Council Bluffs, Iowa — Governor Kim Reynolds and Governor Jim Pillen announced emergency declarations on June 24‑26 as the Missouri River overflowed, prompting road closures and mandatory evacuations across eastern South Dakota, northwestern Iowa and northeastern Nebraska.
The deluge has turned routine hauls into logistical nightmares for truck driver jobs that rely on the I‑29 corridor and the I‑680 loop around Council Bluffs. When a river bursts its banks, bridge decks buckle, detour routes flood, and carriers scramble to keep freight moving while staying clear of unsafe ground. For OTR truck drivers and owner‑operators, a single closed mile can add hours of deadhead mileage, fuel costs, and missed delivery windows.
According to a joint statement from the two governors, the Iowa Department of Transportation issued a travel advisory covering nine counties and posted a 511 map on June 26 that still shows I‑29 and I‑680 near Council Bluffs closed since June 25. The state disaster emergency, now active in 21 counties, will remain in effect until July 22. During that window, disaster repair crews and drivers delivering essential supplies are exempt from Iowa Code hours‑of‑service (HOS) limits, and the usual load‑movement restrictions on all Iowa highways—except the interstate system—are temporarily waived. South Dakota’s emergency declaration, filed on June 24, lists damage to roads, bridges, dams and public infrastructure. The previously shuttered stretch of I‑29 from Exit 2 to Exit 26 reopened this week, but the state also granted a waiver of both state and federal FMCSA regulations for carriers providing direct flood‑relief assistance until July 8. Drivers of delivery vehicles are required to carry flood‑relief supplies and keep them on hand.
What This Means for Drivers
CDL‑A drivers operating in the affected zones can run beyond the normal 11‑hour on‑duty limit without incurring a violation, provided they are part of the disaster response effort. Owner‑operators hauling construction material, sandbags or food to shelters may file a simple exemption request with the state motor carrier division and continue to log time under the emergency provision. Fleet managers should re‑route trucks away from the closed I‑29 and I‑680 segments, use alternate corridors such as US‑75 or US‑77, and anticipate longer turn‑around times for loads destined for the 21 Iowa counties under emergency status. The temporary suspension of load‑movement caps means trucks can carry heavier freight than normally permitted on state‑maintained roads, but drivers must still observe weight limits on the interstate system.
Industry Reaction
Trucking associations across the Midwest have praised the swift waiver of HOS and weight restrictions, noting that the flexibility buys critical time for relief shipments and prevents bottlenecks at distribution centers. Several regional carriers reported that the ability to exceed standard driving hours will allow them to meet contractual delivery windows for grocery chains and manufacturing plants still operating in flood‑hit zones. At the same time, safety advocates caution that any relaxation of FMCSA rules should be tightly monitored to avoid fatigue‑related incidents on detour routes that may lack proper lighting or signage.
Key Points
- Emergency declarations issued June 24‑26 for Iowa and South Dakota due to Missouri River flooding.
- I‑29 and I‑680 near Council Bluffs remain closed; I‑29 segment in South Dakota from Exit 2‑26 has reopened.
- Iowa disaster emergency covers 21 counties and lasts until July 22, with HOS waivers for relief crews.
- South Dakota grants state and federal FMCSA waiver until July 8 for drivers delivering flood‑relief supplies.
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