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, Suite 500, 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 and Blue Bird. 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 125 franchised Rush Truck Centers 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 15 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.
Rush Truck Centers. Our Rush Truck Centers are located in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Ontario, Canada. The following chart reflects our franchises and parts, service and collision repair operations by location as of February 15, 2023:
Rush Truck Center Location
|
Commercial Vehicle Franchise(s)
|
Truck
Sales
|
Parts
and
Service
|
Collision
Center
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alabama
|
|
|
|
|
Birmingham
|
None
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Mobile
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Arizona
|
|
|
|
|
Flagstaff
|
Peterbilt
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Phoenix
|
Peterbilt, Hino
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Phoenix East
|
Peterbilt
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Tucson
|
Peterbilt, Hino
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yuma
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Arkansas
|
|
|
|
|
Jonesboro
|
International, IC Bus
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Lowell
|
International, Isuzu, IC Bus, Dennis Eagle
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
North Little Rock
|
International, IC Bus, Dennis Eagle
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Pine Bluff
|
International, IC Bus, Dennis Eagle
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Russellville
|
International, IC Bus, Dennis Eagle
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
California
|
|
|
|
|
Ceres
|
Ford
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Fontana Heavy-Duty
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Fontana Medium-Duty
|
Peterbilt, Hino, Isuzu
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Fontana Vocational
|
None
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Rush Truck Center Location
|
Commercial Vehicle Franchise(s)
|
Truck
Sales
|
Parts
and
Service
|
Collision
Center
|
Long Beach
|
Peterbilt
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Los Angeles
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
San Diego
|
Peterbilt, Hino, Ford
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Sylmar
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Victorville
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Whittier
|
Ford, Isuzu
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Colorado
|
|
|
|
|
Colorado Springs
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Denver
|
Peterbilt, Ford, Isuzu
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Greeley
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Pueblo
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Florida
|
|
|
|
|
Haines City
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Jacksonville
|
Peterbilt, Hino
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Jacksonville East
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Lake City
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Miami
|
None
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Orlando Heavy-Duty
|
Peterbilt, Isuzu
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Orlando Light & Medium-Duty
|
Ford
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Orlando North
|
Isuzu
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Orlando South
|
Isuzu
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Tampa
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Georgia
|
|
|
|
|
Atlanta
|
International, Hino, Isuzu, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Atlanta Bus Center
|
IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Augusta
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Columbus
|
International, Isuzu, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Doraville
|
International, Hino, Isuzu, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Gainesville
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Macon
|
International
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Smyrna
|
International, Hino, Isuzu, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Tifton
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Valdosta
|
International
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Idaho
|
|
|
|
|
Boise
|
International, Hino, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Idaho Falls
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Lewiston
|
International
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Twin Falls
|
International
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Illinois
|
|
|
|
|
Bloomington
|
International, Hino
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Carol Stream
|
International
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Champaign
|
International
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Chicago
|
International
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Effingham
|
International
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Elk Grove
|
Hino, Isuzu
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Huntley
|
International
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Joliet
|
International
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Quincy
|
International
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Springfield
|
International
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Indiana
|
|
|
|
|
Gary
|
International
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Indianapolis
|
International
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Kansas
|
|
|
|
|
Olathe
|
Hino, Isuzu, Dennis Eagle
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Salina
|
International, Dennis Eagle
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Topeka
|
International, Dennis Eagle
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Wichita
|
International, Dennis Eagle
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Rush Truck Center Location
|
Commercial Vehicle Franchise(s)
|
Truck
Sales
|
Parts
and
Service
|
Collision
Center
|
Kentucky
|
|
|
|
|
Bowling Green
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Missouri
|
|
|
|
|
Cape Girardeau
|
International, Dennis Eagle
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Jefferson City
|
International, Dennis Eagle
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Joplin
|
International, Dennis Eagle
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Kansas City
|
International, Dennis Eagle
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Kansas City Used Trucks
|
None
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
St. Joseph
|
International, Dennis Eagle
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
St. Louis
|
International, Dennis Eagle
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
St. Peters
|
International, Dennis Eagle
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Springfield
|
International, Isuzu, Dennis Eagle
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
