It's bad enough that the price of gas is over the $3 mark, but now just finding the darn stuff has become a real challenge in some Midwestern states.

Things have gotten so bad in North Dakota that this week Governor John Hoeven issued an emergency order allowing commercial gasoline haulers to search for the precious commodity in neighboring states. To help deal with fuel shortages at pipeline terminals, last week fuel haulers were granted extended service hours to search for fuel within the state. The expanded order enables them to cross state lines to obtain fuel in South Dakota and Minnesota. North Dakota's order runs through Saturday but is expected to be extended. Similar orders in South Dakota and Minnesota are in effect until July 19. Approved by US DOT, the orders allow truckers in all three states to travel freely across borders in search of fuel.

It is hoped that the measure will help ease fuel shortages in the Great Plains states. Due to refinery slowdowns in the region, truckers have been forced to wait at pipeline terminals for excessively long periods before obtaining fuel. At the root of the problem is the virtual shutdown of the Coffeyville, Kansas refinery due to flooding problems. It is feared that the crisis may cause gasoline shortages at service stations throughout the region during the summer travel season.

"Giving people a chance to move around the Midwest a little bit to find product is certainly a plus for our marketers," said Mike Rud, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Marketers Association. "Everybody in the three-state area is in the same boat."