MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WGNS)- Rutherford County truck drivers, farmers and businesses dealing with some of the highest diesel prices Tennessee has seen in years could soon have another option at the pump — and several places in Murfreesboro and Smyrna are already listed as carrying the fuel.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday aimed at expanding the use of red-dyed diesel, a fuel traditionally reserved for off-road equipment and therefore exempt from the 24.4-cent-per-gallon federal diesel excise tax. The order directs the Treasury Department to provide temporary tax and penalty relief for qualifying use of dyed diesel on public highways through Dec. 31.

The move comes at a time when diesel prices are especially noticeable for Rutherford County's trucking, construction and agricultural industries.

As of Tuesday, Oct. 6, AAA reported Tennessee's average diesel price at about $6.03 per gallon. That's up from about $3.40 at the same time last year. Tennessee diesel reached a record statewide average of $6.21 on Sept. 22.

For Rutherford County drivers, the question now becomes: Where can you actually find red-dyed diesel?

Commercial off-road diesel directories list multiple Rutherford County locations, including:

• Pilot Travel Center, 2441 South Church Street in Murfreesboro

• Speedway, 8281 Tridon Drive in Smyrna

  

• 3341 Elam Farms Parkway in Murfreesboro

The Pilot location sits just off Interstate 24 at Exit 81 and currently operates multiple diesel fueling lanes. The Speedway location is near I-24 at Exit 70 in Smyrna, an area heavily traveled by commercial trucks moving through the county.

Drivers should check with individual stations before making a special trip, since listings do not guarantee that dyed diesel is currently in stock or available from a public pump.

Red-dyed diesel itself is not a different grade of fuel. The red coloring identifies diesel normally sold for exempt off-road uses such as farm machinery, construction equipment and generators. Until this week's action, using it in an on-road vehicle could result in federal penalties.

The White House says eliminating the federal tax could save about $60 on a 250-gallon fill-up. The administration estimates savings could exceed $100 per fill-up in states that provide matching relief.

That distinction could matter in Tennessee. The president's order changes the federal treatment of dyed diesel, but state fuel taxes and regulations are separate. Drivers should verify the latest Tennessee requirements before assuming every gallon of dyed diesel sold locally can be used tax-free on the highway.

For Rutherford County, home to Interstate 24, major distribution operations, construction activity and agricultural areas just minutes outside Murfreesboro and Smyrna, even a temporary reduction in diesel costs could have an outsized local impact.