Texas Lifts Dyed Diesel Rules for Farms and Freight

If you run diesel on a Texas ranch or farm, a new proclamation from Gov. Greg Abbott changes what you can legally burn on the road. Amid record-high fuel prices, Abbott is loosening state restrictions on diesel to boost supply and knock down costs.

Dyed Diesel Hits the Highway

The big one for working owners: dyed diesel, the off-road fuel that farms and ag operations typically burn, can now be run on Texas public roadways. Because it sells without a motor-fuels tax, the fuel is normally off-limits for use on public roads under state law. Abbott's proclamation suspends those restrictions and the associated penalties. The underlying fuel tax stays in place.

That means the untaxed fuel sitting in your farm tank can legally power a truck on the highway for now, cutting a step for anyone hauling between the field and town.

Heavier Loads Allowed

The proclamation also eases some permitting rules for oversize and overweight hauls. Vehicles hauling fuel, agricultural, or timber products can now run at gross weights up to 95,000 pounds. It also suspends Texas Low Emission Diesel (TxLED) rules to the extent the federal government allows.

"Texas agriculture and freight run on diesel," Abbott said. "Record prices put both industries at risk and raise costs for every Texas family." He added that farmers and truckers "can now use dyed diesel on Texas roads, and fuel, crop, and timber loads can move at a higher weight."

The Federal Angle

Abbott has also gone to Washington. He asked EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to grant a temporary waiver of federal ultra-low sulfur diesel requirements, along with the TxLED requirements that apply in 110 Texas counties. In the letter, Abbott pointed to a September record of $5.97 per gallon and made the case that lifting the restrictions would increase available supply and lower prices.

The governor has stopped short of calling for a broad suspension of the state gas tax. According to his office, he lacks the power to take that step. Attorney General and Republican U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton took a harder line last week, calling for a suspension of the federal gas tax and saying he'd rather see it gone for good.