After news surfaced Monday that Wayne, Michigan-based Rush Trucking had shuttered operations, a Lavalle Transportation employee confirmed to FreightWaves that the automotive parts hauler had been sold in December to rival carrier Lavalle, headquartered in Potsdam, New York.
The company’s operations in Michigan have been closed, the source said.
Rush Trucking had 354 power units and 374 drivers, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s SAFER website. The company’s insurance was canceled in mid-January and its operating authority revoked on Jan. 25, according to FMCSA.
Many former Rush drivers hired on with Lavalle, which has 425 power units and 440 drivers, the source told FreightWaves.
Rush was owned by Andra Rush, who founded the company in 1984. She operated one of the largest woman-owned businesses in Michigan and one of the largest Native American-owned enterprises in the U.S. Her company posted more than $102 million in revenue in 2019.
She also owns Dakkota Integrated Systems LLC, a joint venture with Magna International Inc. Dakkota reported revenue of $565 million in 2019 with 1,250 employees, according to Crain’s Detroit Business.
Lavalle Transportation had not returned FreightWaves’ telephone calls about the acquisition as of press time.
A year prior to the sale, Rush stepped down as chief executive officer, hiring Kimberly Rodriguez to take the helm at Rush Trucking in February 2020. Rodriguez left the company in September. Rush also sold her stake in Detroit Manufacturing Systems in 2018. The joint venture with Faurecia Interior Systems Inc. posted more than $1 billion in revenue and had more than 800 employees in 2018, according to Crain’s.
This is a developing story.
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Bernard BURNS sr.
Since they want e logs in the trucks they should pay driver’s at least 25 dollars an hour for all driving and on duty not driving time.the average driver racks up at least 60 to 70 hrs a week out there. And being paid by the mile. At 50. Cents a mile let’s say by the end of your work week. you only ended up1.500 miles. Well that’s 750 dollars before taxes and advances and benefits deductions.dam what a life. Now let’s say it took 60 hours to come up with that same 1500 miles. Now at even at 20 dollars an hour. thats 1200 a week. U c the difference so until driver’s come together and stop sitn out there like zombies behind the wheel. They deserve what they get. Stop hauling them k y jelly loads to the Virgin Island. then they will see a difference.amen
John
If you read the official statement, you’ll have to Google Rush Trucking clickondetroit but she pretty much entirely blames the truck driver shortage for their closure. I don’t know what to say other than what everyone in this industry already knows. No one wants to drive truck anymore. Everyone is told to go to college so they can get a “real” job. I’m constantly reminded by people all the time that this isn’t a “real” job and that I need to go to college and get a degree and make something of myself. Yeah sure you bet. That’s why there’s scores of jobs that require a degree that now pay a lot less than what I’m earning because the job market is saturated with degree holders. Trucking isn’t the only blue collar job having this problem either.
Jesse Taylor
Drivers are leaving because of the industry being over regulated by people tht have no clue about driving trucks i dont believe the driver shortage bs pay a fair wage to the driver and watch how they’ll flock to your company ups and walmart have waiting lists these companies still want us to live off the same wages from the 70s-80s meanwhile the executives get bonuses and cost of living increases every year she sold it and didn’t care because she’s making so much more with Dakkota their push this driver shortage bs to prime the pump for the computer trucks they’ll really line their pockets when they don’t have to pay a driver