West Plains
|
International, Dennis Eagle
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Nevada
|
|
|
|
|
Las Vegas
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
New Mexico
|
|
|
|
|
Albuquerque
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Farmington
|
Peterbilt
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Las Cruces
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
North Carolina
|
|
|
|
|
Asheville
|
International
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Charlotte
|
International, Hino, Isuzu
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Hickory
|
International
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Ohio
|
|
|
|
|
Akron
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Cincinnati
|
International, IC Bus, Isuzu, Ford
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Cleveland
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Columbus
|
International, IC Bus, Isuzu(1)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Dayton
|
International, IC Bus, Isuzu
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Lima
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Oklahoma
|
|
|
|
|
Ardmore
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Oklahoma City
|
Peterbilt, Hino, Ford, Isuzu
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Tulsa
|
Peterbilt, Hino
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Pennsylvania
|
|
|
|
|
Greencastle
|
None
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Tennessee
|
|
|
|
|
Memphis
|
International, Isuzu, Dennis Eagle
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Memphis Used Trucks
|
None
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Nashville
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Texas
|
|
|
|
|
Abilene
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Amarillo
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Arlington
|
Peterbilt, Blue Bird, Micro Bird, Elkhart
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Austin
|
Peterbilt, Hino, Isuzu, Blue Bird, Micro Bird, Elkhart
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Austin North
|
Peterbilt
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Beaumont
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Brownsville
|
Peterbilt, Elkhart
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
College Station
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Corpus Christi
|
Peterbilt, Hino, Isuzu, Blue Bird, Elkhart
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Cotulla
|
Peterbilt
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Dalhart
|
Peterbilt
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
(1) Our Isuzu franchise is operated out of our Rush Truck Leasing - Columbus location.
|
Rush Truck Center Location
|
Commercial Vehicle Franchise(s)
|
Truck
Sales
|
Parts
and
Service
|
Collision
Center
|
Dallas Heavy-Duty
|
Peterbilt, Blue Bird, Micro Bird, Elkhart
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Dallas Medium-Duty
|
Peterbilt, Hino, Blue Bird, Micro Bird, Elkhart
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Dallas Light & Medium-Duty
|
Ford, Isuzu
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Dallas South
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
El Paso
|
Peterbilt, Hino, Isuzu
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Fort Worth
|
Peterbilt, Blue Bird, Micro Bird, Elkhart
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Houston
|
Peterbilt, Hino, Blue Bird, Micro Bird, Elkhart
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Houston Medium-Duty
|
Peterbilt, Hino
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Laredo
|
Peterbilt, Blue Bird, Micro Bird, Elkhart
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Lubbock
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Lufkin
|
Peterbilt, Blue Bird, Micro Bird, Elkhart
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Odessa
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Pharr
|
Peterbilt, Hino, Blue Bird, Micro Bird, Elkhart
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Wichita Falls
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
San Antonio
|
Peterbilt, Hino, Blue Bird, Micro Bird, Elkhart
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Sealy
|
Peterbilt, Isuzu, Blue Bird, Micro Bird, Elkhart
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Texarkana
|
Peterbilt, Hino, Isuzu, Blue Bird, Micro Bird, Elkhart
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Tyler
|
Peterbilt, Blue Bird, Micro Bird, Elkhart
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Victoria
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Waco
|
Peterbilt, Hino, Isuzu, Blue Bird, Micro Bird, Elkhart
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Wichita Falls
|
Peterbilt
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Utah
|
|
|
|
|
Ogden
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Salt Lake City
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Springville
|
International
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
St. George
|
International
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Virginia
|
|
|
|
|
Chester
|
International, Hino
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Richmond
|
International
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Ontario, Canada
|
|
|
|
|
Belleville
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Cornwall
|
None
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Kemptville
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Kingston
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Markham
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Mississauga
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Oshawa
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Ottawa East
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Ottawa West
|
None
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Pembroke
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Sault Saint Marie
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
St. Catharines
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Sudbury
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Timmins
|
International, IC Bus
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Leasing and Rental Services. Through certain of our Rush Truck Centers and several stand-alone Rush Truck Leasing locations, 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. The following chart reflects our leasing brands by location:
Rush Truck Leasing
Location
|
Brand
|
Standalone or in a
Rush Truck Center
|
Alabama
|
|
|
Birmingham
|
PacLease
|
In RTC
|
Arizona
|
|
|
Phoenix
|
PacLease
|
Standalone
|
Arkansas
|
|
|
North Little Rock
|
Idealease
|
In RTC
|
Lowell
|
Idealease
|
Standalone
|
California
|
|
|
Fontana
|
PacLease
|
Standalone
|
Pico Rivera
|
PacLease
|
Standalone
|
San Diego
|
PacLease
|
Standalone
|
Sylmar
|
PacLease
|
In RTC
|
Colorado
|
|
|
Denver
|
PacLease
|
Standalone
|
Florida
|
|
|
Orlando
|
PacLease
|
Standalone
|
Tampa
|
PacLease
|
In RTC
|
Jacksonville
|
PacLease
|
Standalone
|
Georgia
|
|
|
Augusta
|
Idealease
|
In RTC
|
Macon
|
Idealease
|
In RTC
|
Idaho
|
|
|
Boise
|
Idealease
|
In RTC
