle rulemaking, contributions to the DOT’s AV 3.0 and 4.0., and leading the agency during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before joining the U.S. DOT, Mullen ran a consulting firm specializing in transportation and cross-border trade. He also served as the executive vice president and general counsel for Werner Enterprises. In addition, Mullen has served as a member of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) executive committee and board of directors.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
