Nebraska gives fuel haulers temporary rule relief through Nov. 18

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen issued an order giving covered fuel haulers temporary hours-of-service relief and permission to exceed weight limits by up to 10%. Executive Order 26-25 took effect Oct. 19 and is scheduled to remain in force through Nov. 18, 2026.

The measure is intended to give fuel carriers more flexibility as shortages have been reported at some locations. It changes operating rules for haulers; it does not guarantee that a particular station will receive fuel or that prices will fall.

How the state order differs from the federal waiver i

Nebraska describes its hours-of-service action as similar to a federal waiver for interstate fuel-truck drivers. The federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration waiver took effect Sept. 16 and runs through Dec. 16. It covers specified hours-of-service requirements for carriers transporting covered fuels in interstate commerce, while retaining conditions that include driving-hour limits and rest requirements.

The state order adds a separate form of flexibility: covered vehicles may exceed weight limits by up to 10%. Its Nov. 18 end date is earlier than the federal waiver’s Dec. 16 expiration. The comparison matters because the state and federal actions are not identical in scope or duration, and the state’s announcement describes its hours-of-service provisions as similar—not as an extension of the federal waiver.

Shortages reported at some stations and terminals i

Pillen’s office said customers and retailers across Nebraska had reported shortages of several fuel types and that haulers were traveling farther to obtain supplies and make deliveries. The administration cited global supply disruptions and the busy harvest season as contributing factors. Those are the governor’s stated explanations; the reports do not establish a single cause or a uniform shortage across the state.

Nebraska Public Media reported on Oct. 20 that some Omaha-area gas stations were low on fuel or out. KSNB reported fuel-truck drivers’ accounts of shortages or allocation at terminals and longer trips. One driver said extra hours could help with longer hauls. Another said added driving time would not move terminal lines faster and raised concerns about fatigue.

For customers, the practical question is whether the rule change means fuel will be available at a local pump. The order gives carriers more room to operate, but it does not establish that supply has increased, that waits at terminals have shortened, or that prices have changed.

A separate set of agricultural orders i

The fuel-hauling order is distinct from two agricultural orders Pillen announced Sept. 24. Those measures address dyed diesel and a tax refund, and increased weight limits for seasonal crop and livestock transport; the governor’s office said they remain effective through Dec. 23. They concern separate rules and have a different expiration date from the fuel-carrier order.

Executive Order 26-25 is scheduled to end Nov. 18. The order’s immediate effect is additional operating flexibility for covered fuel haulers during the period it is in force; whether that flexibility changes fuel availability or prices is not established.