|
Idaho Falls
|
Idealease
|
In RTC
|
Illinois
|
|
|
Carol Stream
|
Idealease
|
In RTC
|
Chicago
|
Idealease
|
In RTC
|
Effingham
|
Idealease
|
In RTC
|
Huntley
|
Idealease
|
In RTC
|
Joliet
|
Idealease
|
In RTC
|
Springfield
|
Idealease
|
In RTC
|
Indiana
|
|
|
Indianapolis
|
Idealease
|
In RTC
|
Gary
|
Idealease
|
In RTC
|
Kansas
|
|
|
Kansas City
|
Idealease
|
Standalone
|
Salina
|
Idealease
|
In RTC
|
Wichita
|
Idealease
|
In RTC
|
Missouri
|
|
|
Joplin
|
Idealease
|
In RTC
|
St. Louis
|
Idealease
|
In RTC
|
St. Peters
|
Idealease
|
Standalone
|
Springfield
|
Idealease
|
In RTC
|
New Mexico
|
|
|
Albuquerque
|
PacLease
|
Standalone
|
Nevada
|
|
|
Las Vegas
|
PacLease
|
Standalone
|
North Carolina
|
|
|
Asheville
|
Idealease
|
Standalone
|
Charlotte
|
Idealease
|
Standalone
|
Rush Truck Leasing
Location
|
Brand
|
Standalone or in a
Rush Truck Center
|
Ohio
|
|
|
Cincinnati
|
Idealease
|
Standalone
|
Cleveland
|
Idealease
|
Standalone
|
Columbus
|
Idealease
|
Standalone
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Dayton
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Idealease
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In RTC
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Oklahoma
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Oklahoma City
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PacLease
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In RTC
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Tennessee
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Memphis
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Idealease
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Standalone
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Nashville
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PacLease
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In RTC
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Texas
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Austin
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PacLease
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Standalone
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El Paso
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PacLease
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In RTC
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Arlington
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PacLease
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In RTC
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Houston
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PacLease
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Standalone
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Houston NW
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PacLease
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Standalone
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Odessa
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PacLease
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Standalone
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San Antonio
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PacLease
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In RTC
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Tyler
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PacLease
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Standalone
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Virginia
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Richmond
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Idealease
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Standalone
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Norfolk
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Idealease
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Standalone
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Utah
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Salt Lake City
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Idealease
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Standalone
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Ontario, Canada
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Markham
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Idealease
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In RTC
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Mississauga
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Idealease
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In RTC
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Oshawa
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Idealease
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In RTC
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Ottawa
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Idealease
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In RTC
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St. Catharines
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Idealease
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In RTC
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Sudbury
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Idealease
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In RTC
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In addition to the locations in the above table, Rush Truck Leasing also provides full-service maintenance on customers’ vehicles at several of our customers’ facilities.
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 locations in Denton, Texas and Greencastle, Pennsylvania. Custom Vehicle Solutions provides new vehicle pre-delivery inspections, truck modifications, natural gas fuel system installations, body and chassis upfitting and component installation.
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:
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Management by Dealership Units. At each of our dealerships, we operate one or more of the following departments: new commercial vehicle sales, used commercial vehicle sales, financial services, parts, service or a collision center. Our general managers measure and manage the operations of each dealership according to the specific departments operating at that location. We believe that this system enhances the profitability of all aspects of a dealership and increases our overall operating margins. Operating goals for each department at each of our dealerships are established annually and managers are rewarded for performance relative to these goals.
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One-Stop Centers. We have developed our larger commercial vehicle dealerships as “one-stop centers” that offer an integrated approach to meeting customer needs. We provide service, including collision repairs, parts, new and used commercial vehicles sales, leasing and rental, plus financial services including finance and insurance. We believe that this full-service strategy helps to mitigate cyclical economic fluctuations because our parts, service and collision center operations (referred to herein collectively as “Aftermarket Products and Services”) at our dealerships generally tend to be less volatile than our new and used commercial vehicle sales.
