This week we recap a fun, busy week at the Rush Enterprises’ Tech Skills Rodeo, addressing how techs get ready for the competition, how Rush salespeople are managing a soft equipment market, expectations from their executive team on 2026 and an interview with the event’s all-around grand champion. We also take a moment for Hendrickson, which is working to showcase its expanding ride controls solutions. We note expansions for MHC Kenworth and CIT Trucks. We start our profiles of 2025 Distributor of the Year finalists with Harbor Truck Parts, and kick off one of my favorite annual projects — our top products countdown.
Lucas: Hey everybody. Lucas here for our last TPS weekly News Roundup of 2025.
Yeah, we’re going to be taking a couple weeks off for Christmas and New Year’s, but before we do that, we got a lot of news to run through from this week. I’m going to start at the Rush Tech Skills Rodeo. Yeah, I got the chance to go to Nashville for the 20th annual Rush Enterprises’ Tech Skills Rodeo this week. Always enjoy this experience. Always enjoy the event, the chance to sit down and talk to technicians and associates across the Rush Network about what they’re learning, about what they’re seeing every day. And, for the technicians and the competitors, just really how excited they are to get the chance to be recognized for their performance. This year’s winner was Dom McConnell. He’s a technician at Rush Truck Centers – Orlando South.
This was Dom’s third year participating in the contest. The first two years, 2023 and 2024, he didn’t place, but he learned a lot from the experience he told us on Tuesday night. And he really learned the importance of following procedure, following the book to a T and he was able to come through this year’s Grand Champion while he was participating in the Medium-Duty service competition.
Other Grand Champions, in Heavy-Duty service, Nat Dixon of Rush Truck Centers – Joplin. In Parts, Eric Valenzuela from Rush Truck Centers – Joliet, in Aftermarket Sales. Ryan Summers of Rush Truck Centers – Denver, and in Truck Sales, Steven Nase of Rush Truck Centers – Smyrna. So a big congratulations to all the participants. Rush gave out more than $300,000 in cash and prizes this year, and in the 20 years of the rodeo, they’ve given out more than $3.5 million in cash and prizes. So, great job by them and their sponsors to support their workforce.
Couple other things from the rodeo. Got the chance to speak with Rusty Rush about 2025 and 2026. Rusty’s hopeful that in Q2 2026, the market will turn around. We’ve got a story on the website about that. I also spoke with Jody Pollard, their sales and marketing lead. He spoke about how his teams have sort of adapted in 2025 as the market hasn’t been as strong and how they’re sort of changing their approach to make sure they’re still engaging with customers and they’re prepared for when the market turns around to be there for all their parts service and [equipment] sales needs. So, some really good interviews with Rush, with Jody, and you can see those on the website.
Some other stories this week. We started our Distributor of the Year profiles. The DOTY program coming up in a month at HDAW, actually maybe exactly a month on the 19th or the 20th. Our first profile at Harbor Truck Parts is available. Check that out.
I also had a great profile, interview with the team from Hendrickson from their media day last month and earlier this month. We got the chance to meet a second time as Hendrickson is continuing to grow their brand and really become the ride control solutions leader in the industry. So, if you didn’t see that story, check that out on TPS.
Some big news in the dealer space. MHC opened a new 24/7 location in the Midwest. Check that out. CIT Trucks, a prior winner of our Successful Dealer Award, joined forces with a capital business to continue to grow their business. An equity partner. Check that story out.
And then additionally, the last thing we started our TPS top products countdown on Wednesday. So products 10, 9 and 8 have released. They’ll be four products released next week, and then 3, 2 and 1 will release right before New Year’s. But that’s one of my favorite programs. Every year we countdown the 10 most popular products in the industry. This year we have five participants that have been in the countdown before and we have five participants that are in for the first time. So, we’re really excited to recognize those businesses, check those out.
Like I said, we’ll be off the next two weeks. So, have a great holiday season. Have a great Christmas and New Year’s. Be sure to like and subscribe these videos and we will see you in January. Thanks everybody. Bye.
