A major Michigan-based trucking company was sold after 35 years in operation due in part to “the COVID-19 impact and the continual driver shortage.”

On Tuesday, Andra Rush, owner of Wayne, Michigan-based automotive parts hauler Rush Trucking, announced that the company has been sold to rival trucking company Lavalle Transportation, which is based in New York.

According to multiple reports, Rush Trucking quietly wound down company operations late last year.

Rush Trucking operated 354 power units and employed 374 drivers, according to the FMCSA’s SAFER website,

Rush Trucking has been recognized as one of the largest Native American-owned and woman-owned companies in the U.S. It was founded in 1984 and was a major carrier for Ford Motor Company for years.

Rush pointed to the ongoing pandemic and the driver shortage as a reason for her decision to sell. “With the COVID-19 impact and the continual driver shortage, it became even clearer that the automotive focused segment of the trucking industry required consolidation,” Rush said.

Rush is the founder and CEO of Rush Group of Cos., which includes Dakkota Integrated Systems and Rush Supply Chain Management.

You can read Rush’s full statement below.

“RTC has proudly serviced the automotive industry for over 35 years. With Covid-19′s impact and the continual driver shortage, it became even clearer that the automotive focused segment of the trucking industry required consolidation. I collaborated with RTC’s major customers to ensure a smooth transition of the RTC business to new providers occurred while maintaining the quality of service, and ensuring continued employment opportunities existed for our employees.

As you know, I have other businesses that serve the auto industry, and I am very excited about Dakkota Integrated Systems’ new growth opportunities here in Detroit and Hazel Park, MI, where, along with my team we are aggressively working to continue to meet our customer expectations while providing meaningful employment in historically underserved communities.

We appreciate their continued support of Dakkota in our joint pursuit of optimization of the triple bottom line. 3P as it is sometimes referenced: “People, Profit and Planet” is a core value of Dakkota, and it’s aligned with our major customers Ford, GM, Stellantis and Toyota’s values as well.

Stay healthy, wear a mask, social distance, and wash hands frequently.”