Government

What does the do?

Updates published annually

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is a subdivision of the Department of Transportation that regulates and oversees the safety of commercial motor vehicles. Its mission is to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses through enforcement, inspections, and industry outreach. The agency was established in 2000.

In FY 2024,

$859M

was spent by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
In FY 2024,

0.7%

of Dept. of Transportation spending was by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

How much does the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration spend?

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration spent a net total of $858.7 million in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 0.7% of the $117.4 billion spent by the Department of Transportation, which itself was 1.7% of all federal spending. The FMCSA ranked 7th among DOT subdivisions in net spending.
Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ranked 7th among Department of Transportation divisions in net spending in 2024.

DOT net spending by division, FY 2024

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s federal spending has increased from $282.8 million in 2000 to $858.7 million in 2024.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 2000.

Yearly federal net spending by FMCSA, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 2000–2024

Since 2000, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's spending has increased 203.6%, while overall spending has increased 106.5%.
As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. FMCSA spending grew more than overall federal spending since 2000, which means that its share of the federal budget increased. In 2024, FMCSA accounted for 0.013% of overall federal spending.

Our government is complex. Our data doesn’t have to be.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get data-backed answers to today’s most debated issues

Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 2000.

Net spending by FMCSA as a share of federal spending, FYs 2000–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2024, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration transferred 60.4% of its total spending to states and local governments.
The chart below outlines all net FMCSA spending.

How did the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to FMCSA, FY 2024

How many people work for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration?

Some 1,207 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as of September 2024. This is 12.2% more people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has increased 12.2% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for FMCSA, September 2010–2024

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration accounts for 0.052% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. The division constituted a larger share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 compared to 2010 (0.051%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's share of the workforce (0.052%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.013%).

Who leads the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration?

The FMCSA is led by an Administrator. This individual is nominated by the President of the United States and requires confirmation by the Senate. The Administrator reports to the Secretary of Transportation. There is no fixed term for this position.

Keep exploring

Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

  • Office of Personnel Management

    FedScope

  • Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury

    Budget of the US Government and Monthly Treasury Statement

    Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury logo