Authorities in Texas have waived several key trucking regulations in hopes of speeding up deliveries within the state.

While the federal government already issued a first-of-its-kind nationwide HOS relief waver on Friday, several state governments are also taking action to reduce the regulatory burden on truck drivers who are hauling Coronavirus relief supplies.

After declaring a state of emergency in Texas on March 13, Governor Greg Abbott issued state law waivers for trucking industry rules.

On March 14, Abbot waived three key trucking regulations in order to speed up deliveries in the state, suspending oversize and overweight permitting restrictions along with requirements to register with the International Registration Plan (IRP) or to obtain 72-hour and 144-hour temporary registration permits.

“As the State of Texas works to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus, we are taking precautionary measures to ensure that Texans have access to the goods and supplies they need,” said Governor Abbott. “Suspending these state trucking regulations will improve our ability to deliver the necessary supplies throughout the state so that grocers and retailers are able to continually stock their shelves. I want to remind Texans that stockpiling resources is neither necessary nor productive. The State of Texas is prepared and will continue to take action to support our communities.”

On March 15, Abbot waived state laws that prohibit trucks from the alcohol industry from delivering supplies to grocery stores in order to provide grocery stores with “another private-sector option to keep their shelves stocked.”

“This is yet another example of the private sector stepping up and Texans helping Texans as we all work to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in our state,” said Governor Abbott. “I thank the Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission for its assistance in this effort. By waiving these regulations, we are streamlining the process to replenish the shelves in grocery stores across the state. We are all in this together, and I want to remind all Texans that hoarding resources is neither necessary nor productive. Texas has the supplies to meet the needs of Texans, and we will continue to expedite the flow of groceries to stores across the state.”