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Aftermarket Products and Services. Our aftermarket capabilities include a wide range of services and products, including a fleet of mobile service units, mobile technicians who work in our customers’ facilities, technology solutions, including vehicle telematics support, a proprietary line of parts and accessories, and factory-certified service for assembly services for specialized bodies and equipment. We believe that offering a variety of Aftermarket Products and Services at our dealerships and other locations allows us to meet the expanding needs of our customers. We continually strive to leverage our dealership network to offer more products and services to our customers.
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Branding Program. We employ a branding program at all of our dealerships through distinctive signage and uniform marketing programs to take advantage of our existing name recognition and to communicate the standardized high quality of our products and reliability of our services throughout our dealership network.
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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.
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Expansion of Product and Service Offerings. We intend to continue to expand our product lines within our existing locations by adding product categories and service capabilities that are both complementary to our existing product lines and well suited to our operating model. We will continue to take advantage of technological advances that will provide us with the opportunity to offer vehicle owners more aftermarket options and the ability to maximize the performance of vehicles in their fleets using telematics and other technologies.
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Expansion Into New Geographic Areas. We plan to continue to expand our dealership network by acquiring existing dealerships or opening new locations in areas where we do not already have locations. We believe the geographic diversity of our Rush Truck Center network has significantly expanded our customer base while reducing the effects of local economic cycles.
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Open New Rush Truck Centers in Existing Areas of Operation. We continually evaluate opportunities to increase our market presence by adding new Rush Truck Centers within our current franchises’ areas of operation.
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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 $2,372.4 million, or 33.4%, of our total revenues for 2022, and 61.7% 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 $135.0 million, or 1.9%, of our total revenues for 2022. 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.
As part of our leasing and rental operations, we also enter into contracts to provide full-service maintenance on certain customers’ vehicles. We had 1,839 vehicles under contract maintenance as of December 31, 2022. 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 $3,798.5 million, or 53.5%, of our total revenues in 2022. Of this total, new Class 8 heavy-duty truck sales accounted for approximately $2,715.3 million, or 38.2%, of our total revenues for 2022, and 71.5% of our new commercial vehicle revenues for 2022.
Our Rush Truck Centers that sell new and used Class 8 heavy-duty trucks manufactured by Peterbilt or International 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 or Dennis Eagle, buses manufactured by Blue Bird, IC Bus or Elkhart and light-duty commercial vehicles manufactured by Ford (see Part I, Item 1, “General – Rush Truck Centers” for information on which brands we sell at each Rush Truck Center). New medium-duty commercial vehicle sales, excluding new bus sales, accounted for approximately $830.9 million, or 11.7%, of our total revenues for 2022, and 21.9% of our new commercial vehicle revenues for 2022. New bus sales accounted for approximately $128.2 million, or 1.8%, of our total revenues for 2022, and 3.4% of our new commercial vehicle revenues for 2022. New light-duty commercial vehicle sales accounted for approximately $104.0 million, or 1.5%, of our total revenues for 2022, and 2.7% of our new commercial vehicle revenues for 2022.
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 $552.9 million, or 7.8%, of our total revenues for 2022. We sell used commercial vehicles at most of our Rush Truck Centers and also 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. The majority 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 $322.3 million, or 4.5%, of our total revenues for 2022. 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, 2022, we had 9,957 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 $29.7 million, or 0.4%, of our total revenues for 2022. 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. The majority 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 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 a number of leading insurance companies. Our renewal rate in 2022 was approximately 80%. We also have licensed insurance agents at several of our Rush Truck Centers.
Human Capital Management
On December 31, 2022, we employed 7,418 people in the U.S. and 621 in Canada. Of these employees, less than 1.3% 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 positive attitude and are described below.
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Productivity means constantly striving toward efficiency and success in all interactions and activities while working with a common purpose and sense of urgency.
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Fairness characterizes our honesty, integrity, truthfulness, dependability and reliability in everything we do.
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Excellence means doing it better than everyone else does. Excellence is reflected in our first-class facilities, quality products and services, motivated and talented employees, superior results for the customer and consistency throughout our organization.
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Positive Attitude means approaching every day with excitement and passion for the work and dedication to our customers with positive intensity.
