UPDATED, 12:00 a.m.--Federal truck safety programs will continue to operate despite a partial government shutdown that took effect at midnight.

Other Transportation Department activities will be curtailed, however.
UPDATED—12:00 a.m., Federal truck safety programs will continue to operate despite a partial government shutdown that took effect at midnight.

By Diliff via Wikimedia Commons
UPDATED, 12:00 a.m.--Federal truck safety programs will continue to operate despite a partial government shutdown that took effect at midnight.

Other Transportation Department activities will be curtailed, however.
Congress had until the end of Monday to agree on a plan to continue funding government operations.
The Senate on Monday afternoon rejected a House plan that would continue funding for three months but also would delay Obamacare for a year and repeal the tax on medical devices that provides some of the funds for the health care law. Late Monday night the House and Senate were in a game of what many on Capitol Hill and cable news were calling “political ping-pong” as there was an attempt to reach a last-minute solution. When the clock struck midnight, nothing had been agreed to, at least formally.
The shutdown will have no immediate impact on Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration activities. Because the agency’s money comes from multi-year appropriations through the Highway Trust Fund, rather than general revenues, it would not have to lay off any staff.
“FMCSA has sufficient balances of liquidating cash to operate for a limited period during a lapse of annual appropriations,” DOT said in an analysis of the pending shutdown.
The same applies to the Federal Highway Administration.
But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which regulates truck equipment, would have to furlough employees, as would the Office of the Secretary, the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, the Inspector General and the Surface Transportation Board.
You can see many of the parts of the federal government that are open, closed or somewhere in between, from CNN.

For an industry that has watched this issue go back and forth for years, the independent contractor proposal marks the latest swing in the regulatory pendulum.
Read More →
One electronic logging device has been reinstated to the FMCSA's list of registered ELDs.
Read More →
America’s Service Line adopted Link’s SmartValve and ROI Cabmate systems to address whole-body vibration, repetitive strain, and driver turnover. The trucking fleet is already seeing measurable results.
Read More →
The 18th annual contest recognizing the best workplaces for truck drivers sees changes to Top 20, Hall of Fame
Read More →
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued more than 550 notices of proposed removal to commercial driver training providers following a five-day nationwide enforcement sweep. Investigators cited unqualified instructors, improper training vehicles, and failure to meet federal and state requirements.
Read More →
Illinois is the latest state targeted and threatened with the loss of highway funding by the U.S. Department of Transportation in its review of states' non-domiciled CDL issuance procedures. The state is pushing back.
Read More →
After a legal pause last fall, FMCSA has finalized its rule limiting non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses. The agency says the change closes a safety gap, and its revised economic analysis suggests workforce effects will be more gradual than first thought.
Read More →
Truck driver ratings reveal the best chain and independent truck stops in the country.
Read More →6 intelligent dashcam tactics to improve safety and boost ROI
Read More →Listen as transportation attorney and TruckSafe Consulting President Brandon Wiseman joins the HDT Talks Trucking podcast to unpack the “regulatory turbulence” of last year and what it means for trucking fleets in 2026.
Read More →