US extends fuel truck driver shifts to avert supply delays amid record diesel prices

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a 90-day waiver on September 16, 2026, allowing eligible truck drivers hauling gasoline and diesel to operate up to 16 hours within a 24-hour period, up from 14 hours. The waiver took effect that day. FMCSA excluded carriers with conditional safety ratings and kept rest-break rules; drivers needing immediate rest must take 10 consecutive hours off duty. FMCSA said it acted "in anticipation of the need for greater hours-of-service flexibility" to "respond to global supply disruptions, anticipated increases in the demand for gasoline and diesel fuels in the late summer and fall." U.S. average diesel hit a record $6.29 a gallon, up from $3.74 a year ago, per the EIA. Officials said the step aims to avert fuel shipment delays as seasonal demand rises. Global supplies are tight from limited spare refining capacity, Russia's fuel-export ban, attacks on refineries, and approaching peak winter demand. Normal emergency declarations under 49 CFR 390.23 and 390.25 last at most 30 days unless FMCSA extends them; a March 2020 order waived limits for coronavirus-relief haulers. Current FMCSA service-center extensions run to October 11, 2026. No factual disputes appear in the available coverage. The effect on shipment delays and pump prices is not measured in the record.