The economy will pick up in 2010, but not until late next year, according to the top leaders at a national truck dealership chain. Even then, Rush Enterprises executives say the recovery will be slow but steady. A number of things are preventing the economy to improve, including restricted access to credit, over-capacity of equipment and depressed freight levels, which are also impacted by a slumping housing market. 2010 will see improvements, but significant changes aren’t predicted until the fourth quarter.

National Dealer Predicts Slow, Steady Recovery in 2010

SAN ANTONIO, TX. The top executives of national truck dealership chain Rush Enterprises fully expect tough times to continue for trucking until the fourth quarter of next year, when a slow but steady improvement should be evident.

“I’ve seen a lot of ups and downs in my 45 years in this business, but this [downturn] is the longest and worst I’ve ever seen,” said W. Marvin Rush, chairman and founder of Rush Enterprises, during a news conference held here at the company’s 2009 Technician Skills Rodeo.

“The reason it’s still so bad is credit – people just can’t get it, and credit is what allows businesses to survive and grow,” he explained. “So I think it will be well into next year before we start to see a recovery.”

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