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Each of these core values is embodied in our code of conduct, which we call our Rush Driving Principles. Employees are required to attend 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, which 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 are committed to fair pay. In 2020, the Company established a minimum hourly wage of $15.00 an 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 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 our wide-ranging benefits offered are: medical insurance, prescription drug benefits, dental insurance, vision insurance, hospital indemnity insurance, accident insurance, critical illness insurance, smoking cessation assistance program, 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 our 401k plan, which has a Company-matching component that is based on years of service.
Training and Development. Our training and development programs are designed to facilitate the development and advancement of talent from within our organization to ensure we continuously fill our ranks with qualified employees for critical positions in the organization. These programs also seek to provide our employees with the career development skills they desire and further our employee retention efforts. Members of our Learning and Development team collaborate with employees from our various operations teams to identify our strategic training needs and prioritize the development of appropriate training content related to systems, processes, new hire and professional development.
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 diversity and 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 launched 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. We also have a New Graduate Management Trainee 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. In addition, we have established a program called Growing Rush Outstanding Women ("GROW"), which enables women to continue their professional development through educational opportunities.
To enhance and develop the technical skills of entry-level service and body shop technicians, we established a formal mentorship program lead 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.
Ethics and Compliance. We are committed to the highest standards of corporate conduct. We maintain an Ethics and Compliance Program that is designed to meet external requirements, as well as our core values and code of conduct embodied in the Rush Driving Principles. A central component of our Ethics and Compliance Program is the continuous training and education of our employees on general ethics and compliance training topics. We also regularly reinforce our commitment to ethics and integrity in communications with our employees.
Employee Engagement and Retention. 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 have formal “listening groups” that provide additional engagement channels for feedback from our dealerships to senior management throughout the year.
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 2022, our overall turnover rate was 30.38%, compared to 27.49% in 2021. The turnover rate of our service and body shop technicians is also monitored closely by management, as the retention of skilled service and body shop technicians is critical to the success of the Company. Demand for service and body shop technicians across the country is very high, and turnover in this role is also traditionally high for commercial vehicle dealers. In 2022, our turnover rate for service and body shop technicians was 38.7%, compared to 36.67% in 2021.
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 2022, we had a TRIR of 4.03, compared to 3.87 in 2021 and a LTIR of 0.62 in 2022, compared to 0.71 in 2021.
Labor Relations. We have entered into collective bargaining agreements covering certain employees in Chicago, Illinois, which will expire on May 10, 2025, Joliet, Illinois, which will expire on May 3, 2026 and Carol Stream, Illinois, which will expire on May 6, 2023. 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 2022, 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 controlling problems created by overstock and understock situations. 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 February 25, 2019, we acquired 50% of the equity interest in RTC Canada, which acquired the operating assets of Tallman Group, the largest International Truck dealer in Canada. On May 2, 2022, we acquired an additional 30% equity interest for approximately $20.0 million. Prior to acquiring our additional equity interest, we accounted for the equity interest in RTC Canada using the equity method of accounting. Subsequent to the Company’s acquisition of the additional 30% equity interest on May 2, 2022, the operating results of RTC Canada are consolidated in the Consolidated Statements of Income, the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income and the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
On December 13, 2021, we completed the acquisition of certain of the assets of Summit Truck Group, LLC and certain of its subsidiaries and affiliates (collectively, “Summit”), which included full-service commercial vehicle dealerships and Idealease franchises in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas. The acquisition included Summit’s dealerships representing International, IC Bus, Idealease, Isuzu and other commercial vehicle manufacturers for a purchase price of approximately $205.3 million, excluding the real property associated with the transaction. We financed approximately $102.0 million of the purchase price under our floor plan and lease and rental truck financing arrangements and the remainder was paid in cash. In addition, we purchased certain real estate owned by Summit for a purchase price of approximately $57.0 million, which was paid in cash.
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:
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the ability to keep customers’ vehicles operational, which is dependent on the accessibility of dealership locations and the ability to attract and retain service technicians;
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the number of dealership locations representing the manufacturers that we represent and other manufacturers, which impacts manufacturers’ ability to provide more consistent, higher quality service in a timely manner across their dealership networks;
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price, value, quality and design of the products sold; and
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our attention to customer service (including technical service).
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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 Agreements
Peterbilt. We have entered into nonexclusive dealership 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, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. These dealership agreements currently have terms expiring in May 2023. Our dealership agreements with Peterbilt may be terminated by Peterbilt in the event that the aggregate voting power of W.M. “Rusty” Rush, certain other members of the Rush family and certain executives of the Company decreases below 22%. Sales of new Peterbilt commercial vehicles accounted for approximately 31.9% of our total revenues for 2022.
