Minnesota farmers hauling corn, soybeans and sugar beets out of the field this fall can load their trucks 10% heavier than usual under an emergency order signed by Gov. Tim Walz, a move aimed at easing the sting of diesel prices that have topped $6.25 a gallon statewide. The order also gives fuel haulers more flexibility on driving hours so diesel, gasoline and other fuel products keep moving during harvest season.
Walz signed Emergency Executive Order 26-11 on October 1, according to a copy of the order posted by the Minnesota governor's office. The order lets vehicles transporting what it calls covered harvest products exceed statutory weight limits by up to 10% per axle, axle group and gross weight. Those covered products include corn, soybeans, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, carrots and forest products, per the same document.
The relief isn't unlimited. It only applies to the trip from the harvest location to the point of first unloading, and only on state and local highways — trucks can't use the extra capacity on interstate highways or on state- or county-maintained forest roads, the order states. Northern News Now reports that the governor's office described the action as intended to help producers and haulers conserve fuel and reduce costs during harvest.
Fuel Haulers Get Breathing Room on Driving Hours
Beyond weight limits, the order also provides hours-of-service relief for motor carriers and drivers directly transporting diesel, fuel oil, gasoline, ethanol and biodiesel for emergency relief efforts, according to the order text. That flexibility is meant to keep fuel supplies flowing without forcing drivers to push past safe limits.
Key safety guardrails stay in place despite the relief. Drivers may still drive only 11 hours during a 14-hour period after 10 consecutive hours off duty, and carriers are barred from requiring or allowing a fatigued or ill driver to operate a commercial vehicle. Any driver who requests immediate rest must get at least 10 consecutive hours off duty before returning to the road, per the order.
Minnesota law backs up the governor's authority to act this way. Under state statute, the governor may declare an emergency and grant relief from certain trucking regulations to carriers and drivers operating in Minnesota, according to Minnesota Statutes Chapter 221.
Diesel Prices Squeeze Farmers Nationwide
The order lands amid a national diesel price spike that has hit farm country hard. Diesel prices surged above $6.50 per gallon nationally, according to Morning Ag Clips, citing AAA figures. The outlet also notes that roughly 90% of the fuel used on Minnesota farms goes toward planting, caring for and harvesting crops — meaning fuel costs hit nearly every part of a farm's operation during this stretch of the year.
National numbers tell a similar story. The average diesel price nationally hit $6.52 per gallon on September 22 before dipping slightly to $6.41 by September 30, according to Agweek. Farm Bureau figures cited by the outlet put national farm diesel prices at $5.45 per gallon on September 4, up sharply from $3.02 a gallon a year earlier. Agweek also reported a sharp year-over-year increase in national farm diesel prices.
Minnesota Joins a Wave of State Action
Minnesota isn't alone in loosening trucking rules this harvest season. Agweek reports that governors in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas had already taken similar steps before Walz signed his order.
South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden signed an executive order on September 28 allowing farmers to haul crops, livestock and other agricultural commodities at 10% above weight restrictions while suspending a $25 overweight trip permit, the same outlet reported. North Dakota temporarily expanded the use of dyed diesel fuel for licensed vehicles connected to agricultural operations through November 30, and Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte issued a similar hours-of-service waiver for in-state travel on September 25.
At the federal level, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration expanded an existing hours-of-service waiver to include ethanol products and heating oil alongside gasoline and diesel, according to Transport Topics. That federal waiver lets eligible interstate fuel haulers drive up to 16 hours in a 24-hour period and is set to expire December 16.
The Minnesota governor's office said the state continues to evaluate and pursue additional options to support the state's farmers, loggers, truckers and fuel haulers, according to a press release posted on mn.gov. Executive Order 26-11 was set to remain in effect until rescinded or October 30, 2026, whichever came first; Northern News Now reported October 30 that Executive Order 26-12 extended the relief until rescinded or November 29, 2026.
