NJ CDL School Sues FMCSA, Split Sleeper Berth Pilot, & Record Container Volumes | The Morning Minute

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We kick things off with a major legal challenge that's raising serious questions about how federal regulators police driver training schools.

Start CDL, a New Jersey based truck driving school, is challenging its emergency removal from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's training registry. The school was removed from the registry on August 31st, because six trainees certified by the school received English language proficiency violations during roadside inspections. But Start CDL filed a complaint last week in the US District Court that noted a few discrepancies. The case raises fundamental questions about how FMCSA connects roadside safety violations to training providers.

Over in the regulatory arena, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is moving closer to launching a pilot program that could fundamentally reshape how drivers manage their mandatory rest periods. In a Federal Register notice released Wednesday, FMCSA opened information collection activities that would provide data on whether changing the current 10-hour split sleeper birth requirement would meet safety goals. Current law requires 10 hours off duty either consecutively or split into one period of at least seven hours in the sleeper birth and a second period of at least two consecutive hours. The pilot program would test whether 5-5 or 6-4 splits are safe if the minimum sleeper birth period drops to five hours from seven. The program needs as many as 256 volunteer drivers who will receive $1,600 for their participation over 16 weeks of testing. Finally, global container shipping is hitting historic milestones despite ongoing disruptions across major trade routes. According to Container Trades Statistics, global container shipping volumes reached a record 17.46 million 20-foot equivalent units in August, surpassing the previous record set in July.

Through the first 8 months of 2026, global volumes were up 4.7% year-over-year. Freight pricing climbed right alongside volumes, with CTS's global price index rising 2 points from July. Asia exports drove much of the growth, increasing 8% year-to-date and adding approximately 6.3 million TEUs compared with the same period of 2025, while North American container imports recovered, with Trans-Pacific trade up 5% year-to-date.