Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Federal Truck Safety Program Will Continue Despite Shutdown

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

by Truckinginfo Staff
September 30, 2013
Federal Truck Safety Program Will Continue Despite Shutdown

By Diliff via Wikimedia Commons

2 min to read


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

Other Transportation Department activities will be curtailed, however.

Ad Loading...

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.

Ad Loading...

“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. 

 

More Drivers

Illustration incorporating a gavel, the back of a driver training trailer, and art showing a blue female shape standing out in a row of male shapes.
Driversby StaffAugust 11, 2026

EEOC Sues KLLM Over Alleged Sex Discrimination in Driver Training

KLLM is facing a federal sex-discrimination lawsuit over policies the EEOC alleges put female truck driver trainees at a disadvantage.

Read More →
Safety & Complianceby Deborah LockridgeAugust 10, 2026

FMCSA Moves to Codify English Language Requirements for Commercial Drivers

By changing regulations on English-language proficiency requirements for commercial drivers, rather than relying on a guidance memo, the FMCSA said future administrations won't be able to walk back the Trump administration's stricter enforcement with just a memo.

Read More →
YouTube thumbnail showing two Western Star trucks with the text "Behind the Experience: Western Star Star Nation"
Equipmentby Lauren FletcherAugust 3, 2026

Drivers Put Western Star Trucks to the Test at Star Nation Experience

Watch to get an inside look at the Western Star trucks, technology, and community behind the Star Nation Experience 2026!

Read More →
Ad Loading...
American flag in background with photos of military truck and Freedom Haulers ad graphic
Driversby Deborah LockridgeJuly 30, 2026

Trump Administration Looks to Put More Veterans Behind the Wheel

The Freedom Haulers program pulls together existing and expanded programs at several federal agencies to recruit veterans to drive commercial heavy-duty trucks and cut the red tape for them to get a CDL, training, and employment.

Read More →
Equipmentby Jim ParkJuly 30, 2026

Putting Mack’s Command Steer to the Test

A test drive of Mack’s Command Steer active steering system evaluates how it can make truck driving easier and less tiring.

Read More →
Truck driver behind the wheel with illustration overlaid of someone handing out cash
Driversby Deborah LockridgeJuly 28, 2026

Competition Heating Up for Truck Drivers

New report reveals rising driver hiring costs, the return of sign-on bonuses, growing AI advantages, and the operational factors shaping driver retention.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Line of gray semi trucks with Fraley & Schilling logo
Safety & ComplianceJuly 15, 2026

How Fraley & Schilling Improved Logbook Compliance by Over 50%

Fraley & Schilling needed a way to close a compliance workflow gap in its ELD system without adding more work from driver training, reminders, and back-office follow-ups. It found the answer in a custom driver app.

Read More →
Volvo American Truck Simulator.
Driversby News/Media ReleaseJuly 8, 2026

Volvo Goes Gaming

Volvo has roared into American Truck Simulator with two new flagship trucks.

Read More →
Two black men in safety vests walking together laughing in a truck fleet yard
Driversby Deborah LockridgeJuly 6, 2026

What the Best Fleets to Drive For Teach About Driver Retention

Survey fatigue, AI-powered routing, owner-operator expectations, and the decline of social media all emerged as themes from this year's Best Fleets to Drive For program.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Podcast thumbnail showing Jane Jazrawy, the words "When Drivers Tune Out," and a line drawing of a truck.
DriversJuly 2, 2026

Driver Retention Lessons From the Best Fleets to Drive For

What separates trucking's best workplaces from the rest? Jane Jazrawy shares the biggest lessons from this year's Best Fleets to Drive For program on driver retention, communication, AI, and workforce trends on the HDT Talks Trucking podcast.

Read More →