What happens for truckers in a government shutdown?

If the government shuts down over a stalemate over appropriations negotiations, would truckers on the road even notice? The short answer is no.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was born out of the Federal Highway Administration, if you will, in 2000. The funding for FMCSA is provided by the Highway Trust Fund and is not subject to this particular standoff.

Law enforcement, including commercial vehicle safety enforcement, is funded at the state level with some federal funding. That money is already in place and it would take a lengthy shutdown of the government to start having any significant impact on the funding of law enforcement.

However, if the shutdown comes to pass and lingers into the Christmas holiday on Dec. 25, truckers might see less in the way of commercial vehicle inspections. However, that has everything to do with holiday work schedules and nothing to do with the shutdown.