International. We have entered into nonexclusive dealership agreements with Navistar that authorize us to act as a dealer of International heavy- and medium-duty trucks and, in certain markets, IC buses. Our Navistar areas of responsibility currently encompass areas in the states of Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia. These dealership agreements currently have terms expiring between May 2023 and December 2027. Sales of new International commercial vehicles accounted for approximately 13.6% of our total revenues for 2022.
Other Commercial Vehicle Suppliers. In addition to our dealership agreements with Peterbilt and Navistar, various Rush Truck Centers have entered into dealership agreements with other commercial vehicle manufacturers, including Blue Bird, and Micro Bird, which currently have terms expiring between August 2023 and August 2024 and Ford, Hino, Isuzu and Dennis Eagle, which have perpetual terms. Sales of new non‑Peterbilt and non-International commercial vehicles accounted for approximately 8.0% of our total revenues for 2022.
All of our dealership agreements impose certain operational obligations and financial requirements upon us and the relevant dealerships. In addition, each of our dealership 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 days or less from the date the commercial vehicles are invoiced from the factory. On September 14, 2021, we entered into our floor plan credit agreement with BMO Harris Bank N.A. (“BMO Harris”) (the “Floor Plan Credit Agreement”) and the lenders signatory thereto. The Floor Plan Credit Agreement includes an aggregate loan commitment of $1.0 billion. Borrowings under the Floor Plan Credit Agreement bear interest at an annual rate equal to (A) the greater of (i) zero and (ii) one month London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), determined on the last day of the prior month, plus (B) 1.10% and are payable monthly. Loans under the 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 Floor Plan Credit Agreement expires September 14, 2026, although BMO Harris 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, 2022, we had approximately $762.9 million outstanding under the Floor Plan Credit Agreement. The average daily outstanding borrowings under the Floor Plan Credit Agreement were $638.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2022. We utilize our excess cash on hand to pay down our outstanding borrowings under the Floor Plan Credit Agreement, and the resulting interest earned is recognized as an offset to our gross interest expense under the 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 Agreement”) with Bank of Montreal (“BMO”). Pursuant to the terms of the 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 under the RTC Canada Floor Plan Agreement bear interest per annum, payable on the first business day of each calendar month, at the Canadian Offered Dollar Rate (“CDOR”), plus 0.90% and in the case of an advance required to be made in USD dollars, at LIBOR, plus 1.10%. The RTC Canada Floor Plan Agreement expires September 14, 2026. On December 31, 2022, we had approximately $44.6 million outstanding under the RTC Canada Floor Plan Agreement.
Lease and Rental Fleet Financing
On September 14, 2021, we entered into a 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”) which was amended effective November 30, 2022 (collectively, the “WF Credit Agreement”). Pursuant to the terms of the WF Credit Agreement, 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 simple, secured overnight financing rate (“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, 2024, 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, 2022, we had approximately $40.5 million outstanding under the WF Credit Agreement.
On October 1, 2021, the Company entered into that certain Amended and Restated Inventory Financing and Purchase Money Security Agreement with PACCAR Leasing Company (“PLC”), a division of PACCAR Financial Corp. (the “PLC Agreement”). Pursuant to the terms of the PLC Agreement, PLC agreed to make up to $300.0 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. 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 1.55%, 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 October 1, 2025, although either party has the right to terminate the PLC Agreement at any time upon 180 days written notice. If we terminate the PLC Agreement prior to October 1, 2025, then all payments will be deemed to be voluntary prepayments subject to a potential prepayment premium. On December 31, 2022, we had approximately $185.0 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. 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 available upon the request of RTC Canada and consent of BMO. Advances under the RTC Canada Revolving Credit Agreement bear interest per annum, payable on the first business day of each calendar month, at CDOR, plus 1.35%. The RTC Canada Revolving Credit Agreement expires September 14, 2026. On December 31, 2022, we had approximately $49.9 million 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 warranty on our proprietary line of parts and related service and the fuel systems manufactured by our joint venture entity, Cummins Clean Fuel Technologies, and that were previously manufactured by Momentum Fuel Technologies. 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 generally 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, we offer for sale third-party warranties.
