Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021:
Truck drivers hauling various petroleum products to Iowa, including gasoline, diesel, ethanol and biodiesel, can drive beyond the normal hours of service and weight regulations, as long as they are providing direct assistance to a fuel shortage being experienced in the state.
Iowa Gov. Kimberly Reynolds issued an emergency declaration on July 30, which suspends the hours and oversize/overweight regulations for fuel haulers. The declaration is effective through Aug. 28.
The suspension of the overweight regulations allows trucks hauling fuel products to carry up to 90,000 pounds without a permit.
The order cites high demand for petroleum products in the state coupled with fuel haulers experiencing long wait times at terminals and fuel outages at some terminals as reasons for the waiver.
[Related: Clarification of federal hours waivers when it comes to supply shortages]
The Arizona Department of Transportation is planning to close the westbound lanes of I-10 in Phoenix that will require drivers to use a 17-mile detour around the work zone.
