FMCSA waives hours-of-service limits for gasoline and diesel haulers through Dec. 16

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued a nationwide hours-of-service waiver for motor carriers and drivers transporting gasoline and diesel fuel. The waiver is in force now: it runs from 12:00 a.m. on September 16, 2026, through 11:59 p.m. on December 16, 2026. This is not a proposal or a comment period — it is active relief that eligible carriers can use today.

Under the waiver, a driver may not drive more than 16 hours in any 24-hour period. In each 24-hour period the driver must take at least 6 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth, or, if the truck has no sleeper berth, at least 8 consecutive hours off duty. FMCSA says the driver must carry a physical copy of the waiver, and a valid CDL is required.

Not every fuel hauler qualifies. Carriers under an active out-of-service order are excluded, as are drivers with a conditional safety rating. Trade coverage of the waiver also notes that a driver who asks for immediate rest must be given it — the extra hours are an allowance, not a mandate.

FMCSA's stated reason is global supply disruptions and an anticipated rise in gasoline and diesel demand through the late summer and fall, with the goal of limiting the effect on fuel cost and availability for transportation providers, agricultural harvesting, and the traveling public. The agency called the circumstances unique and the waiver essential to keeping fuel moving.