By John Gallagher of FreightWavesAfter the federal government shut down at midnight Tuesday, freight supply chains, in the short term, should be largely unaffected. This year, however, the Trump administration has threatened to use a shutdown as justification for additional federal workforce reductions, but it’s unclear how government employees will be affected, including those working at agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation. Cargo inspection of imports through land borders and seaports would also continue, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Roughly 93% of the agency’s 68,000-person workforce are expected to be retained and continue to work during a funding lapse, the Department of Homeland Security’s latest contingency plan notes. Depending on how long the shutdown lasts, STB’s schedule for reviewing Union Pacific’s $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern could be affected.