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Hundreds of barges are stalled on the Mississippi River, clogging the main circulatory system for a farm-belt economy battered by a relentless, record-setting string of snow, rainstorms and flooding.

Federal officials continue to monitor central states that have been rocked by severe storms, which have damaged infrastructure and saturated swaths of farmland.

The United States has been rocked by 500 tornadoes in the past 30 days with a trapped jet stream in the atmosphere “stuck in neutral,” according to the U.S. Storm Prediction Center.

The American Transportation Research Institute is looking for for-hire motor carriers to participate in the annual update to its Operational Costs of Trucking report.

The federal agency that manages dams along the Missouri River received stern criticism from several U.S. senators earlier this month during a hearing held to examine the massive flooding that caused more than $3 billion in damage in the Midwest.

Federal regulators have granted a five-year exemption to the Agricultural & Food Transporters Conference of American Trucking Associations, clearing a variety of alternative methods to secure agricultural commodities grouped into large singular units.

Some companies are embracing daycabs and hotel stays for drivers, rather than sleeper cabs. Benefits include safety and better sleep.

Carriers that provide paid lodging for drivers say sleeping in hotel rooms not only improves their quality of rest, but also provides them with a greater sense of security.

Strong winds and more snow hit the Midwest on April 12 after a spring storm buried several states in snow and created dangerous travel conditions, while forecasters warned of potential weekend tornadoes in the South.

Condition-based maintenance is coming to commercial vehicles, and bringing with it transformative possibilities to expand real-time operational insights, foster an improved warranty process and, perhaps, accelerate sales of replacement parts, experts said.