What Highway Funding Running Out Could Mean for Trucking

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the federal law that has funded highway and bridge projects since 2021, is set to expire on September 30. As of now, Congress hasn't passed a replacement, and that has real implications for the roads trucking depends on every day, whether or not most drivers ever see it discussed outside of Washington.

Federal highway funding relies heavily on the gas tax, which has been stuck at 18 cents a gallon since 1993. That brings in roughly $44 billion a year, well short of the roughly $58 billion needed annually to keep funding at current levels. Without new legislation, the Congressional Budget Office projects a $166 billion shortfall over the five years following the law's expiration, a gap that has to be filled somehow if road quality is going to keep pace with how much freight moves over it

What Happens If Congress Doesn't Act

If the deadline passes without a new bill or an extension, formula funding for highways, bridges and transit drops back to pre-IIJA levels, and discretionary grant programs stop awarding new money. That doesn't mean roads fall apart overnight, but it does mean fewer projects get funded, existing maintenance gets deferred, and the gradual wear that trucks already put up with has less funding behind it to fix, year after year, until it eventually catches up.

Infrastructure funding gaps show up slowly, in rougher pavement, more potholes, and detours around bridges that would otherwise have been repaired on schedule. For carriers, that translates into higher maintenance costs, more tire and suspension wear, and longer routes when a bridge or road closes without a funded alternative. It's not a reason to panic, but it is a reason to plan equipment maintenance and routing with the assumption that road conditions may not improve as quickly as they have in past years, especially in states that rely most heavily on federal dollars.

What to Watch in the Coming Months

Congress could still pass a short-term extension or a full reauthorization before or after the deadline, and past funding cliffs have sometimes been resolved at the last minute. But with no bill introduced as of mid-2026, carriers shouldn't assume a smooth transition. Keeping an eye on how this plays out over the fall is worth the attention, even for a company with no direct stake in Washington's timeline.

At Domingues Transportation, we keep an eye on issues like this because they eventually show up on the road, whether or not they make the evening news. Staying ahead of it means our equipment and our routes are ready for whatever condition the road is actually in.