RHA to represent the haulage industry in cartel claim

The Road Haulage Association will pursue the case for compensation from the truck manufacturers  involved in a coordinated truck price fixing cartel.

RHA chief executive Richard Burnett said: “As the representative body with sole responsibility for UK road freight operators, we consider ourselves duty-bound to acknowledge and act upon our members’ wishes.  They have made it clear that they feel aggrieved at the news of a truck pricing cartel and are looking to us to represent them.”

The Association’s board of directors (comprising member-elected individuals from RHA member companies) met last week to discuss the European Commission’s £2.5bn fine. Their unanimous decision was that the Association should progress compensation claims on behalf of its members.

The price-fixing relates specifically to the market for the manufacturing of medium (weighing between 6 to 16 tonnes) and heavy trucks (weighing over 16 tonnes). The European Commission's investigation revealed that MAN, Volvo/Renault, Daimler (Mercedes-Benz), Iveco and DAF had all been involved.

Jim French, RHA national chairman and director of PD Portcentric Logistics, said: “This is a serious issue for the haulage industry – both for hauliers in general and our members in particular. The road transport sector works to extremely tight margins and the truck itself is the largest capital investment our members make. Therefore they are looking for compensation from the manufacturers.

Due to the large number of interested parties, the process of claiming compensation will be complex. But the RHA has been in discussions with its legal advisors to progress the matter further.

French added: “We are keen to maintain the amicable and close working relationship we have always enjoyed with the truck manufacturers, as they have with their customers. We would seek to act in a way which resolves the interests of our members as swiftly and as appropriately as possible.

“I wish to make it clear that the Road Haulage Association will not, itself, be benefitting from any financial action.”