FMCSA Temporarly allows fuel haulers to drive up to 16 hours

The Trump administration has issued a 90-day hours-of-service waiver for interstate truck drivers hauling gasoline and diesel fuel.

Effective September 16 through December 16, 2026, eligible fuel haulers may drive up to 16 hours within a 24-hour period. Drivers must receive at least six consecutive hours in the sleeper berth—or eight consecutive hours off duty when the truck has no sleeper.

The waiver:

• Applies only to drivers transporting gasoline or diesel, including an empty return trip.
• Does not apply to regular freight, flatbed or general trucking operations.
• Requires drivers to carry a physical or digital copy of the waiver.
• Excludes drivers under an out-of-service order and carriers with conditional safety ratings.
• Requires carriers to give a fatigued driver at least 10 consecutive hours off when requested.
• Requires qualifying crashes to be reported to FMCSA within two business days.

DOT says the temporary change is intended to prevent fuel-delivery disruptions and ease pressure on prices. However, allowing as much as 16 hours of actual driving—compared with the normal 11-hour limit—will likely raise serious fatigue and highway-safety concerns.

This is a temporary fuel-hauling waiver, not a nationwide change to HOS rules for every truck driver.