FMCSA Grants Temporary Hours-of-Service Relief for Fertilizer Transportation
On May 26, 2026, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a temporary waiver providing hours-of-service (HOS) relief for drivers transporting fertilizer products for agricultural purposes. The waiver was issued in coordination with USDA in response to fertilizer supply shortages during the spring and summer application season.
The waiver is effective immediately and remains in effect through August 26, 2026.
What Relief Does the Waiver Provide?
For covered fertilizer shipments, FMCSA is temporarily waiving:
- Federal hours-of-service limits under 49 CFR 395.3; and
- The electronic logging device (ELD) requirement under 49 CFR 395.8(a)(1)(i).
The waiver applies to the transportation of straight or blended fertilizer products intended for commercial agricultural use.
Important Operating Conditions Remain in Place
This is not an unlimited exemption from safety requirements. Drivers and carriers operating under the waiver must comply with several conditions, including:
- A maximum of 16 hours of driving within any 24-hour period;
- At least 6 consecutive hours in a sleeper berth (or 8 consecutive hours off duty if no sleeper berth is available) during each 24-hour period;
- A requirement that drivers be allowed to stop and obtain rest whenever they indicate a need for rest;
- A mandatory 10 consecutive hours off duty before returning to normal operations after reaching the waiver's operational limits;
- Maintenance of paper records of duty status when ELD use is not required;
- Compliance with all CDL, vehicle safety, insurance, and drug and alcohol testing requirements.
Products Not Covered
The waiver does not apply to placarded hazardous materials. For fertilizer operations, this means products such as anhydrous ammonia and other placarded fertilizer shipments are excluded from the waiver.
Illinois Considerations
Illinois already provides a seasonal agricultural hours-of-service exemption for qualifying agricultural commodities and farm supplies. Information regarding Illinois' existing HOS provisions can be found here:
Hours-of-Service Regulations:
At this time, IFCA is seeking clarification regarding how the federal waiver may interact with Illinois' existing agricultural exemption (below), particularly for operations extending beyond the state's traditional 150-air-mile provisions. Additional guidance will be provided as it becomes available.
States Covered
Illinois is one of 35 states included in the federal waiver.
Additional Information
The full FMCSA waiver can be viewed here: