Rush Enterprises

Rush Enterprises

Rush EnterprisesRush Enterprises is a full–service integrated retailer of premium transportation and construction equipment and related services. With more than 60 locations in 11 states, Rush Enterprises operates the largest network of heavy– and medium–duty truck dealerships in North America. The company represents the industry’s leading brands, including Peterbilt, Ford, GMC, Hino, Isuzu, UD and Volvo as well as John Deere construction equipment. Human Resource Manager Kimberly Suarez, with the assistance of HR clerks at the corporate office and at each dealership, oversees a range of employee programs, including driver qualifications compliance and DOT and non–DOT substance abuse testing, for the company’s 3,000 employees.

The Challenge

While Rush Enterprises is not a for–hire motor carrier, it does employ 600 service technicians and other personnel who are CDL carriers subject to DOT regulation. One of the challenges faced by the company was the need to ensure that all required data was tracked for those employees in a timely, efficient manner. “We collected limited driver qualifications data, but it was tracked manually, and the information was not updated routinely,” Suarez recalls. “We had to notify locations when a license or medical card had expired.”

The Solution

Rush Enterprises hired TrueNorth to track its DOT driver qualification compliance requirements and driver training. TrueNorth also tracks medical data such as driver physical exams, drug tests and medical cards. Data is faxed or emailed to TrueNorth where it’s confirmed and entered into its database. Suarez receives automated daily status reports, such as TrueNorth’s Compliance Planning by Employee report, so she can quickly assess missing information and anticipate requirements due in the near future. “I produce a report card for each location based on TrueNorth data,” Suarez explains. “Our general managers are very competitive and motivated by those compliance statistics.”

The Results

In the fall of 2007, Rush Enterprises experienced its first federal DOT audit with TrueNorth data. “TrueNorth saved us,” says Suarez. “Their knowledge and experience were critical, and they helped us prepare for our audit. As a result, we received a satisfactory rating.” Going forward, Rush Enterprises plans to automate additional human resource functions as well. “Having our compliance data available and accessible has been very beneficial,” Suarez concludes. “It makes sense to automate other processes as well. We’ve changed our long–term perspective based on our experience with TrueNorth.”