NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained in this Form 10-K (or otherwise made by the Company or on the Company’s behalf from time to time in other reports, filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), news releases, conferences, website postings or otherwise) that are not statements of historical fact constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), notwithstanding that such statements are not specifically identified. Forward-looking statements include statements about the Company’s financial position, business strategy and plans and objectives of management of the Company for future operations. These forward-looking statements reflect the best judgments of the Company about the future events and trends based on the beliefs of the Company’s management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company’s management. Use of the words “may,” “should,” “continue,” “plan,” “potential,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect” and “intend” and words or phrases of similar import, as they relate to the Company or its subsidiaries or Company management, are intended to identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect our current view of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such statements. Please read Item 1A. “Risk Factors” for a discussion of certain of those risks. Other unknown or unpredictable factors could also have a material adverse effect on future results. Although the Company believes that its expectations are reasonable as of the date of this Form 10-K, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The Company does not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements unless securities laws require it to do so, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise.

NOTE REGARDING TRADEMARKS COMMONLY USED IN THE COMPANY’S FILINGS

Peterbilt® is a registered trademark of Peterbilt Motors Company. PACCAR® is a registered trademark of PACCAR, Inc. PacLease® is a registered trademark of PACCAR Leasing Corporation. International® is a registered trademark of International Motors, LLC (f/k/a Navistar, Inc.). Idealease is a registered trademark of Idealease, Inc. aka Idealease of North America, Inc. Blue Bird® is a registered trademark of Blue Bird Investment Corporation. IC Bus® is a registered trademark of IC Bus, LLC. Hino® is a registered trademark of Hino Motors, Ltd. Isuzu® is a registered trademark of Isuzu Motors Limited. Ford® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company. Dennis Eagle® is a registered trademark of Dennis Eagle Limited. Cummins® is a registered trademark of Cummins, Inc. Blue Arc® is a registered trademark of The Shyft Group Inc. Battel Motors® is a registered trademark of Battel Motors, Inc. This report contains additional trade names or trademarks of other companies. Our use of such trade names or trademarks should not imply any endorsement or relationship with such companies.

PART I

Item 1. Business

References herein to “the Company,” “Rush Enterprises,” “we,” “our” or “us” mean Rush Enterprises, Inc., a Texas corporation, and its subsidiaries unless the context requires otherwise.

Access to Company Information

We electronically file annual reports, quarterly reports, proxy statements and other reports and information statements with the SEC. You may read and copy any of the materials that we have filed with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549. You may obtain information about the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. Our filings are also available to you on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

We make certain of our SEC filings available, free of charge, through our website, including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to these reports. These filings are available as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Our website address is www.rushenterprises.com. The information contained on our website, or on other websites linked to our website, is not incorporated into this report or otherwise made part of this report.

General

Rush Enterprises, Inc. was incorporated in Texas in 1965 and consists of one reportable segment, the Truck Segment, and conducts business through its subsidiaries. Our principal offices are located at 555 IH 35 South New Braunfels, Texas 78130.

We are a full-service, integrated retailer of commercial vehicles and related services. The Truck Segment includes our operation of a network of commercial vehicle dealerships under the name “Rush Truck Centers.” Rush Truck Centers primarily sell commercial vehicles manufactured by Peterbilt, International, Hino, Ford, Isuzu, IC Bus, Blue Bird, Dennis Eagle, Blue Arc and Battle Motors. Through our strategically located network of Rush Truck Centers, we provide one-stop service for the needs of our commercial vehicle customers, including retail sales of new and used commercial vehicles, aftermarket parts sales, service and repair facilities, financing, leasing and rental, and insurance products.

Our Rush Truck Centers are principally located in high traffic areas throughout the United States and Ontario, Canada. Since commencing operations as a Peterbilt heavy-duty truck dealer in 1966, we have grown to operate over 143 franchised Rush Truck Centers locations in 23 states. In 2019, we purchased a 50% equity interest in an entity in Canada, Rush Truck Centres of Canada Limited (“RTC Canada”) and on May 2, 2022, we purchased an additional 30% equity interest in RTC Canada that increased our equity interest to 80%. RTC Canada currently owns and operates 12 International dealership locations in Ontario. Prior to acquiring the additional 30%, we accounted for the equity interest in RTC Canada using the equity method of accounting. Now, the operating results of RTC Canada are consolidated in the Consolidated Statements of Operations, the Statements of Comprehensive Income, the Consolidated Balance Sheets and commercial vehicle unit sales data as of May 2, 2022.

Our business strategy consists of providing solutions to the commercial vehicle industry through our network of commercial vehicle dealerships. We offer an integrated approach to meeting customer needs by providing service, parts and collision repairs in addition to new and used commercial vehicle sales and leasing, plus financial services, vehicle upfitting, CNG fuel systems through our joint venture with Cummins and vehicle telematics products. We intend to continue to implement our business strategy, reinforce customer loyalty and remain a market leader by continuing to develop our Rush Truck Centers as we expand our product offerings and extend our dealership network through strategic acquisitions of new locations and opening new dealerships in our existing areas of operation to enable us to better serve our customers.

Through certain of our Rush Truck Centers and several stand-alone locations, we operate 54 franchised Rush Truck Leasing locations in 21 states and 5 locations in Ontario. We provide a broad line of product selections for lease or rent, including Class 4 through Class 8 commercial vehicles, heavy-duty cranes and refuse vehicles. Our lease and rental fleets are offered to customers on a daily, monthly or long-term basis. Substantially all of our long-term leases also contain a service provision, whereby we agree to service the vehicle through the life of the lease. In addition to the product selections for lease or rent, Rush Truck Leasing also provides full-service maintenance on customers’ vehicles at several of our customers’ facilities.

The following chart reflects the locations of our operations by state or province as of February 15, 2025:

Financial and Insurance Products. At our Rush Truck Centers, we offer third‑party financing to assist customers in purchasing new and used commercial vehicles. Additionally, we sell, as agent through our insurance agency, a complete line of property and casualty insurance, including collision and liability insurance on commercial vehicles, cargo insurance and credit life insurance.

Other Businesses. Perfection Equipment offers installation of equipment, equipment repair, parts installation, and paint and body repair at our location in Oklahoma City. Perfection Equipment specializes in up-fitting trucks used by oilfield service providers and other specialized service providers.

Custom Vehicle Solutions operates at its location in Denton, Texas. Custom Vehicle Solutions provides new vehicle pre-delivery inspections, truck modifications, natural gas fuel system installations, body and chassis upfitting and component installations.

The House of Trucks operates at locations in Dallas, Texas and Chicago, Illinois. The House of Trucks sells used commercial vehicles, new and used trailers and offers third-party financing and insurance products.

Our World Wide Tires store operates in Houston, Texas. World Wide Tires primarily sells tires for use on commercial vehicles.

Effective January 2022, we sold 50% of our equity interest in Momentum Fuel Technologies to a subsidiary of Cummins, Inc. and we are now operating the business, Cummins Clean Fuel Technologies, as a joint venture with Cummins. The joint venture manufactures compressed natural gas fuel systems and related component parts for commercial vehicles at its facility in Roanoke, Texas.

Industry

See Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Industry” for a description of our industry and the markets in which we operate.

Our Business Strategy

Operating Strategy. Our strategy is to operate an integrated dealership network that provides service solutions to the commercial vehicle industry throughout the United States and Ontario, Canada. Our strategy includes the following key elements:

Growth Strategy. Through our strategic expansion and acquisition initiatives, we have grown to operate a large, multistate/international, full-service network of commercial vehicle dealerships. As described below, we intend to continue to grow our business by expanding our product and service offerings through acquisitions in new geographic areas and by opening new locations to enable us to better serve our customers.

Management of Our Dealerships

Rush Truck Centers

Our Rush Truck Centers are responsible for sales of new and used commercial vehicles, as well as related Aftermarket Products and Services.

Aftermarket Products and Services. Revenues from Aftermarket Products and Services accounted for approximately $2,516.0 million, or 32.2%, of our total revenues for 2024, and 60.4% of our gross profit. Rush Truck Centers carry a wide variety of commercial vehicle parts in inventory. Certain Rush Truck Centers also feature fully equipped service and collision center facilities, the combination and configuration of which varies by location, capable of handling a broad range of repairs on most commercial vehicles. Each Rush Truck Center with a service department is a warranty service center for the commercial vehicle manufacturers represented at that location, if any, and most are also authorized service centers for other vehicle component manufacturers, including Cummins, Eaton, Caterpillar and Allison. We also have mobile service technicians and technicians who staff our customers’ facilities upon request.

Our service departments perform warranty and non-warranty repairs on commercial vehicles. The cost of warranty work is generally reimbursed by the applicable manufacturer at retail commercial rates. Warranty-related parts and service revenues accounted for approximately $186.6 million, or 2.4%, of our total revenues for 2024. Additionally, we provide a wide array of services, including assembly services for specialized commercial vehicle bodies and commercial vehicle mounted equipment. Our goal is to provide our customers with any service that they need related to their commercial vehicles.

We also enter into contracts to provide full-service maintenance on certain customers’ vehicles. We had 2,942 vehicles under contract maintenance as of December 31, 2024. The full-service maintenance revenues and retail service revenues are included as Aftermarket Products and Services revenues on our Consolidated Statements of Income.

New Commercial Vehicle Sales. New commercial vehicle sales represent the largest portion of our revenues, accounting for approximately $4,553.0 million, or 58.3%, of our total revenues in 2024. Of this total, new Class 8 heavy-duty truck sales accounted for approximately $2,906.8 million, or 37.2%, of our total revenues for 2024, and 63.8% of our new commercial vehicle revenues for 2024.

Our Rush Truck Centers that sell new and used Class 8 heavy-duty trucks manufactured by Peterbilt, International, Hino, Dennis Eagle or Battle Motors may also sell medium-duty and light-duty commercial vehicles. Certain Rush Truck Centers sell medium-duty commercial vehicles manufactured by Peterbilt, Hino, Isuzu, Ford, International, Blue Arc, Dennis Eagle or Battle Motors, buses manufactured by Blue Bird, IC Bus or Micro Bird and light-duty commercial vehicles manufactured by Ford. New medium-duty commercial vehicle sales, excluding new bus sales, accounted for approximately $1,312.3 million, or 16.8%, of our total revenues for 2024, and 28.8% of our new commercial vehicle revenues for 2024. New bus sales accounted for approximately $172.9 million, or 2.2%, of our total revenues for 2024, and 3.8% of our new commercial vehicle revenues for 2024. New light-duty commercial vehicle sales accounted for approximately $126.0 million, or 1.6%, of our total revenues for 2024, and 2.8% of our new commercial vehicle revenues for 2024.

A significant portion of our new commercial vehicle sales are to customers with large fleets of commercial vehicles. Because of the size and geographic scope of our Rush Truck Center network, our strong relationships with our fleet customers and our ability to manage large quantities of used commercial vehicle trade-ins, we are able to successfully market and sell to fleet customers nationwide. We believe that we have a competitive advantage over many dealerships because we can absorb multi-unit trade-ins often associated with fleet sales and effectively disperse the used commercial vehicles for resale throughout our dealership network. We believe that the broad range of products and services we offer to purchasers of commercial vehicles at the time of purchase and post-purchase results in a high level of customer loyalty.

Used Commercial Vehicle Sales. Used commercial vehicle sales accounted for approximately $335.8 million, or 4.3%, of our total revenues for 2024. We sell used commercial vehicles at most of our Rush Truck Centers and at our non-franchised used commercial vehicle facilities. We believe that we are well positioned to market used commercial vehicles due to our ability to recondition them for resale utilizing the service and collision center departments of our Rush Truck Centers and our ability to move used commercial vehicles between our dealerships as customer demand warrants. Most of our used commercial vehicle inventory consists of commercial vehicles taken as trade-ins from new commercial vehicle customers or retired from our lease and rental fleet, but we also supplement our used commercial vehicle inventory by purchasing used commercial vehicles from third parties for resale, as market conditions warrant.

Vehicle Leasing and Rental. Vehicle leasing and rental revenues accounted for approximately $354.9 million, or 4.5%, of our total revenues for 2024. At our Rush Truck Leasing locations, we engage in full-service commercial vehicle leasing and rental through our PacLease and Idealease franchises. As of December 31, 2024, we had 10,148 commercial vehicles in our lease and rental fleet. Generally, we sell commercial vehicles that have been retired from our lease and rental fleet through our used commercial vehicles sales operations. Historically, we have realized gains on the sale of used lease and rental fleet inventory.

New and Used Commercial Vehicle Financing and Insurance. The sale of financial and insurance products accounted for approximately $22.0 million, or 0.3%, of our total revenues for 2024. Finance and insurance revenues have minimal direct costs and therefore, contribute a disproportionate share to our operating profits.

Many of our Rush Truck Centers have personnel responsible for arranging third-party financing for our product offerings. Generally, commercial vehicle finance contracts involve an installment contract, which is secured by the commercial vehicle financed and requires a down payment, with the remaining balance generally financed over a two-year to seven-year period. Most of these finance contracts are sold to third parties without recourse to us. We provide an allowance for repossession losses and early repayment penalties that we may incur under these finance contracts.

We sell, as an agent, a complete line of property and casualty insurance to commercial vehicle owners. Our agency, which operates at locations around the United States outside of our Rush Truck Centers, is licensed to sell commercial vehicle liability, collision and comprehensive, workers’ compensation, cargo, and credit life insurance coverage offered by several leading insurance companies.

Human Capital Management

On December 31, 2024, we employed 7,388 people in the U.S. and 550 people in Canada. Of these employees, less than 1.4% of our workforce was classified as part-time. We do not regularly use independent contractors in our business operations. We strive to provide our employees with the security of long-term employment, competitive compensation and benefits, a consistent work schedule and opportunities to improve their skills and advance within the Company.

Core Values. Our core values define our culture and reflect who we are and the way we interact with our customers, suppliers, co-workers and shareholders. Our core values are productivity, fairness, excellence and a positive attitude and are described below.

Each of these core values is embodied in our code of conduct, which we call our Rush Driving Principles. Employees are required to complete training on the Rush Driving Principles and certify that they have read and understand such principles on an annual basis. We believe that our core values are the foundation of a strong and ethical culture that is a strength for us, and we intend to continue building upon that culture to improve performance across our business.

Employee Recruitment. We strive to attract the best talent from a variety of sources to meet the current and future needs of our business. We have established relationships with multiple trade schools and universities across the country that we utilize as a source for entry-level talent. Additionally, we believe it is incumbent upon all our managers to continuously monitor their local markets for experienced individuals who might be successful additions to our organization.

Compensation Programs and Employee Benefits. Our compensation programs are designed to provide a compensation package that will attract, retain, motivate and reward employees who must operate in a highly competitive, fast-paced environment. In general, our compensation programs consist of a base salary or hourly rate, commissions for employees in front-line customer facing roles, cash performance bonuses for certain employees, equity incentive awards for senior leaders, vacation leave, sick leave and other forms of paid time off.

We offer a defined contribution retirement savings plan (the “Rush 401k Plan”) to eligible employees. Under the Rush 401k Plan, participants may contribute a percentage of their eligible compensation on a pre-tax or post-tax (Roth) basis.  We provide a matching contribution that is based on the participant’s contribution and years of service.  Contributions to the plan are invested in various investment options selected by the participants, including mutual funds, target-date funds, and other investment vehicles.

We are committed to fair pay and have established a minimum hourly wage of $15.00 per hour. Our employees receive a base level of monthly or hourly compensation that we believe is commensurate with their expertise, skills, knowledge, experience and location. We are an equal opportunity employer and employment and advancement within the Company is based solely upon individual merit and qualifications directly related to the job. To guard against unintentional discriminatory effects and to promote transparency and equality of opportunity, we regularly conduct analyses of pay to identify any adverse impacts to any legally protected group.

We provide our full-time employees with comprehensive benefit options that allow our employees and their families to live healthier and more secure lives. Some examples of the wide-ranging benefits we offer include medical insurance, prescription drug benefits, dental insurance, vision insurance, hospital indemnity insurance, accident insurance, critical illness insurance, smoking cessation assistance, life insurance, disability insurance, health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts.

We also provide our employees with an opportunity to participate in the ownership of the Company by offering an employee stock purchase plan that allows employees to contribute a portion of their base earnings every six months toward the semi-annual purchase of the Company’s Class A common stock. Employees participating in the stock purchase plan receive a 15% discount on the purchase price of the stock, with such discount based on lesser of the closing price of the Class A common stock on the first business day or the last business day of the semi-annual offering period. In addition, we provide our employees with an opportunity to save for retirement by participating in the Rush 401k plan, which has a Company-matching component that is based on years of service.

Talent Development. Our talent development programs supply our employees and leaders with tools and experiences to foster learning, employee engagement, leadership development, talent management, and employee development. Career development is fostered through education, training, learning opportunities, succession planning and performance management. Programs are designed to facilitate the development and advancement of talent from within our organization to enable us to continuously fill our ranks with qualified employees for critical positions in the organization.

Our Rush Foundational Leader Program is focused on developing key management and leadership skills. The Rush Foundational Leader Program consists of a series of courses ranging from basic management skills, including promoting a culture of inclusion, to more advanced leadership concepts and skills that are designed for managers throughout our organization. As a continuation of our leadership development initiatives, we have implemented our High Impact Leadership series, which focuses on building more advanced leadership skills such as motivating employees through meaningful feedback and inclusive leadership and communication.

To support career growth and organizational succession planning, we utilize Fuel50, a performance management and career pathing tool designed to help leaders facilitate performance and development conversations while giving employees a tool to discover and communicate their career aspirations. In addition, we have established a program called Growing Resilient Outstanding Women (“GROW”), which is open to all employees and focuses on enabling women to continue their professional development through educational opportunities, mentoring and networking. We also have a New Graduate Program that identifies and recruits new talent from universities across the country and provides on-the-job training for them to fill various roles within our dealership network.

To enhance and develop the technical skills of entry-level service and body shop technicians, we established a formal mentorship program led by experienced service and body shop technicians who serve as mentors to newly hired, entry level service and body shop technicians. We believe that this program increases the technicians’ likelihood of career success. This formal mentorship program also helps us identify top performers and we believe it improves employee performance and retention for participants in the program.

Employee Experience. We conduct an annual comprehensive employee engagement survey designed to measure organizational culture and engagement. The purpose of the survey is to monitor overall employee engagement with the goal of identifying actions that can be taken to continuously improve our employee engagement, which we believe leads to increased employee retention. Data collected in each annual employee engagement survey is maintained and used to track our progress against our internal goals. Additionally, we use onboarding and exit survey feedback to monitor and improve engagement and retention. We have formal listening groups that provide additional engagement channels for feedback from our dealerships to senior management throughout the year. One of these groups is the Field Leadership Advisory Group (“FLAG”). FLAG consists of field employees nominated and selected for their valuable experience. They provide regular feedback to executives to ensure that issues they are facing are handled in an efficient and consistent manner and with the customer in mind. 

Another aspect of the employee experience is our reward and recognition program, called STAR. Managers and employees may nominate a colleague for superior work, outstanding effort, and demonstration of our company’s core values.

Management continually monitors employee turnover data, which is supplemented with additional data from exit surveys to assist in determining the reasons for voluntary employee terminations. In 2024, our overall turnover rate for U.S. and Canada was 30.5%, as compared to 25.1% in 2023, due in large part to expense reduction efforts completed in the first half of 2024. The turnover rate of our technicians is monitored closely by management, as the retention of skilled technicians is critical to the success of the Company. Demand for technicians across the country is very high, and turnover in this role is also traditionally high for commercial vehicle dealers. In 2024, our turnover rate for U.S. and Canada technicians was 38.1%, compared to 33.6% in 2023.  

Recognizing the industry-wide challenge of technician turnover, we are implementing a comprehensive strategy to retain and engage this critical segment of our workforce. Our strategy includes identifying key predictors of turnover, conducting technician “stay” interviews to proactively address concerns and improve job satisfaction, employing pay calculator tools to ensure our employees have a clear understanding of their total compensation package and opportunities and that managers are actively advancing technician careers.

Ethics and Compliance. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of corporate conduct and fostering a culture of integrity and accountability throughout our organization. Our ethics and compliance program is structured to ensure adherence to applicable laws, regulations and industry standards, as well as to uphold our core values and the principles outlined in the Rush Driving Principles.

A cornerstone of our program is the ongoing training and education of our employees on key ethics and compliance topics, equipping them to make informed decisions and uphold the standards expected of our organization. We further reinforce this commitment through regular communications that emphasize the importance of ethics and integrity in all aspects of our operations.

To ensure that concerns can be raised and questions addressed without fear of retaliation, we provide an anonymous ethics helpline. This helpline enables employees and stakeholders to confidentially report potential ethics violations or misconduct and seek guidance on ethics and compliance-related matters.

Health and Safety. Promoting a safe and healthy workplace is our highest priority and is embodied in our core values. We utilize a mixture of leading and lagging indicators to assess the health and safety performance of our operations. Lagging indicators include the OSHA Total Recordable Incident Rate ("TRIR") and the Lost Time (or Lost Workday) Incident Rate ("LTIR") based upon the number of incidents per 100 employees (or per 200,000 work hours). Leading indicators include training completion rates, tracking of local safety committee meeting minutes, and recording of near misses, as well as other proactive actions taken to ensure employee safety. In 2024, we had a TRIR of 4.10, compared to 3.68 in 2023 and a LTIR of 0.62 in 2024, compared to 0.57 in 2023.

Labor Relations. We have entered into collective bargaining agreements covering certain employees at our Rush Truck Center, Chicago location, which will expire on May 10, 2025, Joliet, Illinois, which will expire on May 3, 2026, Carol Stream, Illinois, which will expire on May 2, 2027 and at our Chicago Light and Medium Duty location, which will expire on May 6, 2028. There have been no strikes, work stoppages or slowdowns during the negotiations of the foregoing collective bargaining agreements or at any time in the Company’s history, although no assurances can be given that such actions will not occur. We believe that our relations with the labor unions that represent these employees are generally good.

Sales and Marketing

Our established history of operations in the commercial vehicle business has resulted in a strong customer base that is diverse in terms of geography, industry and scale of operations. Our customers include national and regional truck fleets, corporations, local and state governments and owner-operators. During 2024, no single customer accounted for more than 10% of our sales by dollar volume. We generally promote our products and related services through direct customer contact by our sales personnel and advertising.

Facility Management

Personnel. Each of our facilities is typically managed by a general manager who oversees the operations, personnel and the financial performance of the location, subject to the direction of a regional manager and personnel at our corporate headquarters. Additionally, each full-service Rush Truck Center is typically staffed by department managers, sales representatives and other employees, as appropriate, given the services offered. The sales staff of each Rush Truck Center is compensated on a salary plus commission, or a commission only basis, while department managers receive a combination of salary and performance bonus. We believe that our employees are among the highest paid in the industry, which enables us to attract and retain qualified personnel.

Compliance with Policies and Procedures. Each Rush Truck Center is audited regularly for compliance with corporate policies and procedures. These internal audits objectively measure dealership performance with respect to corporate expectations in the management and administration of sales, commercial vehicle inventory, parts inventory, parts sales, service sales, collision center sales, corporate policy compliance and environmental and safety compliance matters.

Purchasing and Suppliers. Because of our size and the corresponding cost savings we provide, we benefit from volume purchases at favorable prices that permit us to achieve a competitive pricing position in the industry. We purchase our commercial vehicle inventory and proprietary parts and accessories directly from the applicable vehicle manufacturer, wholesale distributors, or other sources that provide the most favorable pricing. Most purchasing commitments are negotiated by personnel at our corporate headquarters. Historically, we have been able to negotiate favorable pricing levels and terms, which enable us to offer competitive prices for our products.

Commercial Vehicle Inventory Management. We utilize our management information systems to monitor the inventory level of commercial vehicles at each of our dealerships and transfer new and used commercial vehicle inventory among Rush Truck Centers as needed.

Parts Distribution and Inventory Management. We utilize a parts inventory distribution and management system that allows for the prompt transfer of parts inventory among various Rush Truck Centers. The transfer of inventory reduces delays in delivery, helps maximize inventory turns and assists in reducing overstock and understock. Our network is linked to our major suppliers for purposes of ordering parts and managing parts inventory levels. Automated reordering and communication systems allow us to maintain proper parts inventory levels and permit us to have parts inventory delivered to our locations, or directly to customers, typically within 24 hours of an order being placed.

Recent Acquisitions

On July 15, 2024, we acquired certain assets of Nebraska Peterbilt, which included real estate and a Peterbilt commercial vehicle franchise in Grand Island and North Platte, Nebraska, along with commercial vehicle and parts inventory. The transaction was valued at approximately $16.5 million, with the purchase price paid in cash.

On December 4, 2023, we acquired certain assets of Freeway Ford Truck Sales, Inc., which included real estate and a Ford commercial vehicle franchise in Chicago, Illinois, along with commercial vehicle and parts inventory. The transaction was valued at approximately $16.3 million, with the purchase price paid in cash.

On November 7, 2022, the Company acquired certain assets of Scheppers International Truck Center, Inc., which included real estate and an International truck franchise in Jefferson City, Missouri, along with commercial vehicle and parts inventory. The transaction was valued at approximately $6.8 million, with the purchase price paid in cash.

On May 2, 2022, we acquired an additional 30% equity interest in RTC Canada for approximately $20.0 million, bringing our equity interest to 80%. Prior to acquiring our additional equity interest, we accounted for the equity interest in RTC Canada using the equity method of accounting. After we acquired the additional 30% equity interest, the operating results of RTC Canada were consolidated in the Consolidated Statements of Income, the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income and the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

See Note 15 – Acquisitions in the Notes to the Financial Statements for further discussion.

Competition

There is, and will continue to be, significant competition both within our current markets and in new markets we may enter. We anticipate that competition between us and other dealership groups will continue to increase in our current markets and on a national level based on the following:

Our dealerships compete with dealerships representing other manufacturers, including commercial vehicles manufactured by Mack, Freightliner, Kenworth and Volvo. We believe that our dealerships are able to compete with other franchised dealerships, independent service centers, parts wholesalers, commercial vehicle wholesalers, rental service companies and industrial auctioneers in distributing our products and providing service because of the following: the overall quality and reputation of the products we sell; the “Rush” brand name recognition and reputation for quality service; the geographic scope of our dealership network; the breadth of commercial vehicles offered in our dealership network; and our ability to provide comprehensive Aftermarket Products and Services, as well as financing, insurance and other customer services.

Dealership Franchise Agreements

Peterbilt. We have entered into nonexclusive dealership franchise agreements with Peterbilt that authorize us to act as a dealer of Peterbilt heavy- and medium-duty trucks. Our Peterbilt areas of responsibility currently encompass areas in the states of Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. These agreements currently have terms expiring in July 2025. Our agreements with Peterbilt may be terminated by Peterbilt in the event that the aggregate voting power of W.M. “Rusty” Rush, and certain current and former executives of the Company decreases below 22%. Sales of new Peterbilt commercial vehicles accounted for approximately 34.3% of our total revenues for 2024.

International. We have entered into nonexclusive dealership franchise agreements with International that authorize us to act as a dealer of International heavy- and medium-duty trucks and, in certain markets, IC buses. Our International areas of responsibility currently encompass areas in the states of Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Ontario, Canada. These agreements currently have terms expiring between May 2025 and January 2029. Sales of new International commercial vehicles accounted for approximately 17.4% of our total revenues for 2024.

Other Commercial Vehicle Suppliers. In addition to our dealership franchise agreements with Peterbilt and International, various Rush Truck Centers have entered into dealership franchise agreements with other commercial vehicle manufacturers, including Ford, Hino, Isuzu and Battle Motors that have perpetual terms and Blue Bird, Micro Bird, Dennis Eagle and Blue Arc that have variable terms. Sales of new non Peterbilt and non-International commercial vehicles accounted for approximately 6.6% of our total revenues for 2024.

Our dealership franchise agreements impose certain operational obligations and financial requirements upon us and the relevant dealerships. In addition, each of our dealership franchise agreements requires the consent of the relevant manufacturer for the sale or transfer of a franchise.

Any termination or nonrenewal of our dealership agreements must follow certain guidelines established by both state and federal legislation designed to protect motor vehicle dealers from arbitrary termination or nonrenewal of franchise agreements. The federal Automobile Dealers Day in Court Act and certain other similar state laws generally provide that the termination or nonrenewal of a motor vehicle dealership agreement must be done in “good faith” and upon a showing of “good cause” by the manufacturer for such termination or nonrenewal, as such terms have been defined by statute and interpreted in case law.

Floor Plan Financing

Most of our commercial vehicle purchases are made on terms requiring payment to the manufacturer within 15 to 60 days or less from the date the commercial vehicles are invoiced from the factory. Navistar Financial Corporation and Peterbilt offer trade terms that provide an interest-free inventory stocking period for certain new commercial vehicles. This interest-free period is 15 to 60 days. If the commercial vehicle is not sold within the interest-free period, we finance the commercial vehicle under one of our floor plan credit agreements.

On December 16, 2024, we entered into a new Inventory Financing and Purchase Money Security Agreement (the “PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement”) with Paccar Financial Corp. (“PFC”). The PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement includes an aggregate loan commitment of $800.0 million for the financing of new Peterbilt trucks, tractors, chassis and other related equipment manufactured by Peterbilt. Borrowings under the PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement bear interest per annum, payable on the fifth day of the following month, at our option, at either (A) the prime rate, minus 2.10%, provided that the floating rate of interest is subject to a floor of 0%, or (B) a fixed rate, to be determined between Rush and PFC in each instance of borrowing at a fixed rate. The PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement expires December 16, 2029, although either party has the right to terminate the PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement at any time upon 360 days written notice. On December 31, 2024, we had approximately $492.7 million outstanding under the PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement. We utilize our excess cash on hand to pay down our outstanding borrowings under the PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement, and the resulting interest earned is recognized as an offset to our gross interest expense under the PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement.

On September 14, 2021, we entered into the Fifth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement with BMO Bank N.A. (f/ka/ BMO Harris Bank N.A.) and the lenders signatory thereto. This agreement had an aggregate loan commitment of $1.0 billion, which we utilized to finance all of our new and used commercial vehicle inventory in the United States until we entered into the Peterbilt Floor Plan Agreement. On December 12, 2024, we entered into the Second Amendment to Fifth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement with BMO Bank N.A. and the lenders signatory thereto. The Fifth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement and all amendments thereto are referred to herein as the “BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement.” Pursuant to the terms of the amendment, the aggregate loan commitment was reduced from $1.0 billion to $675.0 million and the definition of “Inventory” was amended to remove trucks, tractors and chassis manufactured by Peterbilt. We utilize the BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement to finance all of our new commercial vehicle inventory, except for equipment manufactured by Peterbilt, and all of our used commercial vehicle inventory and for working capital purposes. Borrowings under the BMO Floor Plan Agreement bear interest per annum, payable monthly, at (A) the greater of (i) zero and (ii) Term SOFR (as defined in the agreement), plus (B) 1.20%. Borrowings under the BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement for the purchase of used inventory are limited to $150.0 million and loans for working capital purposes are limited to $200.0 million. The BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement expires December 31, 2029, although BMO Bank N.A. has the right to terminate at any time upon 360 days written notice and we may terminate at any time, subject to specified limited exceptions. On December 31, 2024, we had approximately $389.3 million outstanding under the BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement. The average daily outstanding borrowin.gs under the BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement were $956.4 million during the twelve months ended December 31, 2024. We utilize our excess cash on hand to pay down our outstanding borrowings under the BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement, and the resulting interest earned is recognized as an offset to our gross interest expense under the BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement.

On July 15, 2022, RTC Canada entered into that certain Amended and Restated BMO Wholesale Financing and Security Agreement (the “RTC Canada Floor Plan Credit Agreement”) with Bank of Montreal (“BMO”), as amended. Pursuant to the terms of the RTC Canada Floor Plan Credit Agreement, BMO agreed to make up to $116.7 million CAD of revolving credit loans to finance RTC Canada’s purchase of new and used vehicle inventory. Loans to purchase used vehicle inventory are limited to twenty percent (20%) of the credit limit available at such time. RTC Canada may borrow, repay and reborrow loans from time to time until the maturity date, provided, however, that the outstanding principal amount on any date shall not exceed the credit limits set forth above with respect to new and used vehicles. Advances made in CAD bear interest per annum, payable monthly, at the Canadian Overnight Repo Rate Average (“CORRA”), plus 1.27%. Advances made in USD bear interest per annum, payable monthly, at the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”), plus 1.20%. The RTC Canada Floor Plan Credit Agreement expires September 14, 2026. On December 31, 2024, we had approximately $78.2 million CAD outstanding under the RTC Canada Floor Plan Credit Agreement. The average daily outstanding borrowings under the RTC Canada Floor Plan Credit Agreement were $80.7 million during the twelve months ended December 31, 2024. We utilize our excess cash on hand to pay down our outstanding borrowings under the RTC Canada Floor Plan Credit Agreement, and the resulting interest earned is recognized as an offset to our gross interest expense under the RTC Canada Floor Plan Credit Agreement.

Lease and Rental Fleet Financing

On September 14, 2021, we entered into the Credit Agreement (the “WF Credit Agreement”) with the lenders signatory thereto (the “WF Lenders”) and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (“WF”), as Administrative Agent (in such capacity, the “WF Agent”). Pursuant to the terms of the WF Credit Agreement (as amended), the WF Lenders have agreed to make up to $175.0 million of revolving credit loans for certain of our capital expenditures, including commercial vehicle purchases for our Idealease leasing and rental fleet, and general working capital needs. We expect to use the revolving credit loans available under the WF Credit Agreement primarily for the purpose of purchasing commercial vehicles for our Idealease lease and rental fleet. We may borrow, repay and reborrow amounts pursuant to the WF Credit Agreement from time to time until the maturity date. Borrowings under the WF Credit Agreement bear interest per annum, payable on each interest payment date, at (A) the daily SOFR plus (i) 1.25% or (ii) 1.5%, depending on our consolidated leverage ratio or (B) on or after the SOFR transition date, SOFR plus (i) 1.25% or (ii) 1.5%, depending on our consolidated leverage ratio. The WF Credit Agreement expires on September 14, 2026, although, upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an event of default, the WF Agent has the right to, or upon the request of the required lenders must, terminate the commitments and declare all outstanding principal and interest due and payable. We may terminate the commitments at any time. On December 31, 2024, we had approximately $153.4 million outstanding under the WF Credit Agreement.

On November 1, 2023, the Company entered into that certain Second Amended and Restated Inventory Financing and Purchase Money Security Agreement with PACCAR Leasing Company (“PLC”), a division of PFC (the “PLC Agreement”). Pursuant to the terms of the PLC Agreement (as amended), PLC agreed to make up to $500.0 million of revolving credit loans to finance certain of our capital expenditures, including commercial vehicle purchases and other equipment to be leased or rented through our PacLease franchises. We may borrow, repay and reborrow amounts pursuant to the PLC Agreement from time to time until the maturity date, provided, however, that the outstanding principal amount on any date shall not exceed the borrowing base. In addition, we must maintain a minimum balance of $220.0 million. Advances under the PLC Agreement bear interest per annum, payable on the fifth day of the following month, at our option, at either (A) the prime rate, minus 2.10%, provided that the floating rate of interest is subject to a floor of 0%, or (B) a fixed rate, to be determined between us and PLC in each instance of borrowing at a fixed rate. The PLC Agreement expires on December 16, 2029, although either party has the right to terminate the PLC Agreement at any time upon 360 days written notice. On December 31, 2024, we had approximately $220.0 million outstanding under the PLC Agreement.

On May 31, 2022, RTC Canada entered into that certain BMO Revolving Lease and Rental Credit Agreement (the “RTC Canada Revolving Credit Agreement”) with BMO (as amended). Pursuant to the terms of the RTC Canada Revolving Credit Agreement, BMO agreed to make up to $120.0 million CAD of revolving credit loans to finance certain of RTC Canada’s capital expenditures, including commercial vehicle purchases and other equipment to be leased or rented through RTC Canada’s Idealease franchise, with an additional $20.0 million CAD available upon the request of RTC Canada and consent of BMO. Advances under the RTC Canada Revolving Credit Agreement bear interest per annum payable monthly at CORRA (as defined in the agreement), plus 1.72%. The RTC Canada Revolving Credit Agreement expires September 14, 2026. On December 31, 2024, we had approximately $50.4 million CAD outstanding under the RTC Canada Revolving Credit Agreement.

Product Warranties

The manufacturers we represent provide retail purchasers of their products with a limited warranty against defects in materials and workmanship, excluding certain specified components that are separately warranted by the suppliers of such components. We provide a limited warranty on our proprietary line of parts and related service. Our joint venture entity, Cummins Clean Fuel Technologies, provides a limited warranty with respect to the fuel systems it manufactures. We also provide an extended warranty beyond the manufacturer’s warranty on new Blue Bird school buses that we sell in Texas, as required by state law.

We sell used commercial vehicles in “as is” condition without a manufacturer’s warranty, although manufacturers sometimes will provide a limited warranty on their used products if such products have been properly reconditioned prior to resale or if the manufacturer’s warranty on such product is transferable and has not expired. Although we do not provide any warranty on used commercial vehicles, our customers may purchase third-party warranties from us.

Trademarks

The trademarks and trade names of the manufacturers we represent, which are used in connection with our marketing and sales efforts, are subject to limited licenses included in our dealership agreements with each manufacturer. The licenses are for the same periods as our dealership agreements. These trademarks and trade names are widely recognized and are important in the marketing of our products. Each licensor engages in a continuous program of trademark and trade name protection. We hold registered trademarks from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the following names used in this document: “Rush Enterprises” and “Rush Truck Center.”

Seasonality

Our Truck Segment is moderately seasonal. Seasonal effects on new commercial vehicle sales related to the seasonal purchasing patterns of any single customer type are mitigated by the diverse geographic locations of our dealerships and our diverse customer base, including regional and national fleets, local and state governments, corporations and owner-operators. However, Aftermarket Products and Services operations historically have experienced higher sales volumes in the second and third quarters.

Backlog

On December 31, 2024, our backlog of commercial vehicle orders was approximately $1,512.7 million, compared to a backlog of commercial vehicle orders of approximately $3,733.4 million on December 31, 2023. The decrease in our backlog primarily reflects the decreased demand for new Class 8 trucks resulting from production having caught up to pent-up demand and the ongoing freight recession. Our backlog is determined quarterly by multiplying the number of new commercial vehicles for each type of commercial vehicle ordered by a customer at our Rush Truck Centers by the recent average selling price for that type of commercial vehicle. We include only confirmed orders in our backlog. However, such orders are subject to cancellation. In the event of order cancellation, we have no contractual right to the total revenues reflected in our backlog. The delivery time for a custom-ordered commercial vehicle varies depending on the truck specifications and demand for the model ordered. We sell the majority of our new heavy-duty commercial vehicles by customer special order and we sell the majority of our medium and light-duty commercial vehicles out of inventory. Orders from a number of our major fleet customers are included in our backlog as of December 31, 2024, and we expect to fill all our backlog orders during 2025. Given the current uncertainty in connection with recently announced tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China, we believe that certain commercial vehicle orders currently reflected in our backlog could be cancelled in the event that such tariffs are enacted and significantly increase the aggregate price that our customers will have to pay for such vehicles.

Environmental Standards and Other Governmental Regulations

We are subject to federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations governing the following: discharges into the air and water; the operation and removal of underground and aboveground storage tanks; the use, handling, storage and disposal of hazardous substances, petroleum and other materials; and the investigation and remediation of environmental impacts. As with commercial vehicle dealerships generally, and vehicle service, parts and collision center operations in particular, our business involves the generation, use, storage, handling and contracting for recycling or disposal of hazardous materials or wastes and other environmentally sensitive materials. We have incurred, and will continue to incur, capital and operating expenditures and other costs in complying with such laws and regulations.

Our operations involving the use, handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous and nonhazardous materials are subject to the requirements of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, or RCRA, and comparable state statutes. Pursuant to these laws, federal and state environmental agencies have established approved methods for handling, storage, treatment, transportation, and disposal of regulated substances with which we must comply. Our business also involves the operation and use of aboveground and underground storage tanks. These storage tanks are subject to periodic testing, containment, upgrading and removal under RCRA and comparable state statutes. Furthermore, investigation or remediation may be necessary in the event of leaks or other discharges from current or former underground or aboveground storage tanks.

We may also have liability in connection with materials that were sent to third‑party recycling, treatment, or disposal facilities under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, or CERCLA, and comparable state statutes. These statutes impose liability for investigation and remediation of environmental impacts without regard to fault or the legality of the conduct that contributed to the impacts. Responsible parties under these statutes may include the owner or operator of the site where impacts occurred and companies that disposed, or arranged for the disposal, of the hazardous substances released at these sites. These responsible parties also may be liable for damages to natural resources. In addition, it is not uncommon for neighboring landowners and other third parties to file claims for personal injury and property damage allegedly caused by the release of hazardous substances or other materials into the environment.

The federal Clean Water Act and comparable state statutes require containment of potential discharges of oil or hazardous substances and require preparation of spill contingency plans. Water quality protection programs govern certain discharges from some of our operations. Similarly, the federal Clean Air Act and comparable state statutes regulate emissions of various air emissions through permitting programs and the imposition of standards and other requirements.

We do not believe that we currently have any material environmental liabilities or that compliance with environmental laws and regulations will have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, or cash flows. However, soil and groundwater impacts are known to exist at some of our dealerships. Further, environmental laws and regulations are complex and subject to change. In addition, in connection with acquisitions, it is possible that we will assume or become subject to new or unforeseen environmental costs or liabilities, some of which may be material. In connection with our dispositions, or prior dispositions made by companies we acquire, we may retain exposure for environmental costs and liabilities, some of which may be material. Compliance with current or amended, or new or more stringent, laws or regulations, stricter interpretations of existing laws or the future discovery of environmental conditions could require additional expenditures by us, which could materially adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition, or cash flows. In addition, such laws could affect demand for the products that we sell.

