Cathy Gautreaux, trucking veteran and deputy administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Administration, is one of nine Department of Transportation officials who are either switching to a new sub-agency position or leaving DOT altogether, according to a Jan. 10 Politico.com report.

Gautreauxtook over as FMCSA’s number-two official in November 2017. The deputy administrator slot is traditionally filled by a political appointee. Prior to joining FMCSA, she had served as executive director of the Louisiana Motor Transport Association for 29 years.

An FMCSA official confimed for HDT that Gautreaux is moving on to take a leadership position with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Per the Politico.com report, she will be replaced as FMCSA deputy administrator by Alan Hanson, who is currently deputy chief of staff to Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao.

Hanson’s LinkedIn profile indicates he has extensive experience inside the Beltway.

He served immediately prior to DOT as acting assistant attorney general at the Justice Department. Before that, he spent some 14 years as a congressional staffer, topping off as chief of staff and general counsel for Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) before joining the Trump administration.

However, based on that LinkedIn profile, Hanson does not appear to have trucking experience.

Politico.com also reported that a DOT spokesperson said the various changes "reflect deliberate and thoughtful succession planning by department leadership after two years in office and in preparation for future work ahead."