Texas declares disaster over diesel prices: dyed diesel OK'd on roads, weight limits raised

Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a statewide disaster proclamation on Monday allowing expanded use of dyed diesel on Texas roads, citing record diesel prices.

Dyed diesel is red-marked off-road fuel, sold without a motor-fuels tax, that state law ordinarily bars from public roadways. The proclamation suspends those state restrictions and associated penalties “so operators can use such fuel on Texas roads” — but it does not waive the underlying fuel tax.

The order also suspends state oversize and overweight permitting requirements for vehicles loaded with fuel, agricultural, or timber products, allowing those loads at up to 95,000 pounds gross weight. Abbott also asked EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin for a temporary Clean Air Act waiver of federal ultra-low sulfur diesel rules and of Texas Low Emission Diesel (TxLED) rules that apply in 110 Texas counties, saying the waiver would allow more fuel to reach Texas pumps.

Alabama took similar action last week, directing law enforcement to halt dyed-diesel enforcement for a 120-day period, according to CDLLife.

Why it matters

If you run Texas, this changes what you can legally put in your tanks and how heavy you can load fuel, crop, and timber hauls — but the fuel tax still applies, so this is about fuel availability, not a tax break. Watch whether more states follow Alabama and Texas; dyed-diesel enforcement is one of those rules drivers assume is absolute until a governor suspends it.