We are also subject to federal and state laws and regulations governing the commercial vehicle engine emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on behalf of the U.S. Department of Transportation, have issued rules associated with reducing greenhouse gas (“GHG”) and Nitrogen Oxide (“NOx”) emissions and improving the fuel efficiency of medium and heavy-duty trucks and buses. One of these rules, referred to herein as the “EPA 2027 Low NOx” rule, will require commercial vehicle engines to emit significantly less NOx than such engines do today, beginning in model year 2027. The EPA 2027 Low NOx rule also would increase the useful life of each vehicle and would require that manufacturers extend the warranty term of each vehicle to ensure that commercial vehicles remain compliant with the EPA’s emission standards as such vehicles age. In March 2024, the EPA issued an additional rule associated with reducing GHG emissions from heavy-duty trucks and buses for model years 2027 through 2032 (the “GHG-3” rule). While the GHG-3 rule claims to be technology neutral, in order to comply with the rule, commercial vehicle engine manufacturers would be required to manufacture an increasing percentage of “zero-emission” vehicles over time, which would likely reduce the number of diesel internal combustion engines (“ICE”) vehicles that could be manufactured over that time period. Similarly, the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”) has adopted rules and regulations that are intended to reduce NOx emissions (the “HD Omnibus” rule), phase out the sale of ICE commercial vehicles over time by requiring a certain percentage of each manufacturer’s commercial vehicles sold within the state to be “zero-emission vehicles” (the “Advanced Clean Trucks” rule) and require fleets to purchase a certain number of “zero-emission vehicles” (the “Advanced Clean Fleet” rule). The EPA granted waivers to CARB with respect to the HD Omnibus and Advanced Clean Truck rules, each of which became effective in January 2024. Recently, CARB revoked its request for a waiver from the EPA with respect to the Advanced Clean Fleet rule, and thus, it is unlikely that this rule will become effective in the near future. In addition, the EPA recently announced that it has asked Congress to review the previously granted waivers that CARB received with respect to the HD Omnibus and Advanced Clean Truck rules. The current head of the EPA believes that these waivers should have been approved by Congress prior to becoming effective. With respect to the EPA’s engine emission rules, while it is widely expected that that the current GHG-3 rule will be revoked or modified by a branch of the federal government, it is less clear whether a branch of the federal government may attempt to revoke or modify the EPA 2027 Low NOx rule. It is also worth noting that there are currently multiple lawsuits pending where plaintiffs are challenging CARB’s rules on the basis that, amongst other things, such rules are preempted by other federal laws and that the EPA exceeded its authority in granting the waivers with respect to the HD Omnibus and Advanced Clean Truck rules. There are also multiple lawsuits pending where plaintiffs are challenging the GHG-3 rule on multiple grounds, including that the EPA exceeded its statutory authority in creating the rule.

In July 2023, CARB and various manufacturers of heavy-duty commercial vehicles and engines, including PACCAR, International, Ford, Hino, Isuzu and Cummins, entered into the Clean Truck Partnership, whereby the manufacturers agreed to comply with CARB’s emission requirements where applicable, regardless of whether any entity challenges CARB’s rule-making authority, and CARB agreed to work with manufacturers to provide reasonable lead time to meet CARB’s requirements and before imposing new regulations. In addition, CARB agreed to align its HD Omnibus rule with the EPA 2027 Low NOx rule, which goes into effect starting in model year 2027, and modify certain provisions of its HD Omnibus rule currently in effect. A group of seventeen U.S. states and the District of Columbia have entered into a joint memorandum of understanding that adopts at least a portion of CARB’s emissions regulations and commits each of them to work together to advance and accelerate the market for electric Class 3 through 8 commercial vehicles. Six of the states are states where we operate new commercial vehicle dealerships: California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Virginia. The signatories to the memorandum all agreed on a goal of ensuring that 100% of new Class 3 through 8 commercial vehicles are zero emission by 2050, with an interim target of 30% zero emission vehicles by 2030, although multiple of these states have recently announced plans to delay various aspects of CARB’s regulations. Attaining these goals would likely require the adoption of new laws and regulations and we cannot predict at this time whether such laws and regulations would have an adverse impact on our business. Additional regulations, or CARB’s enforcement of its existing regulations, could result in increased compliance costs, additional operating restrictions, or changes in demand for our products and services, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

An investment in our common stock is subject to certain risks inherent to our business. In addition to the other information contained in this Form 10-K, we recommend that you carefully consider the following risk factors in evaluating our business. If any of the following risks occur, our financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. If this were to happen, the value of our common stock could decline significantly, and you could lose all or part of your investment. This report is qualified in its entirety by these risk factors.

Risks Related to Our Business Operations

We are dependent upon PACCAR for the supply of Peterbilt trucks and parts, as well as the financing of Peterbilt trucks, the sale of which generates the majority of our revenues.

At certain Rush Truck Centers, we operate as a dealer of Peterbilt trucks and parts pursuant to dealership agreements with Peterbilt, a division of PACCAR. We have no control over the management or operation of Peterbilt or PACCAR. During 2024, the majority of our revenues resulted from sales of trucks purchased from Peterbilt and parts purchased from PACCAR Parts. Due to our dependence on PACCAR and Peterbilt, we believe that our long-term success depends, in large part, on the following:

A negative change in any of the preceding, or a change in control of PACCAR, could have a material adverse effect on our operations, revenues and profitability. In addition to the factors listed above, we also finance our Peterbilt commercial vehicle inventory through the PFC Floor Plan Agreement with PFC, and thus, the financial health of PACCAR is also important to our business operations.

We are dependent upon International Motors for the supply of International trucks and parts and IC buses and parts, the sale of which generate a significant portion of our revenues.

At certain Rush Truck Centers, we operate as a dealer of International trucks and parts and IC buses and parts pursuant to dealership agreements with International and IC Bus, each of which are divisions of International Motors. We have no control over the management or operation of International, IC Bus or International Motors. During 2024, a significant portion of our revenues resulted from sales of trucks purchased from International, buses purchased from IC Bus and parts purchased from International Motors. Due to our dependence on International Motors, International and IC Bus, we believe that our long-term success depends, in large part, on the following:

A negative change in any of the preceding, or a change in control of International Motors, could have a material adverse effect on our operations, revenues and profitability. 

Our dealership agreements may be terminable upon a change of control, and we cannot control whether our controlling shareholder and management maintain their current ownership positions.

We have entered into nonexclusive dealership agreements with Peterbilt that authorize us to act as a dealer of Peterbilt trucks. Peterbilt may terminate our dealership agreements in the event of a change of control of the Company or if we violate any number of provisions in the dealership agreements. Under our Peterbilt dealership agreements, the following constitute a change of control: (i) with respect to the election of directors, the aggregate voting power held by W.M. “Rusty” Rush, Steven Keller, Corey Lowe, Jody Pollard, Jason Wilder, Michael Goldstone, Mike Eppes and Michael McRoberts, along with certain other persons who no longer work for the Company (collectively, the “Dealer Principals”) decreases below 22% (the Dealer Principals, excluding those who no longer work for the Company, controlled approximately 41.2% of the aggregate voting power with respect to the election of directors as of December 31, 2024); or (ii) any person or entity other than the Dealer Principals and their respective associates, or any person or entity who has been approved in writing by PACCAR, owns common stock with a greater percentage of the voting power with respect to the election of our directors than the Dealer Principals and their respective associates, in the aggregate, or any person other than Mr. Rush or any person who has been approved in writing by PACCAR, holds the office of Chairman of the Board and the President or Chief Executive Officer of the Company. We have no control over the transfer or disposition of Mr. Rush’s, or his estate’s, common stock. If Mr. Rush were to sell his Class B common stock or bequest his Class B common stock to a person or entity other than the Dealer Principals, or if his estate is required to liquidate its Class B common stock that it owns, directly or indirectly, to pay estate taxes or otherwise, the change of control provisions of the Peterbilt dealership agreements may be triggered, which would give Peterbilt the right to terminate our dealership agreements. If our dealership agreements with Peterbilt are terminated, we will lose the right to purchase Peterbilt products and operate as an authorized Peterbilt dealer, which would have a material adverse effect on our operations, revenues and profitability.

Our dealership agreements are non-exclusive and have relatively short terms, which could result in nonrenewal or imposition of less favorable terms upon renewal.

Our dealership agreements generally do not provide us with exclusive dealerships in any of the areas of responsibility assigned in each dealer agreement. The manufacturers we represent could elect to create additional dealers in our areas of responsibility in the future, subject to restrictions imposed by state laws. While dealership agreements typically restrict dealers from operating franchised sales or service facilities outside their areas of responsibility, such agreements do not restrict sales or marketing activity outside the areas of responsibility. Accordingly, we engage in sales and other marketing activities outside our assigned areas of responsibility and other dealers engage in similar activities within our areas of responsibility.

Our dealership agreements with Peterbilt and International have current terms expiring between May 2025 and May 2029. Our dealerships agreements with the other manufacturers we represent generally have terms expiring between 2025 and 2028 or have indefinite terms. Upon expiration of each agreement, we must negotiate a renewal. Management expects that, consistent with in some cases decades of past practice, each of our dealership agreements will be renewed or otherwise extended before its termination date, provided that we do not breach any of the material terms of such agreement.

Management attempts to mitigate the risk that any manufacturer would not renew a dealership agreement by providing superior representation of each brand that we represent in each of our areas of responsibility. We deliver superior representation to our manufacturers by continuously investing substantial capital into our dealership locations, marketing and personnel. Senior members of our management team also communicate with management of the manufacturers that we represent on a regular basis, which we believe allows us to identify any potentially problematic issues as early as possible so that we can begin working on mutually agreeable solutions. In addition to the proactive steps that management takes, the risks that our dealership agreements will not be renewed are also mitigated by dealer protection laws that exist in each of the states that our dealerships are located. Many of these state dealer franchise laws restrict manufacturers’ ability to refuse to renew dealership agreements or to impose new terms upon renewal. However, to the extent such laws did allow for nonrenewal or the imposition of new terms, the relatively short terms would give manufacturers the opportunity to exercise such rights. Any nonrenewal or imposition of less favorable terms upon renewal could have an adverse impact on our business and in the case of the Peterbilt or International dealership agreements, would have an adverse impact on our business.

Our growth strategies may be unsuccessful if we are unable to successfully execute our strategic initiatives or identify and complete future acquisitions.

Over the past few years, we have spent significant resources and efforts attempting to grow and enhance our Aftermarket Products and Services business and increase profitability through new business process management initiatives.  These efforts require timely and continued investment in technology, facilities, personnel and financial and management systems and controls.  We may not be successful in implementing all of the processes that are necessary to support any of our growth initiatives, which could result in our expenses increasing disproportionately to our incremental revenues, causing our operating margins and profitability to be adversely affected.

Historically, we have achieved a significant portion of our growth through acquisitions, and we will continue to consider potential acquisitions on a selective basis.  There can be no assurance that we will be able to identify suitable acquisition opportunities in the future or that we will be able to consummate any such transactions on terms and conditions acceptable to us.  Moreover, there can be no assurance that we will obtain manufacturers’ consents to acquisitions of additional franchises.

In the long-term, technological advances in the commercial vehicle industry, including drivetrain electrification or other alternative fuel technologies, could have a material adverse effect on our business.

The commercial vehicle industry is predicted to experience change over the long-term. We see these changes beginning to occur, as certain of the manufacturers we represent now have vehicles with electric drivetrains available for purchase. Technological advances, including with respect to drivetrain electrification or other alternative fuel technologies, could potentially have a material adverse effect on our parts and service business, as such vehicles are currently being described as potentially requiring less service and having fewer parts.  The effect of these technological advances on our business is still uncertain, as there are many factors that are unknowable at this time, including when the infrastructure to support widespread adoption of such vehicles will be in place and when such vehicles may be commercially available at price points that would lead to their widespread adoption. Regardless of where the industry goes with respect to alternative fuel vehicles, we believe that, due to the geographic reach of our dealership network, relationships with both the manufacturers we represent and our customers and our access to capital, we are well-positioned to serve our customers’ evolving needs.

Similarly, although we are aware of ongoing efforts to facilitate the development of autonomous commercial vehicles, the eventual timing of the availability of autonomous commercial vehicles is uncertain due to regulatory requirements and additional technological requirements. The effect of autonomous commercial vehicles on the commercial vehicle industry is uncertain and could include changes in the level of new and used commercial vehicles sales, the price of new commercial vehicles, and the role of franchised dealers, any of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. 

Climate change concerns may impact our business in the future; natural disasters and adverse weather events can disrupt our business.  

The concerns over climate change may impact our business in the future. Our current business model depends on our ability to sell, and provide services to, commercial vehicles primarily powered by diesel and gasoline internal combustion engines, which produce nitrogen oxide and greenhouse gas emissions. While the manufacturers we represent have made substantial progress in reducing the amount of nitrogen oxide and greenhouse gas emissions that result from internal combustion engines, it is widely accepted that alternative fuel vehicles are necessary to address climate change. Reductions in the sale and use of commercial vehicles powered by internal combustion engines creates risks to our historical business operations and we cannot predict the future costs to our business resulting from these developments. However, we also believe that an industry transition away from internal combustion engines presents significant opportunities for us. Due in large part to the geographic reach of our dealership network, relationships with both the manufacturers we represent and our customers and our access to capital, we believe we are well-positioned to serve our customers’ evolving needs and help them reduce their nitrogen oxide and greenhouse gas emissions by helping them integrate more alternative fuel vehicles into their fleets and providing various services related thereto.

Some of our dealerships are located in regions of the United States where natural disasters and severe weather events (such as hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, floods, tornadoes and hailstorms) have disrupted our operations in the past. Although we have not experienced any material losses from natural disasters or severe weather events, it is possible that future natural disasters and severe weather events may adversely impact our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. In addition to business interruption, our business is subject to substantial risk of property loss due to the significant concentration of property at dealership locations. Although our vehicle inventory is insured, we self-insure our real property and personal property (other than our vehicle inventory) that we own. Thus, we may be exposed to property losses that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows, although we believe that such a material adverse effect would be unlikely.

Risks Related to Financial and Economic Matters

We may be required to obtain additional financing to maintain adequate inventory levels.

Our business requires new and used commercial vehicle inventories held for sale to be maintained at dealer locations in order to facilitate immediate sales to customers on demand. We generally purchase new and used commercial vehicle inventories with the assistance of floor plan financing agreements. Our primary floor plan financing agreements include the PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement and the BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement. Both of these floor plan credit agreements expire in December 2029 and may be terminated without cause upon 360 days’ notice. In the event that our floor plan financing becomes insufficient to satisfy our future requirements or our floor plan providers are unable to continue to extend credit under our floor plan agreements, we would need to obtain similar financing from other sources. There is no assurance that such additional floor plan financing or alternate financing could be obtained on commercially reasonable terms.

Changes in interest rates could have a negative adverse effect on our profitability. 

Our PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement, BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement, RTC Canada Floor Plan Credit Agreement, WF Credit Agreement, PLC Agreement and RTC Canada Revolving Credit Agreement are each subject to variable interest rates. Therefore, our interest expense rises when interest rates increase. In addition, any rise in interest rates generally may also have the effect of depressing demand in the interest rate sensitive aspects of our business, particularly new and used commercial vehicle sales, because many of our customers finance such purchases. As a result, a rise in interest rates may have the effect of simultaneously increasing our costs and reducing our revenues, which could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. See “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk” for a discussion regarding our interest rate sensitivity.

The dollar amount of our backlog, as stated at any given time, is not necessarily indicative of our future earnings.

As of December 31, 2024, our backlog of new commercial vehicle orders was approximately $1,512.7 million. Our backlog is determined quarterly by multiplying the number of new commercial vehicles for each particular type of commercial vehicle ordered by a customer at our Rush Truck Centers by the recent average selling price for that type of commercial vehicle. We only include confirmed orders in our backlog. However, such orders are subject to cancellation. In the event of order cancellation, we have no contractual right to the total revenues reflected in our backlog.

Reductions in backlog due to cancellation by a customer or for other reasons will adversely affect, potentially to a material extent, the revenue and profit we actually receive from orders projected in our backlog. If we were to experience significant cancellations of orders in our backlog, our financial condition could be adversely affected.

Given the current uncertainty in connection with recently proposed tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China, we believe that certain commercial vehicle orders currently reflected in our backlog could be cancelled in the event that such tariffs are enacted and significantly increase the aggregate price that our customers will have to pay for such vehicles.

Impairment in the carrying value of goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets could negatively affect our operating results.

We have a substantial amount of goodwill on our balance sheet as a result of acquisitions we have completed. Approximately 99% of this goodwill is concentrated in our Truck Segment. The carrying value of goodwill represents the fair value of an acquired business in excess of identifiable assets and liabilities as of the acquisition date. Goodwill is not amortized, but instead is evaluated for impairment at least annually, or more frequently if potential interim indicators exist that could result in impairment. In testing for impairment, if the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its current fair value as determined based on the discounted future cash flows of the reporting unit, the goodwill is considered impaired and is reduced to fair value via a non-cash charge to earnings. Events and conditions that could result in impairment include weak economic activity, adverse changes in the regulatory environment, any matters that impact the ability of the manufacturers we represent to provide us with commercial vehicles or parts, issues with our franchise rights, or other factors leading to reductions in expected long-term sales or profitability. Determination of the fair value of a reporting unit includes developing estimates that are highly subjective and incorporate calculations that are sensitive to minor changes in underlying assumptions. Changes in these assumptions or a change in the Company’s reportable segments could result in an impairment charge in the future, which could have a significant adverse impact on our reported earnings.  See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Critical Accounting Estimates — Goodwill” for more information regarding the potential impact of changes in assumptions.

Our business is subject to a number of economic risks.

New and used commercial vehicle retail sales tend to experience periods of decline when general economic conditions worsen. We may experience sustained periods of decreased commercial vehicle sales in the future. Any decline or change of this type could materially affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, adverse regional economic and competitive conditions in the geographic markets in which we operate could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our commercial vehicle sales volume therefore may differ from industry sales fluctuations.

Economic conditions and the other factors described above also may materially adversely impact our sales of parts and repair services, and finance and insurance products.

We depend on relationships with the manufacturers we represent and component suppliers for sales incentives, discounts and similar programs which are material to our operations.

We depend on the manufacturers we represent and component suppliers for sales incentives, discounts, warranties and other programs that are intended to promote the sales of their commercial vehicles or our use of their components in the vehicles we sell. Most of the incentives and discounts are individually negotiated and not always the same as those made available to commercial vehicle manufacturers or our competitors. These incentives and discounts are material to our operations. A reduction or discontinuation of a commercial vehicle manufacturer’s or component supplier’s incentive program could have a material adverse effect on our profitability.

We are dependent on the ongoing success of the manufacturers we represent and adverse conditions affecting the manufacturers we represent may negatively impact our revenues and profitability. 

The success of each of our dealerships is dependent on the manufacturers represented at each dealership. Our ability to sell new vehicles that satisfy our customers’ demands and replacement parts is dependent on the ability of the manufacturers we represent to produce and deliver new vehicles and replacement parts to our dealerships. Additionally, our dealerships perform warranty work for vehicles under manufacturer product warranties, which are billed to the appropriate vehicle manufacturer or component supplier as opposed to invoicing our customer. We generally have significant receivables from vehicle manufacturers and component suppliers for warranty and service work performed for our customers. In addition, we rely on vehicle manufacturers and component suppliers to varying extents for product training, marketing materials, and other items for our stores. Our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected as a result of any event that has a material adverse effect on the vehicle manufacturers or component suppliers we represent.

The manufacturers we represent may be adversely impacted by economic downturns, significant declines in the sales of their new vehicles, the ability to manufacture or supply vehicles that comply with applicable emissions requirements, labor strikes or similar disruptions (including within their major suppliers), rising raw materials costs, rising employee benefit costs, adverse publicity that may reduce consumer demand for their products (including due to bankruptcy), product defects, vehicle recall campaigns, litigation, poor product mix or unappealing vehicle design, governmental laws and regulations, or other adverse events. Our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows could be adversely affected if one or more of the manufacturers we represent are impacted by any of the foregoing adverse events.

Actions taken in response to continued operational losses by manufacturers we represent, including bankruptcy or reorganizations, could have a material adverse effect on our sales volumes and profitability. In addition, such actions could lead to the impairment of one or more of our franchise rights, inventories, fixed assets and other related assets, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Actions taken in response to continued operational losses by manufacturers we represent, including bankruptcy or reorganizations, could also eliminate or reduce such manufacturers’ indemnification obligations to our dealerships, which could increase our risk in products liability actions.

Risks Related to Legal and Regulatory Matters

If state dealer laws are repealed or weakened, our dealerships will be more susceptible to termination, nonrenewal or renegotiation of their dealership agreements.

We depend on our vehicle dealership agreements for a substantial portion of our revenues and profitability. State dealer laws generally provide that a manufacturer may not terminate or refuse to renew a dealership agreement unless it has first provided the dealer with written notice setting forth good cause and stating the grounds for termination or nonrenewal. Vehicle manufacturers’ lobbying efforts may lead to the repeal or revision of state motor vehicle dealer laws. If motor vehicle dealer laws are repealed or amended in the states in which we operate dealerships, the manufacturers we represent may be able to terminate our vehicle dealership agreements without providing advance notice, an opportunity to cure or a showing of good cause. Without the protection of state dealer laws, or if such laws are weakened, we will be subject to higher risk of termination or nonrenewal of our vehicle dealership agreements. Termination or nonrenewal of our vehicle dealership agreements would have a material adverse effect on our operations, revenues and profitability.

The commercial vehicles that we sell are subject to federal and state regulations focused on reducing engine emissions, and we are dependent on the manufacturers that we represent to produce or supply engines that comply with such regulations.

Laws and regulations intended to achieve the goal of significantly reducing engine emissions associated with the operation of commercial vehicles are complex and subject to change. Currently, the commercial vehicle industry is subject to the EPA 2027 Low NOx and the EPA’s GHG-3 rule, each of which are scheduled to become effective starting in model year 2027. In addition, owners and commercial fleets that register or operate commercial vehicles in the State of California are also subject to CARB’s HD Omnibus and Advanced Clean Truck rules, both of which became effective in January 2024. It is widely expected that the current GHG-3 rule will be revoked or modified by a branch of the federal government, but it is less clear whether a branch of the federal government may attempt to revoke or modify the EPA 2027 Low NOx rule. Recently, CARB revoked its request for a waiver from the EPA with respect to the Advanced Clean Fleet rule. In addition, the EPA recently announced that it has asked Congress to review the previously granted waivers that CARB received with respect to the HD Omnibus and Advanced Clean Truck rules. The current head of the EPA believes that these waivers should have been approved by Congress prior to becoming effective. It is also worth noting that there are currently multiple lawsuits pending where plaintiffs are challenging CARB’s rules on the basis that, amongst other things, such rules are preempted by other federal laws and that the EPA exceeded its authority in granting the waivers with respect to the HD Omnibus and Advanced Clean Truck rules. There are also multiple lawsuits pending where plaintiffs are challenging the GHG-3 rule on multiple grounds, including that the EPA exceeded its statutory authority in creating the rule. In July 2023, CARB and various manufacturers of heavy-duty commercial vehicles and engines, including PACCAR, International Motors, Ford, Hino, Isuzu and Cummins, entered into the Clean Truck Partnership, whereby the manufacturers agreed to comply with CARB’s emission requirements where applicable, regardless of whether any entity challenges CARB’s rule-making authority, and CARB agreed to work with manufacturers to provide reasonable lead time to meet CARB’s requirements and before imposing new regulations. It is unclear what effect, if any, the outcome of the multiple lawsuits challenging the HD Omnibus and Advanced Clean Truck rules, or Congress’ decisions with respect to the EPA’s previously granted waivers, might have on the Clean Truck Partnership.

A group of seventeen U.S. states and the District of Columbia entered into a joint memorandum of understanding that adopts at least a portion of CARB’s emissions regulations and commits each of them to work together to advance and accelerate the market for electric Class 3 through 8 commercial vehicles. Six of the states that signed are states where we sell new commercial vehicles: California, Colorado, New Mexico, North Carolina and Virginia. The signatories to the memorandum all agreed on a goal of ensuring that 100% of new Class 3 through 8 commercial vehicles are zero emission by 2050, with an interim target of 30% zero emission vehicles by 2030, although multiple of these states have recently announced plans to delay various aspects of CARB’s regulations. Attaining these goals would likely require the adoption of new laws and regulations and we cannot predict at this time whether such laws and regulations would have an adverse impact on our business.

Engine emissions rules and regulations could affect demand for the products that we sell in certain markets. For example, we believe that the HD Omnibus and Advanced Clean Truck rules, and the uncertainty regarding CARB’s enforcement of the same, resulted in our California dealerships selling less new commercial vehicles in 2024 than they would have absent such rules. While the reduction in the number of new commercial vehicles that we were able to sell in 2024 due to CARB’s rules was not material to our financial results, our success going forward depends on the ability of our manufacturers to successfully supply new commercial vehicles that comply with existing and future emissions rules and regulations in each of the markets in which we operate.

Disruptions to our information technology systems and breaches in data or system security could adversely affect our business.

We rely upon our information technology systems to manage all aspects of our business, including processing and recording sales to, and payments from, customers, managing inventory, communicating with manufacturers and vendors, processing employee payroll and benefits and financial reporting. Any inability to manage these systems, including with respect to matters related to system and data security, privacy, reliability, compliance, performance and access, as well as any inability of these systems to fulfill their intended purpose within our business, could have an adverse effect on our business. In addition, in the ordinary course of business, we collect and store sensitive data and information, including our proprietary business information and that of our customers, suppliers and business partners, as well as personally identifiable information about our employees and customers.

We take an enterprise-wide approach to cybersecurity, using established processes for assessing, identifying, and managing risks from cybersecurity threats. We have implemented various measures across our organization to manage our cybersecurity risks, including implementing systems to identify, prevent, detect, investigate, resolve, and recover from cyber security attacks. All employees participate in our security awareness training program, and additional training is required for various roles within the organization. Employees are trained and encouraged to identify and report security concerns, and cybersecurity is engrained in our culture. Our cybersecurity risk management program leverages the Center for Internet Security Critical Security Framework to provide a structured methodology to help ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our systems and data. We regularly assess cybersecurity risks and monitor our systems for vulnerabilities. We conduct regular reviews and tests of our systems and our cybersecurity program, both internally and using consultants and external auditors. These tests include, but are not limited to, vulnerability testing, penetration testing, tabletop exercises, systems recovery tests, assessments, and other activities to assess the readiness and effectiveness of our cybersecurity controls and protections. However, despite the security measures we have in place, our facilities and systems, and those of our third-party service providers, could be vulnerable to cyberattacks and other security breaches, computer viruses, lost or misplaced data, programming errors, human errors or other events, and such incidents can remain undetected for a period of time despite our best efforts to detect and respond to them in a timely manner.

We have, from time to time, experienced threats to our data and systems, including malware, ransomware, phishing and computer virus attacks. As discussed above, we are continuously developing and enhancing our controls, processes, and practices designed to protect our systems, computers, software, data, and networks from attack, damage, or unauthorized access. This continued development and enhancement requires us to expend significant additional resources. However, we may not anticipate or combat all types of future attacks until after they have been launched. If any of these breaches of security occur, we will be required to expend additional capital and other resources, including costs to deploy additional personnel and protection technologies, train employees and engage third-party experts and consultants.

Any cyberattack, security breach or other event resulting in the misappropriation, loss, or other unauthorized disclosure of confidential information or personal identifiable information of employees or customers, whether by us directly or our third-party service providers, could adversely affect our business operations, sales, reputation with current and potential customers, associates or vendors and employees and result in litigation or regulatory actions, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and reputation.

We are exposed to a variety of claims relating to our business and the liability associated with such claims may exceed the level of our insurance coverage.

In the course of our business, we are exposed to claims for personal injury, death or property damage resulting from: (i) our customers’ use of commercial vehicles that we sell, service, lease or rent; (ii) our customers’ purchase of other products that we design, manufacture, sell or install, such as commercial vehicle parts, custom vehicle modifications and CNG fuel systems through our joint venture with Cummins; and (iii) injuries caused by motor vehicle accidents that our service or delivery personnel are involved in. In addition, we have employees who work remotely from time to time at certain customers’ locations that are considered inherently dangerous, such as oil or gas well drilling sites, commercial construction sites and manufacturing facilities. We could also be subject to potential litigation associated with compliance with various laws and governmental regulations at the federal, state or local levels, such as those relating to vehicle and highway safety, health and workplace safety, security and employment-related claims.

We utilize a captive insurance company to provide our auto and general commercial liability insurance, which we supplement with excess insurance coverage. We self-insure the real property that we own and our personal property (excluding our vehicle inventory, which is insured). We also maintain various insurance policies with third-party insurers, each of which are subject to deductibles with high dollar amounts. We may be exposed to claims for which coverage is not afforded or the damages exceed the limits of our insurance coverage or multiple claims causing us to incur significant out-of-pocket costs before reaching the deductible amount, all of which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the cost of third-party insurance policies may increase significantly upon renewal of those policies as a result of general rate increases for the type of insurance we carry as well as our historical experience and experience in our industry. Although we have not experienced any material losses that were not covered by insurance, our existing or future claims may exceed the coverage level of our insurance, and such insurance may not continue to be available on economically reasonable terms, or at all. If we are required to pay significantly higher premiums for insurance, are not able to maintain insurance coverage at affordable rates or if we must pay amounts in excess of claims covered by our insurance, we could experience higher costs that could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. In fact, due to the rising costs of premiums over the last couple of years, we have been generally increasing our use of self-insurance programs and increasing the amounts of our deductibles.

We are subject to risks associated with commercial vehicles and parts manufactured outside of the United States.