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, 2022, our backlog of commercial vehicle orders was approximately $4,216.0 million, compared to a backlog of commercial vehicle orders of approximately $3,267.0 million on December 31, 2021. This increase in our backlog is primarily due to the Summit acquisition and the consolidation of RTC Canada into our operating results, in addition to continuing production constraints experienced by the manufacturers we represent. 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 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 particular 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, 2022, and we expect to fill the majority of our backlog orders during 2023, assuming that the manufacturers we represent can meet their current production schedule. Our current backlog continues to be much higher than normal. Given the potential for industry headwinds in the coming months caused by lower spot rates and higher interest rates, which could negatively impact industry demand for new commercial vehicles moving forward, we believe that the longer it takes to fill our backlog, the greater the risk that a significant amount of commercial vehicle orders currently reflected in our backlog could be cancelled.
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.
The Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”), on behalf of the U.S. Department of Transportation, issued rules associated with reducing greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions and improving the fuel efficiency of medium and heavy-duty trucks and buses for current model years through 2027. In addition, in August 2021, the President of the United States issued an executive order intended to increase fuel efficiency, further reduce GHG emissions and speed up the development of “zero-emission” vehicles. The executive order calls for the EPA and the Secretary of Transportation to adopt new rules and regulations for commercial vehicles starting as early as model year 2027. Similarly, in June 2020, the California Air Resources Board adopted a final rule that is intended to phase out the sale of diesel-powered commercial vehicles over time by requiring a certain percentage of each manufacturer’s commercial vehicles sold within the state to be “zero-emission vehicles,” or “near-zero emission vehicles,” starting in model year 2024. In addition, in July 2020, a group of fifteen U.S. states and the District of Columbia entered into a joint memorandum of understanding that commits each of them to work together to advance and accelerate the market for electric Class 3 through 8 commercial vehicles; two additional states have since signed. Six of the states that signed 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. 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 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.
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.
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 actually 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, 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 2022, 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:
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our ability to maintain our dealership agreements with Peterbilt;
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the manufacture and delivery of competitively-priced, technologically current, high-quality Peterbilt trucks in quantities sufficient to meet our requirements;
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the overall success of PACCAR and Peterbilt;
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PACCAR’s continuation of its Peterbilt division; and
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the maintenance of goodwill associated with the Peterbilt brand, which can be adversely affected by decisions made by PACCAR, Peterbilt and the owners of other Peterbilt dealerships.
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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.
We are dependent upon Navistar 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 Navistar. We have no control over the management or operation of International, IC Bus or Navistar. During 2022, a significant portion of our revenues resulted from sales of trucks purchased from International, buses purchased from IC Bus and parts purchased from Navistar. Due to our dependence on Navistar, International and IC Bus, we believe that our long-term success depends, in large part, on the following:
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our ability to maintain our dealership agreements with International and IC Bus;
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the manufacture and delivery of competitively-priced, technologically current, high-quality International trucks and IC buses in quantities sufficient to meet our requirements;
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the overall success of Navistar; and
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the maintenance of goodwill associated with the International and IC Bus brands, which can be adversely affected by decisions made by Navistar and the owners of other International and IC Bus dealerships.
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A negative change in any of the preceding, or a change in control of Navistar, 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, Scott Anderson, Steven Keller and Corey Lowe, 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 44.0% of the aggregate voting power with respect to the election of directors as of December 31, 2022); 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, Robin M. Rush or any person who has been approved in writing by PACCAR holds the office of Chairman of the Board, 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 this 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 the manufacturers we represent have current terms expiring between May 2023 and December 2027. 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 Navistar 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.
COVID-19 has disrupted, and may continue to disrupt, our business, which could adversely affect our financial performance.
In March 2020, the World Health Organization made the assessment that COVID-19 could be characterized as a pandemic, and the President of the United States declared the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency. While our Rush Truck Centers have remained operational throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic remains a fluid and evolving situation. Some of the potential impacts to our business that we believe are directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic and that we are currently monitoring include, but are not limited to:
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The impact that the pandemic will have on our workforce availability;
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The impact that the pandemic will have on the supply chains of the commercial vehicle manufacturers and parts manufacturers that we represent. We have been informed by the commercial vehicle manufacturers that we represent that production of commercial vehicles in 2023 will be allocated to all of their dealers based on historical purchases. While we do not expect our allocation of commercial vehicles to be less than the number of commercial vehicles we sold in 2022, there is still concern that component manufacturers’ supply chain issues may limit certain of our commercial vehicle manufacturers’ ability to meet demand throughout the year; and
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The impact of the pandemic on global capital markets, which depending on future developments, could impact our capital resources and liquidity in the future.
