On Wednesday, April 30, Governor Laura Kelly issued a state of disaster emergency to temporarily waive hours-of-service regulations for motor carriers in Kansas. The move comes in response to a fuel shortage affecting parts of Kansas and neighboring states, which has led to long wait times at fuel terminals and disrupted supply deliveries. The waiver aims to give fuel transport drivers more flexibility to meet demand and ease distribution delays. Diesel has been impacted first, but gasoline supplies may also be affected if the shortage continues.

“I am issuing this declaration to help alleviate the delay in getting the fuel to the end user,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “This is not just a Kansas issue; our neighboring states are experiencing the same delays.”