Our business involves the sale of commercial vehicles, parts and commercial vehicles composed of parts that are manufactured outside of the United States, including Canada, Mexico and China. As a result, our operations are subject to certain risks of doing business outside of the United States, including import duties, exchange rates, trade restrictions and general political and socio-economic conditions in other countries. The United States or the countries where certain of the commercial vehicles and parts that we sell are manufactured may, from time to time, impose new quotas, duties, tariffs or other restrictions or limitations, or adjust presently prevailing quotas, duties or tariffs. The imposition of new, or adjustments to prevailing, quotas, duties, tariffs or other restrictions or limitations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. 

Our dealerships are subject to federal, state and local environmental regulations that may result in claims and liabilities, which could be material.

We are subject to federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations governing the following: discharges into the air and water; the operation and removal of underground and aboveground storage tanks; the use, handling, storage and disposal of hazardous substances, petroleum and other materials; and the investigation and remediation of contamination. As with commercial vehicle dealerships generally, and service, parts and collision center operations in particular, our business involves the generation, use, storage, handling and contracting for recycling or disposal of hazardous materials or wastes and other environmentally sensitive materials. Any non-compliance with these laws and regulations could result in significant fines, penalties and remediation costs which could adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

We may also have liability in connection with materials that were sent to third party recycling, treatment, or disposal facilities under federal and state statutes. Applicable laws may make us responsible for liability relating to the investigation and remediation of contamination without regard to fault or the legality of the conduct that contributed to the contamination. In connection with our acquisitions, it is possible that we will assume or become subject to new or unforeseen environmental costs or liabilities, some of which may be material. In connection with dispositions of businesses, or dispositions previously made by companies we acquire, we may retain exposure for environmental costs and liabilities, some of which may be material. In addition, compliance with current or amended, or new or more stringent, laws or regulations, stricter interpretations of existing laws or the future discovery of environmental conditions could require additional expenditures by us which could materially adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

We have operations in Canada. As a result, we may incur losses from the impact of foreign currency fluctuations and have higher costs than we otherwise would have due to the need to comply with foreign laws.

Our operations in Canada are subject to the risks normally associated with international operations. These include: (i) the need to convert currencies, which could result in a gain or loss depending on fluctuations in exchange rates; and (ii) the need to comply with Canadian laws and regulations, as well as U.S. laws and regulations, applicable to our operations in Canada. Changes in such laws or regulations, or any material failure to comply with any applicable laws or regulations, could increase our costs, affect our reputation, limit our business and otherwise impact our operations in adverse ways. In addition, laws or regulations or the interpretations thereof can conflict among jurisdictions, and compliance in one jurisdiction could result in legal or reputational risks in another jurisdiction.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

We are controlled by one shareholder and his affiliate.

Collectively, Mr. Rush and his affiliate own approximately 0.3% of our issued and outstanding shares of Class A common stock and 44.3% of our issued and outstanding Class B common stock. Mr. Rush collectively controls approximately 35.6% of the aggregate voting power of our outstanding shares, which is substantially more than any other person or group. The interests of Mr. Rush may not be consistent with the interests of all shareholders. As a result of such ownership, Mr. Rush has the ability to exercise substantial control over the Company, including with respect to the election of directors, the determination of matters requiring shareholder approval and other matters pertaining to corporate governance.

Our dealership agreements could discourage another company from acquiring us.

Our dealership agreements with Peterbilt impose ownership requirements on certain officers of the Company. All of our dealership agreements include restrictions on the sale or transfer of the underlying franchises. These ownership requirements and restrictions may prevent or deter prospective acquirers from acquiring control of us and, therefore, may adversely impact the value of our common stock.

Additionally, the number of shares owned by Mr. Rush and his affiliate, the requirement in our dealership agreements that the Dealer Principals retain a controlling interest in us, the restrictions on who may serve as Chairman of the Board and President or Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and the restrictions on the sale or transfer of our franchises contained in our dealer agreements, combined with the ability of the Board of Directors to issue shares of preferred stock without further vote or action by the shareholders, may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control without further action by our shareholders, which could adversely affect the market price of our common stock or prevent or delay a merger or acquisition that our shareholders may consider favorable.

Actions by our shareholders or prospective shareholders that would violate any of the above restrictions on our dealership agreements are generally outside of our control. If we are unable to renegotiate these restrictions, we may be forced to terminate or sell one or more of our dealerships, which could have a material adverse effect on us. These restrictions may also inhibit our ability to raise required capital or to issue our stock as consideration for future acquisitions.

Our Class A common stock has limited voting power.

Each share of Class A common stock ranks equal to each share of Class B common stock with respect to receipt of any dividends or distributions declared on shares of common stock and the right to receive proceeds on liquidation or dissolution of us after payment of our indebtedness and liquidation preference payments to holders of any preferred shares. However, holders of Class A common stock have 1/20th of one vote per share on all matters requiring a shareholder vote, while holders of Class B common stock have one full vote per share.

Our Class B common stock has a low average daily trading volume. As a result, sales of our Class B common stock could cause the market price of our Class B common stock to drop, and it may be difficult for a stockholder to liquidate its position in our Class B common stock quickly without adversely affecting the market price of such shares.

The volume of trading in our Class B common stock varies greatly and may often be light. As of December 31, 2024, the three-month average daily trading volume of our Class B common stock was approximately 17,000 shares, with twenty-three days having a trading volume below 10,000 shares. If any large shareholder were to begin selling shares in the market, the added available supply of shares could cause the market price of our Class B common stock to drop. In addition, the lack of a robust resale market may require a shareholder to sell a large number of shares of our Class B common stock in increments over time to mitigate any adverse impact of the sales on the market price of our Class B common stock.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 1C. Cybersecurity

Item 2. Properties

Our corporate headquarters are owned by us and located in New Braunfels, Texas. As of December 2024, we also own or lease numerous facilities used in our operations in the following locations: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Ontario, Canada. For information regarding the number of locations that we have in each state, the number of locations that we own or lease and the number of franchises that we represent in each state, please see “Business” in “Item 1. Business.”

We lease a hangar in New Braunfels, Texas for our corporate aircraft. We also own and operate a guest ranch of approximately 10,950 acres near Cotulla, Texas, which is used for client development purposes.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

From time to time, we are involved in litigation arising out of our operations in the ordinary course of business. We maintain liability insurance, including product liability coverage, in amounts deemed adequate by management. However, an uninsured or partially insured claim, or claim for which indemnification is not available, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. As of December 31, 2024, we believe that there are no pending claims or litigation, individually or in the aggregate, that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations. However, due to the inherent uncertainty of litigation, there can be no assurance that the resolution of any particular claim or proceeding would not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations for the fiscal period in which such resolution occurred.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Our common stock trades on The NASDAQ Global Select Market ^SM under the symbols RUSHA and RUSHB. During 2024, our Board approved four quarterly cash dividends on all outstanding shares of common stock totaling $0.70 per share. We expect to continue paying cash dividends on a quarterly basis. However, there is no assurance as to the payment of future dividends because the declaration and payment of such dividends is subject to the business judgment of our Board and will depend on historic and projected earnings, capital requirements, covenant compliance, financial conditions and such other factors as the Board deems relevant.

The following table sets forth the high and low sales prices for our Class A common stock and Class B common stock for the fiscal periods indicated and as quoted on The NASDAQ Global Select Market^SM and dividends declared.

As of February 17, 2025, there were seventeen record holders of Class A common stock and nineteen record holders of Class B common stock. On August 28, 2023, we effected a three-for-two stock split with respect to both our Class A and Class B common stock in the form of a stock dividend. The foregoing stock prices and the following share amounts have been adjusted to give retroactive effect to the stock split for all periods presented.

As of December 31, 2024, we have not sold any securities in the last three years that were not registered under the Securities Act.

A summary of our stock repurchase activity for the fourth quarter of 2024 is as follows:

Information regarding our equity compensation plans is incorporated by reference from Item 12, “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters,” of this annual report on Form 10-K and should be considered an integral part of this Item 5.

Performance Graph

The graph below matches the cumulative 5-Year total return of holders of Rush Enterprises, Inc.'s common stock with the cumulative total returns of the S&P 500 index and a customized peer group of four companies that includes: Lithia Motors Inc, Paccar Inc, Penske Automotive Group Inc and Werner Enterprises Inc. The graph assumes that the value of the investment in our common stock, in each index, and in the peer group (including reinvestment of dividends) was $100 on 12/31/2019 and tracks it through 12/31/2024.

The stock price performance included in this graph is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.

The foregoing performance graph shall not be deemed “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liabilities under that Section, and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing of the Company under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act. The stock price performance included in this graph is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.

Item 6. [Reserved]

Not applicable

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Overview

We are a full-service, integrated retailer of commercial vehicles and related services. We operate one segment - the Truck Segment. The Truck Segment operates a network of commercial vehicle dealerships primarily under the name “Rush Truck Centers.” Most Rush Truck Centers are a franchised dealer for commercial vehicles manufactured by Peterbilt, International, Hino, Ford, Isuzu, Dennis Eagle, Blue Arc, Battle Motors, IC Bus or Blue Bird. Through our strategically located network of Rush Truck Centers, we provide one-stop service for the needs of our commercial vehicle customers. We offer an integrated approach to meeting customer needs by providing service, parts and collision repair (collectively, “Aftermarket Products and Services”) in addition to new and used commercial vehicle sales, leasing, insurance and financial services, vehicle upfitting, CNG fuel systems through our joint venture with Cummins and vehicle telematics products.

Our goal is to continue to serve as the premier service solutions provider to the end-users of commercial vehicles. Our strategic efforts to achieve this goal include continuously expanding our portfolio of Aftermarket Products and Services, broadening the diversity of our commercial vehicle product offerings and extending our network of Rush Truck Centers. Our commitment to provide innovative solutions to service our customers’ needs continues to drive our strong Aftermarket Products and Services revenues.

Our Aftermarket Products and Services include a wide range of capabilities and products such as providing parts, service and collision repairs at certain of our Rush Truck Centers, a fleet of mobile service units, technicians who work in our customers’ facilities, a proprietary line of commercial vehicle parts and accessories, vehicle upfitting, a broad range of diagnostic and analysis capabilities, a suite of telematics products and assembly services for specialized bodies and equipment. Aftermarket Products and Services accounted for 60.4% of our total gross profits in 2024.

Stock Split

On July 25, 2023, the Board declared a 3-for-2 stock split of the Company’s Class A common stock and Class B common stock, which was effected in the form of a stock dividend. On August 28, 2023, the Company distributed one additional share of stock for every two shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and Class B common stock, par value $0.01 per share, held by shareholders of record as of August 7, 2023. All share and per share data in this Form 10-K have been adjusted and restated to reflect the stock split as if it occurred on the first day of the earliest period presented.

Summary of 2024

Our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024, are summarized below as follows:

2025 Outlook

According to A.C.T. Research Co., LLC (“A.C.T. Research”), a commercial vehicle industry data and forecasting service provider, new U. S. Class 8 truck retail sales are estimated to total 252,000 truck units in 2025, a 1.9% increase compared to 247,337 units sold in 2024. We expect our U.S. market share of new Class 8 truck sales to range between 5.8% and 6.3% in 2025. This market share percentage would result in the sale of 14,500 to 16,000 new Class 8 trucks in 2025. We expect to sell approximately 500 additional new Class 8 trucks in Canada in 2025.

According to A.C.T. Research, new U. S. Class 4 through 7 commercial vehicle retail sales are estimated to total 266,300 units in 2025, a 5.7% increase compared to 251,895 units sold in 2024. We expect our U.S. market share of new Class 4 through 7 commercial vehicle sales to range between 5.4% and 5.8% in 2025. This market share percentage would result in the sale of 14,500 to 15,500 new Class 4 through 7 commercial vehicles in 2025. We expect to sell approximately 550 additional new Class 5 through 7 commercial vehicles in Canada in 2025.

We expect to sell approximately 2,200 to 2,700 light-duty vehicles and 7,000 to 8,000 used commercial vehicles in 2025.

We expect lease and rental revenue to increase approximately 6.0% during 2025, compared to 2024.

In 2025, we expect demand for Aftermarket Products and Services to remain relatively weak through the first few months of 2025 due to the slower than expected freight recovery and continued low fleet utilization from our over-the-road customers. However, we are optimistic that demand will pick up as the year progresses, and we believe that our continued focus on growing our national account customer base and our focus on other aftermarket strategic initiatives will result in aftermarket revenue growth this year.

Key Performance Indicator

Absorption Ratio. Management uses several performance metrics to evaluate the performance of our commercial vehicle dealerships and considers Rush Truck Centers’ “absorption ratio” to be of critical importance. Absorption ratio is calculated by dividing the gross profit from our Aftermarket Products and Services departments by the overhead expenses of all of a dealership’s departments, except for the selling expenses of the new and used commercial vehicle departments and carrying costs of new and used commercial vehicle inventory. When 100% absorption is achieved, all of the gross profit from the sale of a commercial vehicle, after sales commissions and inventory carrying costs, directly impacts operating profit. Our commercial vehicle dealerships achieved a 132.2% absorption ratio for the year ended December 31, 2024, and 135.3% absorption ratio for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ from those estimates. We believe the following accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

The Company’s significant accounting policies are disclosed in Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Inventory Reserves

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is determined by specific identification of new and used commercial vehicle inventory. An allowance is provided when it is anticipated that cost will exceed net realizable value.

Purchase Price Allocation, Intangible Assets and Goodwill

Purchase price allocation for business combinations and asset acquisitions requires the use of accounting estimates and judgments to allocate the purchase price to the identifiable tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their respective fair values. We determine whether substantially all the fair value of the gross assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets. If so, the single asset or group of assets, as applicable, is not a business. If not, we determine whether the single asset or group of assets, as applicable, meets the definition of a business.

In connection with our business combinations, we record certain intangible assets, including franchise rights. We periodically review the estimated useful lives and fair values of our identifiable intangible assets, taking into consideration any events or circumstances that might result in a diminished fair value or revised useful life.

The excess purchase price over the fair value of assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. We assess goodwill for impairment annually in the fourth quarter, or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate an impairment may have occurred. If impaired, the carrying values of the assets are written down to fair value using Level 3 inputs. See Note 2 – Significant Accounting Policies for further discussion of Level 3 fair value.

Accounting for Income Taxes

Management’s judgment is required to determine the provisions for income taxes and to determine whether deferred tax assets will be realized in full or in part. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. When it is more likely than not that all or some portion of specific deferred income tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance must be established for the amount of deferred income tax assets that are determined not to be realizable. Accordingly, the facts and financial circumstances impacting deferred income tax assets are reviewed quarterly and management’s judgment is applied to determine the amount of valuation allowance required, if any, in any given period.

