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Federal trucking regulators are previewing proposals that would modify a program that measures the safety performance of motor carriers on the nation’s highways.

You can’t work in the trucking industry for long without realizing the interconnectedness of the trucking world — goods with communities, roads with ports, airports and railways, regulations across international and provincial borders and municipal boundaries, you name it. Another connection may not be immediately apparent: Canada’s National Trucking Week and “Jake” brakes.

The annual National Truck Driving Championships kicked off Aug. 10 in Indianapolis. To coincide with Transport Topics’ coverage of the “Super Bowl of Safety,” this edition of Equipment & Maintenance Update features stories focused on drivers’ needs and concerns, including those related to comfort, safety and health.

When it comes to differences in average height, weight and strength of male and female Class 8 truck drivers, those differences challenge truck designers to build a vehicle that can be easily used by both genders. Those physical differences can make it difficult for drivers — male or female — to reach the pedals while seeing over the hood, or to open a hood and be able to add engine oil or clean a windshield without having to climb atop a tire.

Commercial vehicle inspectors will be out in force beginning Sept. 11 to conduct brake system inspections on large trucks and buses throughout North America.

U.S. retail sales of Class 8 trucks in May dropped 19.5% as the downturn rolled on for a sixth consecutive month and still has not hit bottom, analysts said.