This past December, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration initially provided relief for fuel haulers in several states in the eastern U.S.
Fuel supply concerns followed an outage at a major refinery, winter storms and prolonged cold weather.
Issues persisted into early 2026, prompting the FMCSA to extend a regional fuel emergency, first declared on Dec. 12, in late December and mid-January.
The emergency was extended again on Friday, Feb. 27 and remains in effect through March 14.
Maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicles transporting heating fuel, including propane, natural gas and heating oil, is waived under FMCSA’s order.
This relief applies to fuel haulers in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.
The latest fuel prices are available on this Land Line resources page.
As long as the motor carrier or driver is providing direct assistance to the affected states, the origin of the trip does not matter.
Direct assistance does not include transportation related to long-term rehabilitation of damaged physical infrastructure after the initial threat to life and property has passed.
Global conflict
Oil and natural gas markets spiked in response to U.S. military action against Iran.
This conflict has disrupted oil and gas facilities and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, where approximately 20% of global oil passes, according to Reuters.
Trump says war with Iran to last four to five weeks as oil market weighs impacts
▪️Crude traffic remains halted in Strait of Hormuz
▪️Analysts warn of potential triple-digit oil prices
▪️White House focused on lowering pricesFull story: https://t.co/jOM9O3UYLa pic.twitter.com/lAubejklJP
— Oil by S&P Global Energy (@SPGEnergyOil) March 2, 2026
Tom Kloza, oil analyst and chief energy advisor for Gulf Oil, told Land Line that crude oil was in plentiful supply before the most recent conflict in the Middle East.
“The world doesn’t necessarily need the 1.3 million barrels per day of Iranian crude,” Kloza said. “The world can’t do without the refined products and liquified natural gas produced in the region. This is what separates this conflict from previous skirmishes or wars.”
Diesel prices have also surged in response, but signs point to that being temporary.
“It (diesel price increases) will persist if refineries in the Middle East and elsewhere get compromised by violence, but most likely this is a temporary trip to expensive fuel that should dissipate in the second quarter,” Kloza said.
The length of the conflict is a critical variable across global markets, including oil, gas and beyond. LL
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