The RHA’s truck cartel claim continues

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) continues to press on with its truck cartel claim on behalf of operators that have opted in.

Since the closure of the opt in period on 28 February 2025, the RHA has continued work behind the scenes so that its case is in the best shape possible to either negotiate a settlement with the manufacturers or press on with a trial.

By way of reminder, the claim follows a 2016 European Commission decision which found that a number of major truck manufacturers had breached EU competition law between 1997 and 2011 through colluding on gross list prices, among other breaches. The Commission imposed fines totaling several billion euros.

The RHA launched collective proceedings on behalf of UK operators seeking compensation, following on from the European Commission’s decision. The RHA’s case is that operators paid too much for their trucks as a result of the competition law infringement.

In August 2024, the RHA secured a Collective Proceedings Order (CPO), allowing the claim to proceed under the UK’s collective actions regime.

The next stage of the proceedings will be for the Competition Appeal Tribunal to list a Case Management Conference (CMC) where directions will be made as to the next steps of the proceedings.

If the claim proceeds to trial, it is likely to take a few more years to conclude.

The RHA is aware that the case has already been running for some time. This is largely due to the conduct of the manufacturers, including multiple appeals, and other delays outside of the RHA’s control.

The RHA is working to conclude the case as soon as possible so that operator’s can be paid the sums they are owed.

The quickest way to do this would be through settlement with the truck manufacturers but this depends on whether the manufacturers are willing to pay a sum that is considered fair and reasonable for operators.

Richard Smith, Managing Director of the RHA, said “I expect a result within the next 12 months.”

However, any subsequent distribution of funds to operators could take up to a further year.

If you have questions about the RHA truck cartel claim or related competition law issues, get in touch with our team.

This article was written by Steven Meyerhoff.