U.S. waives trucker hours rules for 90 days as diesel hits $6.29

  • Trump administration relaxes truck-driver hours rules for gasoline and diesel deliveries
  • The 90-day waiver raises permitted operation from 14 to 16 hours daily
  • FMCSA excludes carriers with conditional safety ratings from the waiver

The Trump administration is temporarily relaxing hours-of-service rules for truck drivers carrying gasoline and diesel, allowing them to operate for up to 16 hours within a 24-hour period instead of 14. The 90-day waiver took effect Wednesday, Sept. 16, provided drivers take required rest breaks. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the measure addresses potential short-term supply-chain disruptions that could delay fuel shipments and affect freight deliveries. The U.S. average diesel price reached a record $6.29 a gallon, up from $3.74 a year earlier, as the U.S.-Israel war on Iran and Ukraine's attacks on Russian refineries constrained supply, according to the Energy Information Administration. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA (U.S. commercial trucking regulator), said the waiver was intended to provide flexibility amid global supply disruptions and anticipated late-summer and fall fuel demand. The exemption excludes motor carriers with conditional safety ratings, while drivers requiring immediate rest must take 10 consecutive hours off duty before resuming work. Similar emergency orders have been used for wildfires, hurricanes, winter storms and the coronavirus response in March 2020.

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