Reynolds pauses driver regulations to improve fuel transportation in Iowa

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Thursday a temporary suspension of regulations on the number of hours that drivers carrying fuel, diesel and biofuels within the state of Iowa can operate. 

The proclamation comes in the midst of record high diesel prices across the country and fuel supply shortages in Iowa as farmers work to bring in a delayed harvest. 

John Maynes, the president of government affairs for FUELIowa, said suspending hours of service regulations is “a lever the government can pull” to help improve access to fuel in the state, by allowing drivers more flexibility as they face long drive and wait times to deliver fuel.

Maynes said the issue started in western Iowa and along the Nebraska and South Dakota borders Oct. 19, when fuel terminals experienced supply shortages. He said when this happens, it causes a “snowball” effect as demand migrates to other terminals. 

“Where previously they’re maybe able to run four, five loads of fuel to customers in a day, now maybe they’re only able to do one, and we don’t have like a backfill of drivers,” Maynes said. 

For example, if a driver who normally picks up fuel in Council Bluffs to deliver it to stations in western Iowa has to go to a terminal in Des Moines to get fuel, they now have to spend more time in the truck and waiting in line to fill up at the terminal that has extra traffic. 

That time adds up and makes it difficult for drivers to complete a job, or to be able to drive home after their deliveries and comply with the state laws limiting the number of hours a driver can be on duty and driving. 

Maynes said Reynolds’ proclamation, which doesn’t happen every season but he said is not unprecedented, doesn’t mean that drivers will be “operating 24 hours a day.” 

“It allows them to finish their last load and go home for the night,” Maynes said. 

The proclamation specifies that motor carriers cannot require or allow fatigued drivers to operate, even with the suspension of the hours of service regulations. 

Maynes said the fuel shortages in certain regions are due largely to spikes in demand from farm equipment after a rainy September delayed the start to harvest. 

The war in Iran and global trade disruptions that have caused fuel prices to rise, have created a “cascading effect” to the demand, according to Maynes. With diesel at more than $6 a gallon, he said many producers have not wanted to “maximize the usage of their storage space” to fill up on the pricey fuel. 

The demand from the farm sector has created “inefficiency” in fuel deliveries, which have in turn caused some retail fuel stations to be temporarily out of fuel as their deliveries are delayed. 

“This isn’t going to solve the problem, but it helps to address the inefficiency created for drivers being able to move product freely from terminal to customer location,” Maynes said. 

The proclamation, which declared a state of disaster emergency, is in effect for 30 days.