WASHINGTON — Truck drivers hauling gasoline and diesel fuel in the United States can temporarily drive longer days under a federal hours-of-service waiver that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) amended on October 15, 2026, according to TruckDriverNews' summary of the federal notice. The waiver permits eligible drivers to drive up to 16 hours within a 24-hour period, and it remains valid through December 16, 2026.

The relief is not a blanket exemption. Drivers must still take a six-hour break in the sleeper berth at least once during a 24-hour period, or an eight-hour break if they are in a day cab, CDLLife reported when the waiver first took effect on September 16. It applies to drivers and carriers in good standing and excludes anyone with a conditional safety rating or an active out-of-service order, the Department of Transportation said. A driver who needs immediate rest must be allowed 10 consecutive hours off duty before resuming work, and carriers must carry a copy of the waiver in the cab, document its use in driver logs and meet reporting obligations, according to CarrierAtlas' compliance summary.

FMCSA said it acted in anticipation of the need for greater hours-of-service flexibility, citing global supply disruptions and anticipated increases in demand for gasoline and diesel fuels in the late summer and fall, and to support fuel deliveries for transportation, freight movement and agricultural harvesting. The agency determined that the waiver, with its conditions and restrictions, is likely to maintain a level of safety equivalent to existing rules, Law.com's summary of the federal action reported. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said when the waiver was announced: 'Our great American truckers will continue to haul the products that power America and keep our economy moving.'

Safety advocates quoted in industry coverage have cautioned that longer driving days raise the longstanding concern of driver fatigue — the waiver itself stresses that the extra hours are available only when a driver is not fatigued, and employers must grant rest immediately if a driver requests it.

Why it matters for our readers: a large share of Punjabi truckers in the US haul fuel or run lanes that depend on fuel deliveries, and diesel remains above $6 a gallon nationally. If you are dispatched on a gasoline or diesel load, the practical checklist is: carry the printed waiver in the cab, log the waiver use, take the six-hour sleeper or eight-hour day-cab break inside every 24 hours, and do not drive fatigued — the exemption does not protect a tired driver or a carrier with a conditional rating. Standard hours-of-service rules resume after December 16.

Sources: TruckDriverNews, 'FMCSA Amends Fuel Hauling HOS Waiver Through December 16,' October 2026 (amendment issued October 15, 2026); CDLLife, 'HOS waived for trucks hauling fuel amidst skyrocketing diesel prices,' September 17, 2026; CarrierAtlas, 'FMCSA Grants Nationwide Fuel-Hauler HOS Waiver Through December 16,' September 19, 2026; Law.com (Fried Goldberg LLC summary), 'FMCSA Temporarily Extends Driving Hours For Gasoline And Diesel Fuel Haulers'; Carrier Management/Reuters on the September 16 waiver announcement by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.