Armstrong waives hours of service for haulers of fertilizer to help farmers facing delays

BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Kelly Armstrong today signed an executive order declaring an emergency and granting a waiver of hours of service for drivers of commercial vehicles transporting agricultural inputs including dry fertilizer, liquid fertilizer and anhydrous ammonia.

Facility maintenance delays and transportation issues on the eastern side of the state are straining North Dakota’s anhydrous supply, causing delays for farmers facing an already shortened application window and resulting in the need for trucks to transport the fertilizer from one side of the state to the other. State Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring requested the hours of service waiver.

The emergency order will remain in effect for 14 days. All road safety and vehicle compliance regulations still apply.