Your Oct. 1 Pre-Trip: GM takes aim at Ford’s best-selling pickup title

Here are five things worth knowing today:

1. Ford is facing stiff competition in retaining its title as the top pickup brand in America, as GM’s Sierra and Silverado lineup have outsold Ford’s F-150 year to date, reports Fox Business.
2. Michigan truckers have picked up the fight for heavier trucks. With state regulations allowing vehicles up to 160,000 lbs. on the roads, industry leaders and the truckers themselves rallied at the state capitol in favor of the heavier rigs, according to MLive.
3. Custom sleepers are big business Indiana, where Bolt Custom Trucks turns ordinary sleepers into home-away-from-home for drivers. Local TV station 21Alive takes a look at Bolt’s operation and some of the extraordinary custom sleepers.
4. San Joaquin is the latest area to implement a truck replacement program. The Air Pollution Control District in the California Valley is now accepting applications for replacement of Class 5 and 6 vehicles, hoping to remove 100 older trucks from operation, says The Sentinel.
5. The Build America Transportation Investment Center has high hopes as it kicks off. The USDOT initiative hopes to connect leading transportation experts with transportation departments to improve efficiency of construction projects. Equipment World explains.