Missouri – For Missouri farmers, the cost of moving a harvest can be almost as important as the harvest itself. With diesel, fertilizer and other expenses climbing, the state is temporarily loosening fuel and truck-weight rules to give producers more room during one of the busiest parts of the agricultural year.
Governor Mike Kehoe signed Executive Order 26-19 on Sept. 30, declaring a State of Emergency tied to rising agricultural input costs and authorizing temporary changes aimed at farmers, livestock haulers and other agricultural transporters. The order remains in effect through Oct. 30 unless extended.
One of the biggest changes involves dyed diesel, the red-marked fuel commonly stored on farms for off-road agricultural use. Because dyed diesel is sold without the motor-fuels tax, Missouri law normally prohibits its use in vehicles traveling on public highways.
Under the executive order, that restriction and related state penalties are temporarily suspended for vehicles operating on public highways strictly for agricultural purposes. The exemption covers activities such as harvesting and moving crops, livestock and other agricultural commodities from fields to storage or market. State agencies and law enforcement officers are also barred from imposing taxes or administrative, civil or criminal penalties on operators acting within the exemption.
The change allows agricultural operators to use fuel they may already have stored on farms rather than relying only on taxed highway diesel during peak harvest demand. The order says extraordinary conditions in 2026 have greatly increased costs for fertilizer and diesel, making harvesting and transportation more expensive for producers and livestock haulers.
“Missouri farmers are working hard to bring in this year’s harvest while facing higher costs at nearly every turn,” Kehoe said.
“Our administration is taking targeted action where we can to help address the unique fuel and transportation needs of harvest season. This executive order gives our producers and agricultural haulers some commonsense flexibility to lower transportation costs and keep Missouri agriculture moving. When we can reduce unnecessary costs for our farmers, that ultimately benefits families across our state.”
The order also temporarily raises allowable weights for certain agricultural trucks. A six-axle vehicle combination with an extreme axle distance of at least 43 feet may carry livestock, grain, timber or other seasonally harvested agricultural products at a gross vehicle weight of up to 90,000 pounds without obtaining a special permit or paying associated permit fees. The allowance applies on Missouri state highways and local roads, but not on the Federal Interstate Highway System. Posted bridge and axle restrictions still apply.
Those transportation changes give agricultural haulers additional capacity during harvest season, potentially allowing more agricultural products to be moved in a single trip while reducing some fuel and permitting costs.
Agriculture is identified in the order as Missouri’s largest industry, and seasonal harvesting pushes diesel consumption to its highest annual rate during these months. The temporary relief is therefore focused on a period when farmers and haulers are moving large volumes of crops and livestock while dealing with increased operating expenses.
Executive Order 26-19 was signed Sept. 30 and is scheduled to expire Oct. 30, 2026, unless extended in whole or in part.
The full order is available through the Missouri Secretary of State.
