Minnesota Trucking Relief: Minnesota Gives Truckers Temporary HOS and Weight Relief

Minnesota has temporarily relaxed certain trucking regulations as high fuel costs put additional pressure on agriculture, forestry and fuel transportation. Gov. Tim Walz issued Emergency Executive Order 26-11 on October 1. The order provides temporary weight-limit relief for trucks hauling certain agricultural and forest products. It also provides separate hours-of-service relief for drivers transporting fuel. The Minnesota trucking relief took effect immediately and is designed to help carriers move essential products more efficiently during the fall harvest and a period of elevated fuel costs.

Minnesota Trucking Relief Allows 10% More Weight

Under the executive order, qualifying vehicles can exceed normal weight limits by up to 10% while transporting specified agricultural and forest products.

The weight provision covers trucks transporting:

• Corn
• Soybeans
• Wheat
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Sugar beets
• Forest products

The relief applies when those products are transported from a harvest site to the first point of unloading.

However, the temporary increase does not apply on interstate highways. It applies to state and local highways in Minnesota.

MnDOT’s guidance confirms that the order covers qualifying agricultural and forest-product transportation on state and local roads while excluding interstate highways.

The state said allowing more freight to move per trip could reduce the number of trips required during harvest season and lower fuel consumption.

Fuel Haulers Receive Temporary HOS Relief

A separate part of the Minnesota trucking relief applies to motor carriers and drivers transporting fuel.

The executive order temporarily relaxes hours-of-service requirements for drivers transporting several fuel products, including:

• Diesel
• Fuel oil
• Gasoline
• Ethanol
• Biodiesel

The HOS provision is intended to support fuel transportation during the state’s emergency relief effort.

The order does not eliminate other major commercial vehicle safety requirements.

Drivers operating under the relief must continue complying with requirements involving driver qualifications, CDLs, drug and alcohol testing, and equipment necessary for safe vehicle operation.

Minnesota law also places conditions on emergency HOS relief. When direct emergency assistance ends, drivers generally become subject to normal safety regulations again. The law also contains rest provisions for drivers returning to normal operations after providing emergency assistance.

High Diesel Costs Prompt Minnesota Action

The state tied the emergency action to rapidly rising fuel costs and their effect on agriculture, forestry and freight transportation.

The governor’s office said national diesel prices had climbed above $6.50 per gallon when the order was announced. It also noted the heavy fuel demands associated with Minnesota’s fall harvest.

The Walz administration attributed the recent fuel-price increases in part to the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict and related market disruptions. The administration also criticized federal trade policies in announcing the order. Those statements reflect the governor’s explanation for the emergency action.

For truck drivers and carriers, the practical effect of the order is more limited and specific: certain harvest loads can temporarily move at higher weights on eligible roads, while fuel haulers receive temporary HOS flexibility.

Other States Have Taken Similar Steps

Minnesota is not the only state temporarily changing trucking rules amid high fuel costs.

According to the governor’s office, governors in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas have taken similar actions.

The specific rules and exemptions can vary by state, meaning carriers operating across state lines still need to determine which regulations apply in each jurisdiction.

Minnesota’s order also does not change federal interstate weight restrictions. Trucks using the temporary 10% weight allowance must remain off interstate highways while operating above normal legal weight limits under this particular relief.

Minnesota Trucking Relief Is Temporary

Emergency Executive Order 26-11 was signed and filed on October 1, according to Minnesota’s Legislative Reference Library.

The governor’s announcement states that the order remains effective until it is rescinded or October 30, 2026, whichever comes first.

Carriers should also pay attention to MnDOT guidance during the emergency period. Minnesota already maintains separate oversize and overweight permit programs, including harvest-season permits, so the temporary executive order should not be confused with the state’s normal permitting rules.

For drivers, the biggest distinction is the type of freight being hauled. The temporary 10% weight increase is aimed at specified agricultural and forest products traveling from harvest sites to their first unloading point. The HOS relief, meanwhile, is aimed at drivers transporting qualifying fuel products.

Both provisions are temporary measures intended to keep freight moving while Minnesota deals with elevated fuel costs during the fall harvest.