31 States Join Red-Dyed Diesel Relief, Plus 2 More Trucking Stories

Fuel, hours rules and driver licensing all moved in the last few days, and each has a deadline or a status that matters on the road. One is temporary fuel-tax relief that depends on where you drive, one is a set of proposals still open for public comment, and one is a state program that is closing for good.

1. Thirty-One States Join Red-Dyed Diesel Relief, 19 Have Not

Executive Order 14435, signed October 5, 2026, opened a temporary federal exception that lets red-dyed diesel be used on highways. The IRS says that during the relief period it will not enforce or collect the federal dyed diesel excise tax and will waive the penalty for on-road use. A USDA bulletin dated October 29 says 31 states have taken or announced matching action, such as suspending certain penalties. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is asking the other governors to follow.

The details limit what the relief does. The IRS FAQ, dated October 23, says it covers only the federal dyed diesel excise tax and does not cover state fuel taxes or state dyed-fuel rules, so drivers in a state that has not acted should ask that state. It also says sellers do not have to keep records of relief-period dyed diesel sales, and the agency is still weighing a grace period for dye left in tanks. This is temporary relief, not a permanent rule change.

Why it matters: Cheaper fuel only helps if the truck and the route are covered. A driver crossing state lines could meet different rules, so check the state before fueling from a dyed pump. Our guide to how fuel surcharges work explains how to confirm that fuel costs are actually covered in what you are paid.

2. FMCSA Hours-of-Service Pilots Open for Public Comment

FMCSA published a notice on October 7, 2026 (docket FMCSA-2026-2080) about its Flexible Sleeper Berth pilot. Participants would get an exemption letting the longer sleeper period drop to five consecutive hours, so a 5/5 or 6/4 split could count toward the ten hours off duty. The study covers about 256 drivers over 16 weeks and compares each driver with and without the exemption. Land Line and FreightWaves both give December 7 as the comment deadline.

These are research pilots and information-collection steps, not final rule changes. Today’s rules are unchanged unless a driver is accepted into a study. FreightWaves reports that applicants with an unsatisfactory rating, an above-average out-of-service rate or recent enforcement actions are excluded, and that OOIDA supports more flexibility if drivers, not carriers or shippers, decide how to use it.

Why it matters: Drivers who say the current clock is too rigid can file comments, and the record may shape what comes next. Fleets should note that nothing changes for dispatch planning yet, so keep running loads under the existing hours rules.

3. Ohio Ends Its Non-Domiciled CDL Program

The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles said on October 23, 2026 that it is fully discontinuing its non-domiciled commercial driver license program. After reviewing about 5,000 holders under FMCSA’s updated requirements, Ohio says roughly 2,000 have been downgraded to standard licenses since May. Remaining holders will also be downgraded, 30 days after the date of a mailed notice, and they can ask the BMV for a hearing to dispute it.

Transport Topics reports that Louisiana and Wyoming have also stopped issuing these licenses, while several other states have resumed or are weighing whether to. States are handling the federal changes differently, so the picture is not uniform.

Why it matters: Carriers that employ drivers on non-domiciled CDLs should confirm each license’s status and expiry, and know that a downgrade can end a driver’s ability to run commercially. Drivers who get a notice and believe their documents qualify have a hearing option, so act within the 30 days.

The Bottom Line

Fuel relief is temporary and depends on the state, the hours changes are only proposals under study, and Ohio’s license change is already underway. Check the status of each before planning around it.

Neal’s Take

All three stories turn on who has acted and who has not: 31 states on fuel, a comment window still open on hours, and one state closing a license program while others differ. That patchwork makes the practical question local, not national. I would watch whether more states join the dyed diesel relief before it ends, how many comments the hours pilots draw by the December deadline, and whether other states follow Ohio. Until those settle, confirming the rule for each state and driver looks like the safest approach.

— Neal Cvetkovski, Founder of LOAD TIDE. Personal opinion, not legal or financial advice.

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Sources: IRS dyed diesel FAQ (October 23, 2026); USDA bulletin (October 29, 2026); FMCSA Federal Register notice, docket FMCSA-2026-2080 (October 7, 2026); Ohio BMV release (October 23, 2026); Land Line (October 30, 2026); FreightWaves (October 8, 2026); Transport Topics (October 30, 2026).