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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.

Romaine lettuce is shipping again after a late November outbreak of E. coli, but only after the federal government began a new round of negotiating with producers for changes in tracking.

The owners of two long-established trucking companies specializing in food-grade transportation services — Cliff Viessman Inc. in Gary, S.D., and Johnsrud Transport Inc. in Des Moines, Iowa — have agreed to merge their businesses.