Tax authorities periodically audit our income tax returns. These audits include questions regarding our tax filing positions, including the timing and amount of deductions. In evaluating the exposures associated with our various tax filing positions, we adjust our liability for unrecognized tax benefits and income tax provision in the period in which an uncertain tax position is effectively settled, the statute of limitations expires for the relevant taxing authority to examine the tax position or when more information becomes available.

Our liability for unrecognized tax benefits contains uncertainties because management is required to make assumptions and to apply judgment to estimate the exposures associated with our various filing positions. Our effective income tax rate is also affected by changes in tax law, the level of earnings and the results of tax audits. Although we believe that the judgments and estimates are reasonable, actual results could differ, and we may be exposed to losses or gains that could be material. An unfavorable tax settlement would require use of our cash and result in an increase in our effective income tax rate in the period of resolution. A favorable tax settlement would generally be recognized as a reduction in our effective income tax rate in the period of resolution. Our income tax expense includes the impact of reserve provisions and changes to reserves that we consider appropriate, as well as related interest.

Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis includes our historical results of operations for 2024, 2023 and 2022. The following table sets forth for the years indicated certain financial data as a percentage of total revenues:

The following table sets forth the unit sales and revenue for new heavy-duty, new medium-duty, new light-duty and used commercial vehicles and the absorption ratio for the years indicated (revenue in millions):

The following table sets forth for the periods indicated the percent of gross profit by revenue source:

Industry

We operate in the commercial vehicle market. There has historically been a high correlation between new product sales in the commercial vehicle market and the rate of change in U.S. industrial production and the U.S. gross domestic product.

Heavy-Duty Truck Market

The U.S. retail heavy-duty truck market is affected by a number of factors, including general economic conditions, fuel prices, other methods of transportation, environmental and other government regulations, interest rate fluctuations and customer business cycles. According to data published by A.C.T. Research, total U.S. retail sales of new Class 8 trucks in the last ten years have ranged from a low of approximately 195,687 in 2020 to a high of approximately 281,440 in 2019. Class 8 trucks are defined by the American Automobile Association as trucks with a minimum gross vehicle weight rating above 33,000 pounds.

Typically, Class 8 trucks are assembled by manufacturers utilizing certain components that may be manufactured by other companies, including engines, transmissions, axles, wheels and other components. As commercial vehicles and certain commercial vehicle components have become increasingly complex, the ability to provide service for commercial vehicles has become an increasingly competitive factor in the industry. The ability to provide such service requires a significant capital investment in diagnostic and other equipment, parts inventory and highly trained service personnel. EPA and Department of Transportation regulatory guidelines for service processes, including collision center, paint work and waste disposal, require sophisticated equipment to ensure compliance with environmental and safety standards. Differentiation between commercial vehicle dealers has become less dependent on price competition and is increasingly based on a dealer’s ability to offer a wide variety of services to their clients in a timely manner to minimize vehicle downtime. Such services include the following: efficient, conveniently located and easily accessible commercial vehicle service centers with an adequate supply of replacement parts and other aftermarket products and services; financing for commercial vehicle purchases; leasing and rental programs; and the ability to accept multiple unit trade-ins related to large fleet purchases. We believe our one-stop center concept and the size and geographic diversity of our dealership network gives us a competitive advantage in providing these services.

A.C.T. Research currently estimates 252,000 new Class 8 trucks will be sold in the United States in 2025, compared to approximately 247,337 new Class 8 trucks sold in 2024. A.C.T. Research currently forecasts sales of new Class 8 trucks in the U.S. to be approximately 291,100 in 2026.

Medium-Duty Truck Market

Many of our Rush Truck Centers sell medium-duty commercial vehicles manufactured by Peterbilt, International, Hino, Ford or Isuzu, and provide parts and service for medium-duty commercial vehicles. Medium-duty commercial vehicles are principally used in short‑haul markets as delivery vehicles; they typically operate locally and generally do not leave their service areas overnight. We also sell light-duty vehicles (Class 3 and under) at several of our Ford dealerships.

A.C.T. Research currently forecasts sales of new Class 4 through 7 commercial vehicles in the U.S. to be approximately 266,300 units in 2025, compared to 251,895 units in 2024.

Year Ended December 31, 2024, Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2023

Revenues

Total revenues decreased $120.3 million, or 1.5%, in 2024, compared to 2023.

Our Aftermarket Products and Services revenues decreased $46.1 million, or 1.8%, in 2024, compared to 2023. The decrease in Aftermarket Parts and Services revenues was primarily related to the ongoing freight recession.

Our revenues from sales of new and used commercial vehicles decreased $69.1 million, or 1.4%, in 2024, compared to 2023. The decrease in new and used commercial vehicle revenues was primarily a result of weak demand for Class 8 trucks caused by the ongoing freight recession and high interest rates, which was partially offset by strong demand for Class 4 through 7 medium-duty commercial vehicles.

We sold 15,465 new Class 8 trucks in 2024, a 11.4% decrease compared to 17,457 new heavy-duty trucks in 2023. Our share of the new U.S. Class 8 commercial vehicle sales market decreased to approximately 6.1% in 2024, from 6.2% in 2023. Our share of the new Canada Class 8 truck market was approximately 1.7% in 2024. The decrease in new commercial vehicle revenues was primarily a result of the ongoing freight recession and high interest rates.

We sold 13,935 new medium-duty commercial vehicles, including 1,230 buses, in 2024, a 5.1% increase compared to 13,264 new medium-duty commercial vehicles, including 1,564 buses, in 2023. In 2024, we achieved a 5.3% share of the Class 4 through 7 commercial vehicle market in the U.S., compared to 5.1% in 2023. Our share of the Canada medium-duty commercial vehicles market was approximately 3.1% in 2024. The increase in our Class 4 through 7 commercial vehicle sales in 2024 was primarily a result of strong demand and increased production of commercial vehicles from the manufacturers we represent.

We sold 2,105 new light-duty vehicles in 2024, a 13.9% increase compared to 1,848 new light-duty vehicles in 2023.

We sold 7,110 used commercial vehicles in 2024, a 0.1% decrease compared to 7,117 used commercial vehicles in 2023. We expect used commercial vehicle demand to remain at current levels. We also expect that the rate at which used commercial vehicles are depreciating will continue to decrease and that valuations will continue to stabilize during 2025.

Commercial vehicle lease and rental revenues increased $1.2 million, or 0.3%, in 2024, compared to 2023. This increase in commercial vehicle lease and rental revenues was primarily a result of steady demand for lease commercial vehicles, which was partially offset by decreased rental utilization.

Finance and insurance revenues decreased $2.3 million, or 9.4%, in 2024, compared to 2023. This decrease is primarily due to the mix of purchasers of commercial vehicles. We are more likely provide financing to owner-operators and smaller fleets, which comprised a smaller percentage of commercial vehicle sales during 2024. Finance and insurance revenues have limited direct costs and, therefore, contribute a disproportionate share of our operating profits.

Other revenues decreased $3.9 million, or 14.5% in 2024, compared to 2023. Other revenues consist primarily of the gains related to the disposition of our lease and rental fleet and document fees related to commercial vehicle sales.

Gross Profit

Gross profit decreased $61.7 million, or 3.9%, compared to 2023. Gross profit as a percentage of sales decreased to 19.6% in 2024, from 20.1% in 2023. This decrease in gross profit as a percentage of sales was a result of a change in our customer sales mix and pricing pressure due to the ongoing freight recession. Commercial vehicle sales, a lower margin revenue item, was 62.6% of total revenues in both 2024 and 2023. Aftermarket Products and Services revenues, a higher margin revenue item, decreased slightly as a percentage of total revenues to 32.2% in 2024, from 32.3% in 2023.

Gross margins from our Aftermarket Products and Services operations decreased to 36.7% in 2024, from 37.2% in 2023. Gross profit for Aftermarket Products and Services decreased to $924.5 million in 2024, from $952.8 million in 2023. This decrease is primarily related to the ongoing freight recession. Historically, parts operations’ gross margins range from 28% to 30% and service and collision center operations range from 66% to 68%. Gross profits from parts sales represented 58.0% of total gross profit for Aftermarket Products and Services operations in 2024 and 59.5% in 2023. Service and collision center operations represented 42.0% of total gross profit for Aftermarket Products and Services operations in 2024 and 40.5% 2023. We expect blended gross margins on Aftermarket Products and Services operations to range from 35.0% to 38.0% in 2025.

Gross margins on new Class 8 truck sales decreased to 8.9% in 2024, from 9.7% in 2023. In 2025, we expect overall gross margins from new heavy-duty truck sales of approximately 8.5% to 9.5%.

Gross margins on new Class 4 through 7 commercial vehicle sales increased to 9.2% in 2024, from 9.0% in 2023. This increase was primarily due to the mix of purchasers during 2024. For 2025, we expect overall gross margins from new medium-duty commercial vehicle sales of approximately 8.0% to 10.0%, but this will largely depend upon the mix of purchasers and types of vehicles sold.

Gross margins on used commercial vehicle sales increased to 18.9% in 2024, from 12.4% in 2023. This increase was primarily due to the successful execution of our used commercial vehicle sales strategy. We expect margins on used commercial vehicles to range between 13.0% and 18.0% in 2025.

Gross margins from commercial vehicle lease and rental sales decreased to 28.0% in 2024, from 29.9% in 2023. This decrease is primarily related to a decrease in rental utilization rates. We expect gross margins from lease and rental sales of approximately 27.0% to 29.0% during 2025. Our policy is to depreciate our lease and rental fleet using a straight-line method over each customer’s contractual lease term. The lease unit is depreciated to a residual value that approximates fair value at the expiration of the lease term. This policy results in us realizing reasonable gross margins while the unit is in service and a corresponding gain or loss on sale when the unit is sold at the end of the lease term.

Finance and insurance revenues and other revenues, as described above, have limited direct costs and, therefore, contribute a disproportionate share of gross profit.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

SG&A expenses decreased $26.1 million, or 2.6%, in 2024, compared to 2023. This decrease primarily resulted from company initiatives to reduce operating expenses. SG&A expenses as a percentage of total revenues decreased to 12.8% in 2024, from 12.9% in 2023. Annual SG&A expenses as a percentage of total revenues have ranged from 12.4% to 14.4% over the last five years. In general, when new and used commercial vehicle revenues increase as a percentage of total revenues, SG&A expenses as a percentage of total revenues will be at the lower end of this range. For 2025, we expect SG&A expenses as a percentage of total revenues to range from 11.5% to 13.5%. For 2025, we expect the selling portion of SG&A expenses to be 25.0% to 30.0% of new and used commercial vehicle gross profit.

Depreciation and Amortization Expense

Depreciation and amortization expense increased $8.7 million, or 14.6%, in 2024, compared to 2023.

Interest Expense, Net

Net interest expense increased $17.9 million, or 33.9%, in 2024, compared to 2023. This increase in interest expense is a result of the increase in inventory levels and rising interest rates on our variable rate debt compared to 2023. We expect net interest expense in 2025 to decrease compared to 2024 due to decreased commercial vehicle inventory levels and lower interest rates.

Income before Income Taxes

Income before income taxes decreased $64.2 million, or 13.9%, in 2024, compared to 2023, as a result of the factors described above.

Income Taxes

Income tax expense decreased $21.2 million, or 18.6%, in 2024, compared to 2023, as a result of the factors described above. We provided for taxes at a 23.3% effective rate in 2024 and 24.7% in 2023. We expect our effective tax rate to be approximately 23.0% to 25.0% of pretax income in 2025.

Year Ended December 31, 2023, Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2022

For a discussion of information on the year ended December 31, 2023, refer to Part II Item 7 in the 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Inline XBRL Viewer (sec.gov)

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our short-term cash requirements are primarily for working capital, inventory financing, the renovation and expansion of existing facilities and the construction or purchase of new facilities. Historically, these cash requirements have been met through the retention of profits and borrowings under our floor plan arrangements and other credit agreements. As of December 31, 2024, we had working capital of approximately $736.1 million, including $228.1 million in cash, available to fund our operations. We believe that these funds, together with expected cash flows from operations, are sufficient to meet our operating requirements for at least the next twelve months. From time to time, we utilize our excess cash on hand to pay down our outstanding borrowings under our various credit agreements. The resulting interest earned is recognized as an offset to our interest expense.

We continually evaluate our liquidity and capital resources based upon: (i) our cash and cash equivalents on hand; (ii) the funds that we expect to generate through future operations; (iii) current and expected borrowing availability under our secured line of credit, working capital lines of credit available under certain of our credit agreements and both our Peterbilt and BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreements; and (iv) the potential impact of our capital allocation strategy and any contemplated or pending future transactions, including, but not limited to, acquisitions, equity repurchases, dividends, or other capital expenditures. We believe we will have sufficient liquidity to meet our debt service and working capital requirements, commitments and contingencies, debt repayments, acquisitions, capital expenditures and any operating requirements for at least the next twelve months.

We have a line of credit that provides for a maximum borrowing of $25.0 million. There were no advances outstanding under this secured line of credit as of December 31, 2024, however, $18.8 million was pledged to secure various letters of credit related to self-insurance products, leaving $6.2 million available for future borrowings as of December 31, 2024.

The BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement and the WF Credit Agreement require us to satisfy various financial ratios such as the leverage ratio, the asset coverage ratio and the fixed charge coverage ratio. As of December 31, 2024, we were in compliance with all debt covenants related to debt secured by lease and rental units, the BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement and the WF Credit Agreement. We do not anticipate any breach of the covenants in the foreseeable future.

We expect to purchase or lease commercial vehicles worth approximately $200.0 million to $250.0 million for our leasing operations during 2025, depending on customer demand. We also expect to make capital expenditures for the purchase of recurring items such as computers, shop tools and equipment and company vehicles of approximately $35.0 million to $40.0 million during 2025.

During the fourth quarter of 2024, we paid a cash dividend of $14.3 million. Additionally, on February 17, 2025, our Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.18 per share of Class A and Class B common stock, to be paid on March 18, 2025, to all shareholders of record as of March 3, 2025. The total dividend disbursement is estimated to be approximately $14.3 million. We expect to continue paying cash dividends on a quarterly basis. However, there is no assurance as to future dividends because the declaration and payment of such dividends is subject to the business judgment of our Board and will depend on historic and projected earnings, capital requirements, covenant compliance and financial conditions and such other factors as our Board deems relevant.

