U.S. Allows Some Truckers to Drive Up to 16 Hours as Diesel Prices Surge

The U.S. government has temporarily relaxed federal driving-hour rules for some truck drivers as the country deals with high fuel prices and supply concerns.

Under a waiver issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), drivers transporting gasoline and diesel fuel in interstate commerce can drive for up to 16 hours during any 24-hour period. The change does not apply to truck drivers hauling other types of freight.

The waiver took effect on September 16, 2026, and is scheduled to remain in place through December 16, giving the trucking industry 90 days under the temporary rules.

The move comes as diesel prices have become a major concern for American truckers. When the measure was announced, diesel was averaging about $6.29 per gallon, compared with $3.74 a gallon a year earlier, according to figures cited by Reuters.

The 16-hour limit does not mean drivers can remain on the road continuously without rest. Drivers using the waiver must receive at least six consecutive hours in a sleeper berth, or at least eight consecutive hours off duty when the truck does not have one.

There is also a fatigue protection. If a driver tells the carrier that they are too tired to continue, the company must allow the driver to reach a safe location and take at least 10 consecutive hours off duty before driving again.

The difference from the regular federal rule is significant. Normally, a property-carrying commercial driver may drive for a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty and generally cannot drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty.

Federal officials say the temporary change is intended to give fuel carriers more flexibility to move gasoline and diesel during a period of supply disruptions and unusually high prices.

For American truckers, however, the waiver is narrowly targeted. It applies to qualifying gasoline and diesel transportation, not to the trucking industry as a whole, and carriers and drivers must continue meeting the other safety requirements established by the FMCSA.