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Preferred stock, shares outstanding (in shares) Measurement Frequency [Axis] us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets Amortization of Intangible Assets Fair Value, Measurement Frequency [Domain] Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization Depreciation and amortization us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInInventories Change in inventories, net Prepaid expenses and other Depreciation and Amortization [Member] The current period expense charged against earnings on long-lived, physical assets not used in production, and which are not intended for resale, to allocate or recognize the cost of such assets over their useful lives; or to record the reduction in book value of an intangible asset over the benefit period of such asset; or to reflect consumption during the period of an asset that is not used in production. us-gaap_TableTextBlock Notes Tables us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInReceivables Change in accounts receivable, net Statement [Table] rusha_IncomeTaxesRefundedPaidNet Income taxes (refunded) paid, net The amount of cash paid during the current period to foreign, federal, state, and local authorities as taxes on income, net of any cash received during the current period as refunds for the overpayment of taxes or the amount of cash (received) during the period as refunds for the overpayment of taxes. us-gaap_ImpairmentOfRealEstate Impairment of Real Estate us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossTaxPortionAttributableToParent1 Income tax deferred Segments [Axis] us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesGross Business acquisitions us-gaap_SeveranceCosts1 Severance Costs Segments [Domain] Other Segments [Member] us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeUnrealizedGainLossOnDerivativesArisingDuringPeriodBeforeTax Change in fair value us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossDerivativesQualifyingAsHedgesTax Income tax deferred us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossReclassificationAdjustmentFromAOCIOnDerivativesTax Income tax benefit us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges Asset Impairment Charges Income Statement [Abstract] us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossAvailableForSaleSecuritiesTax Income tax deferred Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract] us-gaap_OperatingLeasesIncomeStatementLeaseRevenue Lease and rental us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInPrepaidDeferredExpenseAndOtherAssets Change in prepaid expenses and other, net us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerDilutedShare Diluted earnings per common share and common share equivalents (in dollars per share) Interest Expense [Member] us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted Earnings per common share - 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Balance Sheet Location [Axis] Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities Reconciliation [Table Text Block] us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInAccruedLiabilities Change in accrued expenses Balance Sheet Location [Domain] us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments Income before taxes us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAccrued Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties Accrued us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesExpense Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Interest on Income Taxes Expense Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member] Fair Value Measurements, Nonrecurring [Table Text Block] Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis [Table Text Block] Current assets: Equity Component [Domain] Equity Components [Axis] us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsPeriodIncreaseDecrease NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS Excess tax expense from stock-based compensation Amount of cash inflow (outflow) from realized tax benefit (expense) related to deductible compensation cost reported on the entity's tax return for equity instruments in excess of the compensation cost for those instruments recognized for financial reporting purposes. us-gaap_DerivativeBasisSpreadOnVariableRate Derivative, Basis Spread on Variable Rate Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Table Text Block] Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block] us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit Provision for income taxes Accounts receivable, net Class of Stock [Axis] Class of Stock [Domain] Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block] Common Class A [Member] Common Class B [Member] Accrued expenses Common stock, par value (in dollars per share) Schedule of Derivative Instruments, Effect on Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Table Text Block] Note receivable affiliate Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share) Preferred stock, shares authorized (in shares) us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense Major Types of Debt and Equity Securities [Domain] Major Types of Debt and Equity Securities [Axis] us-gaap_CostOfRevenue Total cost of products sold Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Table Text Block] Comprehensive Income (Loss) Note [Text Block] us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss Operating income us-gaap_GrossProfit Gross profit us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent Total current liabilities us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfSharesUnderIncentiveAndShareBasedCompensationPlansIncludingStockOptions Issuance of shares relating to employee stock options and employee stock purchases Treasury stock, shares (in shares) us-gaap_PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock Common stock repurchased Common stock, par value $.01 per share; 60,000,000 class A shares and 20,000,000 class B shares authorized; 30,513,909 class A shares and 10,279,281 class B shares outstanding in 2016; and 30,303,818 class A shares and 10,093,305 class B shares outstanding in 2015 Liabilities directly associated with assets held for sale Auction Rate Securities [Member] Common stock, shares authorized (in shares) Accounting Policies [Abstract] Statement [Line Items] us-gaap_PolicyTextBlockAbstract Accounting Policies Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block] CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES: Revenues: Computer Software, Intangible Asset [Member] CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: us-gaap_NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivitiesContinuingOperations Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities Payments on floor plan notes payable – trade, net Increase or decrease in amounts borrowed to finance the purchase of new and used commercial vehicle inventory. us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognizedPeriodForRecognition1 Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition us-gaap_NetCashProvidedByUsedInInvestingActivitiesContinuingOperations Net cash used in investing activities us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognized Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized rusha_CostOfProductsSoldPartsAndServiceSales Parts and service sales Total cost related to parts sold to retail and wholesale customers, as well as costs related to vehicle services and repairs. us-gaap_NetCashProvidedByUsedInFinancingActivitiesContinuingOperations Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities rusha_FinanceAndInsuranceNet Finance and insurance Revenues recognized during the period representing fees earned for the arrangement of commercial vehicle financing for customers through various institutions as well as the sale of various insurance and commercial vehicle service contracts to customers. rusha_PartsAndServiceSales Parts and service sales Aggregate revenue recognized during the period derived from parts sold to retail and wholesale customers, as well as revenue from commercial vehicle services and repairs. Scenario, Unspecified [Domain] Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block] Finite-Lived Intangible Assets by Major Class [Axis] Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Major Class Name [Domain] Current maturities of long-term debt Scenario [Axis] rusha_IncreaseDecreaseInFloorPlanPayableNet (Payments) draws on floor plan notes payable – non-trade, net The net change during the reporting period in commercial vehicle floor plan due by the reporting entity. Current maturities of capital lease obligations us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossUnrealizedLoss Gross unrealized loss in accumulated OCI Floor plan notes payable Amounts borrowed to finance the purchase of new and used commercial vehicle inventory. Reclassifications [Member] Represents the re-classifications. us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedFranchiseRights Indefinite-Lived Franchise Rights Property and equipment, net Goodwill, net Other assets, net us-gaap_IncrementalCommonSharesAttributableToShareBasedPaymentArrangements Effect of dilutive securities–Employee and director stock options and restricted share awards (in shares) Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block] Other Assets Disclosure [Text Block] Weighted average shares outstanding: us-gaap_InterestPaid Interest Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: rusha_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationNonrecurringBasisAssetGainLossIncludedInEarnings Long-lived assets held for sale Amount of gain (loss) recognized in the income statement for financial instrument classified as an asset measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing. 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Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Table Text Block] Cost of products sold: Asset Class [Domain] us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment Acquisition of property and equipment Asset Class [Axis] Assets held for sale Additional paid-in capital us-gaap_NumberOfOperatingSegments Number of Operating Segments Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table Text Block] us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments Number of Reportable Segments us-gaap_AssetsCurrent Total current assets us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossBeforeTax Change in fair value Shareholders’ equity: Earnings Per Share [Text Block] Earnings per common share: Deferred income tax benefit us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfPropertyPlantAndEquipment Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment