Diesel

NASTC presses Congress for a pause on U.S. diesel exports

The small-carrier association warned House leaders of a 'real potential for a crisis' in diesel supply and wants a six-month export pause — plus oversight of the fuel-hauler HOS waiver it calls a safety risk.

By CDLWire · Published October 11, 2026

Summarized from Commercial Carrier Journal.

A diesel tanker truck at a fuel terminal with storage tanks at dawn

The National Association of Small Trucking Companies is pressing House leaders to weigh a temporary pause on U.S. diesel exports, warning of a "real potential for a crisis" in diesel supply, according to the Commercial Carrier Journal on Oct. 9.

In a letter sent to Congress on Sept. 24, NASTC and one of its members asked lawmakers to consider a six-month pause on U.S. diesel and distillate exports, with narrowly tailored exemptions for national security, binding treaty obligations, and genuine humanitarian needs, plus weekly public reporting and formal reviews at 90 and 180 days. NASTC called the member's proposal "thoughtful" and said it should be considered, framing it as an emergency measure while Middle Eastern supply routes face simultaneous pressure.

The letter leans on federal data: the Energy Information Administration's Sept. 9 outlook forecast U.S. distillate inventories would fall below 100 million barrels in September and stay below the five-year low through much of 2027. EIA's more recent Oct. 6 outlook added that East Coast distillate inventories fell 32% below their five-year seasonal average in September and should remain roughly 20% below the 2021-2025 average through the coming winter, recovering toward the five-year average in the second half of next year.

NASTC also asked for Congressional oversight of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's hours-of-service waiver for fuel haulers, granted in September and effective through Dec. 16. "Allowing a driver to drive 16 consecutive hours a day is not consistent with the philosophy behind the HOS rules," NASTC president David Owen said in the letter, adding that tanker drivers hauling hazardous diesel running 16 hours straight creates "a tremendous highway safety risk."

The letter also flags the Environmental Protection Agency's temporary Texas effort to mitigate a potential shortage, which drew a warning from Cummins to truck owners against running too-high-sulfur fuel in modern engines.