On December 2, 2024, we announced that our Board approved a new stock repurchase program authorizing management to repurchase, from time to time, up to an aggregate of $150.0 million of our shares of Class A common stock and/or Class B common stock. In connection with the adoption of the new stock repurchase plan, we terminated the prior stock repurchase plan, which was scheduled to expire on December 31, 2024. Repurchases, if any, will be made at times and in amounts as we deem appropriate and may be made through open market transactions at prevailing market prices, privately negotiated transactions or by other means in accordance with federal securities laws. The actual timing, number and value of repurchases under the stock repurchase program will be determined by management at its discretion and will depend on a number of factors, including market conditions, stock price and other factors, including those related to the ownership requirements of our dealership agreements with Peterbilt. As of December 31, 2024, we had repurchased $6.5 million of our shares of common stock under the current stock repurchase program. The current stock repurchase program expires on December 31, 2025, and may be suspended or discontinued at any time.

We anticipate funding the capital expenditures for the improvement and expansion of existing facilities and recurring expenses through our operating cash flows. We have the ability to fund the construction or purchase of new facilities through our operating cash flows or by financing.

We have no other material commitments for capital expenditures as of December 31, 2024. However, we will continue to purchase vehicles for our lease and rental operations and authorize capital expenditures for the improvement or expansion of our existing dealership facilities and construction or purchase of new facilities based on market opportunities.

Cash Flows

The following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods indicated (in thousands):

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

Cash flows from operating activities include net income adjusted for non-cash items and the effects of changes in working capital. During 2024, operating activities resulted in net cash provided by operations of $619.6 million. Net cash provided by operating activities primarily consisted of $305.0 million in net income, as well as non-cash adjustments related to depreciation and amortization of $236.1 million, provision for deferred income tax of $19.8 million and stock-based compensation of $30.4 million. Cash used in operating activities included an aggregate of $23.5 million net change in operating assets and liabilities. Net change in operating assets and liabilities were primarily the result of $34.8 million from the decrease in customer deposits and $12.2 million from the decrease in accrued liabilities, which were offset primarily by cash outflows of $91.7 million from an increase in accounts receivable, $81.9 million from the decrease in accounts payable and $85.1 million from an increase in inventory. The majority of our commercial vehicle inventory is financed through our floor plan credit agreements.

During 2023, operating activities resulted in net cash provided by operating activities primarily consisted of $348.1 million in net income, as well as non-cash adjustments related to depreciation and amortization of $221.1 million, provision for deferred income tax of $7.6 million and stock-based compensation of $30.4 million. Cash used in operating activities included an aggregate of $310.6 million net change in operating assets and liabilities. Net change in operating assets and liabilities were primarily the result of $28.8 million from the decrease in customer deposits and $7.2 million from the decrease in accrued liabilities, which were offset primarily by cash outflows of $38.3 million from an increase in accounts receivable, $10.6 million from the decrease in accounts payable and $297.7 million from an increase in inventory.

Cash Flows from Investing Activities

During 2024, cash used in investing activities totaled $445.6 million. Cash flows used in investing activities consist primarily of cash used for capital expenditures, business acquisitions and notes receivable from an affiliate. Cash used for business acquisitions was $16.4 million and cash used for a notes receivable from an affiliate was $9.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2024. See Note 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a detailed discussion of the business acquisitions. Capital expenditures totaled $433.0 million during 2024 and consisted primarily of purchases of property and equipment, improvements to our existing dealership facilities and $368.5 million for purchases of rental and lease vehicles for the rental and leasing operations.

During 2023, cash used in investing activities totaled $387.0 million. Cash flows used in investing activities consist primarily of cash used for capital expenditures and business acquisitions. Cash used for business acquisitions was $16.1 million during the year ended December 31,2024. See Note 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a detailed discussion of the business acquisitions. Capital expenditures totaled $368.9 million during 2024 and consisted primarily of purchases of property and equipment, improvements to our existing dealership facilities and $263.9 million for purchases of rental and lease vehicles for the rental and leasing operations.

Cash Flows from Financing Activities

Cash flows used in financing activities include borrowings and repayments of long-term debt and net payments of floor plan notes payable. During 2024, our financing activities resulted in net cash used in financing of $129.3 million. The cash outflows consisted primarily of $1,846.8 million used for principal repayments of long-term debt and finance lease obligations and $10.1 million for taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards. Additionally, during 2024, we paid cash dividends of $55.5 million and used $15.7 million to repurchase shares of Rush Class A common stock and Rush Class B common stock. These cash outflows were partially offset by $54.3 million from net draws on floor plan notes payable (non-trade), borrowings of $1,844.5 million of long-term debt and $25.4 million from the issuance of shares related to equity compensation plans.

During 2024, our financing activities resulted in net cash received in financing of $74.0 million. The cash outflows consisted primarily of $1,309.3 million used for principal repayments of long-term debt and finance lease obligations and $7.0 million for taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards. Additionally, during 2024, we paid cash dividends of $50.6 million and used $211.8 million to repurchase shares of Rush Class A common stock and Rush Class B common stock. These cash outflows were partially offset by $205.5 million from net draws on floor plan notes payable (non-trade), borrowings of $1,429.1 million of long-term debt and $18.1 million from the issuance of shares related to equity compensation plans.

On September 14, 2021, we entered into the WF Credit Agreement with the WF lenders and the WF Agent. Pursuant to the terms of the WF Credit Agreement (as amended), the WF Lenders have agreed to make up to $175.0 million of revolving credit loans for certain of our capital expenditures, including commercial vehicle purchases for our Idealease leasing and rental fleet, and general working capital needs. We expect to use the revolving credit loans available under the WF Credit Agreement primarily for the purpose of purchasing commercial vehicles for our Idealease lease and rental fleet. We may borrow, repay and reborrow amounts pursuant to the WF Credit Agreement from time to time until the maturity date. Borrowings under the WF Credit Agreement bear interest per annum, payable on each interest payment date, as defined in the WF Credit Agreement, at (A) the daily SOFR plus (i) 1.25% or (ii) 1.5%, depending on our consolidated leverage ratio or (B) on or after the term SOFR transition date, the term SOFR plus (i) 1.25% or (ii) 1.5%, depending on our consolidated leverage ratio. The WF Credit Agreement expires on September 14, 2026, although, upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an event of default, the WF Agent has the right to, or upon the request of the required lenders must, terminate the commitments and declare all outstanding principal and interest due and payable. We may terminate the commitments at any time. On December 31, 2024, we had approximately $153.4 million outstanding under the WF Credit Agreement.

On November 1, 2023, we entered into the PLC Agreement with PACCAR Leasing Company, a division of PFC. Pursuant to the terms of the PLC Agreement, as amended by that certain amendment entered into on December 16, 2024, PLC agreed to make up to $500.0 million of revolving credit loans to finance certain of our capital expenditures, including commercial vehicle purchases and other equipment to be leased or rented through our PacLease franchises. We may borrow, repay and reborrow amounts pursuant to the PLC Agreement from time to time until the maturity date, provided, however, that the outstanding principal amount on any date shall not exceed the borrowing base. In addition, we must maintain a minimum balance of $220.0 million or we are subject to an unused commitment fee 0.20% of the amount by which the average daily outstanding principal balance of the loan during such quarter is less than $220.0 million. Advances under the PLC Agreement bear interest per annum, payable on the fifth day of the following month, at our option, at either (A) the prime rate, minus 2.10%, provided that the floating rate of interest is subject to a floor of 0%, or (B) a fixed rate, to be determined between us and PLC in each instance of borrowing at a fixed rate. The PLC Agreement expires on December 16, 2029, although either party has the right to terminate the PLC Agreement at any time upon 360 days written notice. On December 31, 2024, we had approximately $220.0 million outstanding under the PLC Agreement.

Most of our commercial vehicle purchases are made on terms requiring payment to the manufacturer within 15 to 60 days or less from the date the commercial vehicles are invoiced from the factory. Navistar Financial Corporation and Peterbilt offer trade terms that provide an interest-free inventory stocking period for certain new commercial vehicles. This interest-free period is 15 to 60 days. If the commercial vehicle is not sold within the interest-free period, we finance the commercial vehicle under the PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement or the BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement.

On December 16, 2024, we entered into the new PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement with PFC. The PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement includes an aggregate loan commitment of $800.0 million for the financing of new Peterbilt trucks, tractors, chassis and other related equipment manufactured by Peterbilt. Borrowings under the PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement bear interest per annum, payable on the fifth day of the following month, at our option, at either (A) the prime rate, minus 2.10%, provided that the floating rate of interest is subject to a floor of 0%, or (B) a fixed rate, to be determined between us and PFC in each instance of borrowing at a fixed rate. The PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement expires December 16, 2029, although either party has the right to terminate the PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement at any time upon 360 days written notice. On December 31, 2024, we had approximately $492.7 million outstanding under the PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement. We utilize our excess cash on hand to pay down our outstanding borrowings under the PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement, and the resulting interest earned is recognized as an offset to our gross interest expense under the PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement.

On September 14, 2021, we entered into the BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement (as amended) with BMO and the lenders signatory thereto. This agreement had an aggregate loan commitment of $1.0 billion, which we utilized to finance all of our new and used commercial vehicle inventory in the United States until we entered into the PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement. On December 12, 2024, we entered into an amendment of the BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement. Pursuant to the terms of the amendment, the aggregate loan commitment was reduced from $1.0 billion to $675.0 million and the definition of “Inventory” was amended to remove trucks, tractors and chassis manufactured by Peterbilt. We utilize the BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement to finance all of our new commercial vehicle inventory, except for equipment manufactured by Peterbilt, and all of our used commercial vehicle inventory and for working capital purposes. Borrowings under the BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement bear interest per annum, payable monthly, at (A) the greater of (i) zero and (ii) Term SOFR (as defined in the agreement), plus (B) 1.20%. Borrowings under the BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement for the purchase of used inventory are limited to $150.0 million and loans for working capital purposes are limited to $200.0 million. The BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement expires December 31, 2029, although BMO Bank N.A. has the right to terminate at any time upon 360 days written notice and we may terminate at any time, subject to specified limited exceptions. On December 31, 2024, we had approximately $389.3 million outstanding under the BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement. The average daily outstanding borrowings under the BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement were $956.4 million during the twelve months ended December 31, 2024. We utilize our excess cash on hand to pay down our outstanding borrowings under the BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement, and the resulting interest earned is recognized as an offset to our gross interest expense under the BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement.

On May 31, 2022, RTC Canada entered into the RTC Canada Revolving Credit Agreement with BMO. Pursuant to the terms of the RTC Canada Revolving Credit Agreement, BMO agreed to make up to $120.0 million CAD of revolving credit loans to finance certain of RTC Canada’s capital expenditures, including commercial vehicle purchases and other equipment to be leased or rented through RTC Canada’s Idealease franchise, with an additional $20.0 million CAD available upon the request of RTC Canada and consent of BMO. Borrowings under the RTC Canada Revolving Credit Agreement bear interest per annum payable monthly at CORRA, plus 1.72%. The RTC Canada Revolving Credit Agreement expires September 14, 2026. On December 31, 2024, we had approximately $50.4 million CAD outstanding under the RTC Canada Revolving Credit Agreement.

On July 15, 2022, RTC Canada entered into the RTC Canada Floor Plan Credit Agreement (as amended) with BMO. Pursuant to the terms of the RTC Canada Floor Plan Credit Agreement, BMO agreed to make up to $116.7 million CAD of revolving credit loans to finance RTC Canada’s purchase of new and used vehicle inventory. Loans to purchase used vehicle inventory are limited to twenty percent (20%) of the credit limit available at such time. RTC Canada may borrow, repay and reborrow loans from time to time until the maturity date, provided, however, that the outstanding principal amount on any date shall not exceed the credit limits set forth above with respect to new and used vehicles. Advances required to be made in CAD dollars under the RTC Canada Floor Plan Credit Agreement bear interest per annum, payable monthly, at CORRA, plus 1.27%. Advances required to be made in USD dollars bear interest per annum, payable monthly, at SOFR (as defined in the agreement), plus 1.20%. The RTC Canada Floor Plan Credit Agreement expires September 14, 2026. On December 31, 2024, we had approximately $78.2 million CAD outstanding under the RTC Canada Floor Plan Credit Agreement. The average daily outstanding borrowings under the RTC Canada Floor Plan Credit Agreement were $80.7 million during the twelve months ended December 31, 2024. We utilize our excess cash on hand to pay down our outstanding borrowings under the RTC Canada Floor Plan Credit Agreement, and the resulting interest earned is recognized as an offset to our gross interest expense under the RTC Canada Floor Plan Credit Agreement.

Cyclicality

Our business is dependent on a number of factors including general economic conditions, fuel prices, interest rate fluctuations, freight rates, credit availability, environmental and other government regulations and customer business cycles. Unit sales of new commercial vehicles have historically been subject to substantial cyclical variation based on these general economic conditions. According to data published by A.C.T. Research, total U.S. retail sales of new Class 8 commercial vehicles have ranged from a low of approximately 195,687 in 2020, to a high of approximately 281,440 in 2019. Through geographic expansion, concentration on higher margin Aftermarket Products and Services and diversification of our customer base, we have attempted to reduce the negative impact of adverse general economic conditions or cyclical trends affecting the Class 8 commercial vehicle industry on our earnings.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

Market risk represents the risk of loss that may impact the financial position, results of operations, or cash flows of the Company due to adverse changes in financial market prices, including interest rate risk, and other relevant market rate or price risks.

We are exposed to market risk through interest rates related to the PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement, the BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement, the WF Credit Agreement, the PLC Agreement, the RTC Canada Revolving Credit Agreement, the RTC Canada Floor Plan Credit Agreement and discount rates related to finance sales. The PFC Floor Plan Credit Agreement and the PLC Agreement are both based on the prime rate. The BMO Floor Plan Credit Agreement and the WF Credit Agreement are both based on SOFR. The RTC Canada Revolving Credit Agreement and RTC Canada Floor Plan Credit Agreement are both based on CORRA. As of December 31, 2024, we had outstanding floor plan borrowings and lease and rental fleet borrowings in the aggregate amount of $1,344.8 million. Assuming an increase or decrease in the prime rate, SOFR or CORRA of 100 basis points, annual interest expense could correspondingly increase or decrease by approximately $13.4 million.

RUSH ENTERPRISES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In Thousands, Except Shares and Per Share Amounts)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

RUSH ENTERPRISES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)