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The potential impacts that we list above, and other impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, are likely to also have the effect of heightening many of the other risk factors described herein.
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 result in greenhouse gas emissions. While the manufacturers we represent have made substantial progress in reducing the amount of 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 greenhouse gas emissions by helping them integrate more alternative fuel vehicles into their fleets and providing various services related thereto.
Scientific evidence suggests that a warming climate potentially results in an environment more prone to natural disasters, such as hurricanes and flooding. To date, we have seen increases in our cost to insure against such risks, which costs could continue to increase should this trend continue. 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 hail storms) may disrupt our operations, which 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 we have substantial insurance to mitigate this risk, we may be exposed to uninsured or underinsured losses that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
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 agreement, the Floor Plan Credit Agreement, expires on September 14, 2026, 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 Floor Plan Credit Agreement, RTC Canada Floor Plan 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. Currently, our outstanding borrowings under our Floor Plan Credit Agreement and certain other loan agreements are borrowed at LIBOR plus an applicable margin. Although LIBOR is no longer being used to price new loans, LIBOR quotes will be available for existing credit agreements until June 30, 2023. In the event that LIBOR quotes are no longer available, SOFR will replace LIBOR in certain of our credit agreements which currently use LIBOR, including our Floor Plan Credit Agreement. It is unclear how increased regulatory oversight and changes in the method for determining benchmark interest rates may affect our results of operations or financial conditions. However, 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, 2022, our backlog of new commercial vehicle orders was approximately $4,216.0 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.
Our current backlog is the largest it has ever been in our Company’s history. Given the potential for industry headwinds in the coming months caused by lower spot rates and higher interest rates, which could negatively impact industry demand for new commercial vehicles moving forward, we believe that the longer it takes to fill our backlog, the greater the risk that a significant amount of commercial vehicle orders currently reflected in our backlog could be cancelled.
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 Policies and 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, 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.
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.
Further, environmental laws and regulations are complex and subject to change. For example, in August 2021, the President of the United States issued an executive order intended to increase fuel efficiency, further reduce GHG emissions and speed up the development of “zero-emission” vehicles. The executive order calls for the EPA and the Secretary of Transportation to adopt new rules and regulations for commercial vehicles starting as early as model year 2027. Similarly, in June 2020, the California Air Resources Board adopted a final rule that is intended to phase out the sale of diesel-powered commercial vehicles over time by requiring a certain percentage of each manufacturer’s commercial vehicles sold within the state to be “zero-emission vehicles,” or “near-zero emission vehicles,” starting in model year 2024. In addition, in July 2020, a group of fifteen U.S. states and the District of Columbia entered into a joint memorandum of understanding that commits each of them to work together to advance and accelerate the market for electric Class 3 through 8 commercial vehicles and two additional states have since signed. 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 by 2030. 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. 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.
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. 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 and computer virus attacks. 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 of 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; 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 carry comprehensive liability insurance, subject to deductibles and self-insured retentions, at levels we believe are sufficient to mitigate existing and future claims. However, 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 such 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 increasing our use of self-insurance programs and increasing the amounts of our deductibles.
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 47.3% of our issued and outstanding Class B common stock. Mr. Rush collectively controls approximately 41.8% 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, Mr. Rush granted Peterbilt a right of first refusal to purchase his shares of common stock in the event that he desires to transfer in excess of 100,000 shares in any 12-month period to any person other than an immediate family member, an associate or another Dealer Principal. This right of first refusal, 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 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 substantially 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, 2022, the three-month average daily trading volume of our Class B common stock was approximately 17,500 shares, with twenty-five 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.
If W.M. “Rusty” Rush were forced to sell shares of our common stock that he has pledged to secure a personal loan obligation, such sales could cause our stock price to decline.
Mr. Rush has pledged certain of his shares of Class A and Class B common stock as collateral in connection with a personal loan. If the price of our common stock were to decline substantially, Mr. Rush could be forced by the lender to sell shares of his Class A and/or Class B common stock to satisfy his loan obligations if he could not do so through other means. Any such sales could cause the price of our common stock to decline, particularly with respect to our Class B common stock, which typically has a low average daily trading volume, as noted above.
We are not a party to Mr. Rush’s loan, but we have entered into a right of first refusal agreement with Mr. Rush and the lender. The right of refusal agreement provides us with the right, but not the obligation, to purchase the shares pledged as collateral in the event Mr. Rush is ever in default under the terms of his loan.