Temporary fuel-hauling relief is now in effect
FMCSA granted a temporary waiver from certain property-carrying hours-of-service limits for motor carriers and drivers transporting gasoline and diesel fuel in interstate commerce. The waiver took effect at 12:00 a.m. on September 16, 2026, and runs through 11:59 p.m. on December 16, 2026. The agency said the measure is intended to support fuel distribution during global supply disruptions and possible increases in transportation and agricultural demand.
The limit is 16 hours of driving in a 24-hour period
A driver operating under the waiver must not drive more than 16 hours in any 24-hour period, even when another exception, exemption, waiver or declaration also applies. The driver must take at least six consecutive hours in a compliant sleeper berth during each 24-hour period. If the vehicle has no sleeper berth, the required break is at least eight consecutive hours off duty. These waiver terms replace neither safe trip planning nor the duty to stop when fatigue makes continued driving unsafe.
Eligibility and documentation are narrow
The relief applies only to qualifying interstate transportation of gasoline and diesel fuel, including an empty return to the carrier terminal or the driver’s normal reporting location. Drivers must hold a valid CDL with every required endorsement, must not be disqualified or subject to an out-of-service order, and must carry a physical or digital copy of the waiver for inspection. Motor carriers with a conditional safety rating and carriers or drivers under an active out-of-service order are not eligible.
Fatigue, transition and crash-reporting rules remain
If a driver says immediate rest is needed, the carrier must allow the driver to reach a suitable safe resting place and take at least 10 consecutive hours off duty before driving again. A 10-hour break is also required when moving back to normal operations after waiver-covered work—or combined waiver and normal work—reaches or exceeds 14 hours. A carrier must report a qualifying crash involving a driver operating under the waiver to FMCSA within two business days. The waiver does not suspend other applicable CDL, drug and alcohol testing, hazmat, insurance, size, weight or safety requirements.
Driver and fleet takeaway
Before dispatch, confirm that the load and interstate movement qualify, verify the driver’s CDL and endorsements, place the current waiver in the cab or driver device and build the required rest into the trip plan. ELD notes and supporting documents should clearly identify waiver-covered moves and the transition back to ordinary operations. Dispatchers must not treat 16 hours as a target or pressure a fatigued driver to continue. Fleets should brief safety staff on the two-business-day crash notice, retain the records needed to show eligibility and return to normal HOS rules when the waiver expires or no longer applies.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration — Hours of Service Waiver for the Transportation of Gasoline and Diesel Fuel
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