Rush Enterprises Revenue Jumps 12.4% to $2.113 Billion in Third Quarter
Key Facts
Rush Enterprises reported total revenue of $2.113 billion in the third quarter of 2026, up 12.4% from the same period last year, according to the company’s results. Net income attributable to the company rose to $78.043 million, or $0.65 per diluted share, compared with $66.690 million and $0.55 per share a year earlier. Revenue and profit growth came as the company’s new truck sales improved and aftermarket services revenue also increased. Those services are an important source of profit, accounting for 62.8% of gross profit during the quarter. The company’s shares closed at $43.54 on October 29, according to EL7 data.
Revenue from parts, service and collision centers was $679.9 million, up 5.8% year over year, according to the filing. Rush said demand growth for aftermarket services spanned all customer segments, with energy and wholesale companies growing fastest. The company also saw improvement among smaller local customers, indicating broader growth across customer groups. But the cost absorption ratio, a measure of aftermarket activities’ contribution to covering dealership expenses, fell to 128.3% from 129.3% in the third quarter of 2025. The ratio was 130.8% in the second quarter of 2026, following 135.5% in the same period a year earlier.
In truck sales, the company sold 3,880 new Class 8 trucks in the United States, up 24.4% from the third quarter of 2025, capturing 6.5% of the market. Its second-quarter sales were 3,172 trucks, down 0.2% year over year, with a market share of 5.8%. Across the market, U.S. Class 8 retail sales fell 6.7% in the second quarter to 54,718 trucks, according to company data at the time. The comparison reflects an improvement in Rush’s performance in the third quarter after weaker sales in the prior period, while ACT Research forecast U.S. Class 8 sales of 229,400 trucks in 2026, up 7.8% from 2025. Management said the third-quarter improvement reflected continued improvement in freight markets after a prolonged downturn, and that it expects this improvement to continue in the fourth quarter.
Still, management said inquiries and new orders had slowed recently as the industry awaits final 2027 emissions rules. It added that the company expects orders to improve after those rules are issued, while it increased medium-duty vehicle inventories in anticipation of possible production constraints. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on February 12, 2026, that it was rescinding a previous regulatory basis and subsequent greenhouse gas emissions standards for on-road vehicles and engines, including heavy-duty vehicles. The agency then published proposed amendments on July 14 concerning compliance and testing procedures for 2027 and later model-year heavy-duty on-road engines. Looking ahead, Rush said its backlog points to strong new commercial vehicle sales in the fourth quarter and early first quarter of 2027, with production capacity constraints potentially affecting delivery timing.
The company expects rental demand to remain strong through the fourth quarter and early 2027, with leasing potentially weakening in the first quarter of that year. Rental and leasing revenue was $98.2 million in the third quarter, up 5.3% from the same period of 2025. These forecasts come as the company awaits final emissions rules and what they may mean for orders, while production capacity constraints could affect delivery timing. Rush also declared a cash dividend of $0.14 per share for shareholders of record on November 11, 2026, payable on December 10. The company had previously announced in the second quarter a two-for-three stock split for shareholders of record on August 11, 2026.