Nebraska gives fuel haulers hours and weight relief through Nov. 18 as harvest demand strains supply

Nebraska is giving fuel haulers regulatory relief on hours and weight through Nov. 18, after customers and retailers across the state reported shortages of a variety of fuel types, according to Overdrive on Oct. 20.

Gov. Jim Pillen issued the new executive order on Monday, Oct. 19, to help the state meet fuel supply demands. Pillen noted that haulers have found themselves having to travel further distances to secure supplies and make deliveries. "A combination of factors, including global supply disruptions and the incredibly short and busy harvest season, has boosted demand across the board," Pillen said. "This order will help ensure that Nebraska farmers, businesses and families have access to the fuel they need."

The state order builds on the federal waiver the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued on Sept. 16, which relaxed hours-of-service requirements for interstate fuel haulers. Nebraska's waiver applies to truck drivers hauling gasoline, ethanol blends of gasoline, and diesel fuel. The governor's order takes similar hours action but also allows vehicles to exceed weight limits by up to 10%, as long as no single axle exceeds the maximum axle weight limit of 20,000 pounds.

Two limits matter for drivers planning around the relief. The proclamation applies to loads transported on all highways within Nebraska, excluding the interstate system — the weight and hours relief does not follow the truck onto Interstate 80. And drivers operating under the order are required to carry a copy of the proclamation with them, as evidence of their direct support to the state during the emergency period.

The order is effective through Nov. 18. Nebraska's step ties the state's own shortage reports — longer hauls to find product in the middle of harvest — directly to diesel and gasoline supply.