Published
July 2, 2026
A Massachusetts city says the three companies behind most U.S. fire trucks used their trade group to coordinate prices that have doubled to $1–$2 million per truck — there is no settlement or claim form, but the case could affect thousands of municipal fire departments.
Allegations Only · No Settlement Yet
This article describes a class action complaint. The statements below are unproven allegations. Oshkosh, Pierce Manufacturing, REV Group, Rosenbauer America, and FAMA have not been found liable, there is no certified class, and nothing to claim at this time. This page is informational and is not legal advice.
What Is This About?
The City of Leominster, Massachusetts has filed a proposed antitrust class action against the three dominant U.S. fire truck manufacturers — REV Group, Inc., Oshkosh Corporation and its subsidiary Pierce Manufacturing, Inc., and Rosenbauer America LLC — along with their trade group, the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers' Association (FAMA). The complaint alleges the manufacturers, which it says together control roughly 70 to 80 percent of the U.S. fire truck market, conspired to restrict production and inflate prices, forcing cities to pay far more for fire trucks than they would in a competitive market.The complaint, captioned City of Leominster v. Oshkosh Corporation, et al., Case No. 2:26-cv-01105, was filed on June 8, 2026 and demands a jury trial. Leominster brings the case individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated. None of the defendants has been found liable, and every claim described below is an unproven allegation.
Status
Complaint Filed
Proposed class action · City of Leominster v. Oshkosh Corporation, et al. · filed June 8, 2026
Allegation
Fire truck supply suppression & price inflation
Suit says three makers controlling 70–80% of the U.S. market exchanged confidential data through trade group FAMA while prices doubled and backlogs hit 3–4 years
Can I Claim?
No — nothing to claim yet
No settlement, no fund, no claim form at this stage
What the Lawsuit Alleges
The complaint describes a decade of consolidation in an industry that once had roughly two dozen independent, often family-owned fire truck builders. According to the suit, private equity firm American Industrial Partners bought fire apparatus maker E-ONE and merged it with other manufacturers into REV Group, which then acquired KME, Ferrara, Spartan, Smeal, and Ladder Tower between 2016 and 2020. Oshkosh, which has owned Pierce Manufacturing since 1996, allegedly expanded through deals including Boise Mobile Equipment and Maxi-Metal, while Austria-based Rosenbauer became the second-largest North American manufacturer. The complaint also alleges the companies' dealer networks were consolidated into exclusive territories that eliminated geographic overlap.At the center of the case is FAMA, the industry's trade association. The complaint alleges the manufacturers submitted confidential pricing, cost, and production data to FAMA, which routed it through a third-party firm into statistical reports available only to participating members — not to buyers or the public. FAMA also allegedly hosted members-only meetings twice a year where competitors could communicate privately. According to the suit, this closed information exchange let the manufacturers monitor each other's pricing and output decisions and maintain coordinated price increases and production limits, while fire departments had no access to the data shaping market-wide pricing.
The complaint ties this alleged conduct to concrete market outcomes. It says the average cost of a new fire truck rose from about $700,000 in 2020 to over $1 million in 2025, with pumper trucks that cost $300,000–$500,000 in the mid-2010s now averaging $1 million and ladder trucks reaching $2 million. Delivery backlogs allegedly grew more than fourfold in some regions — from roughly one year to about 4.5 years — while REV Group reported a record multibillion-dollar backlog and, the suit says, shut down KME manufacturing plants rather than expanding capacity. The complaint also alleges manufacturers imposed "floating price" clauses that let them raise a truck's price years after it was ordered; one Massachusetts fire department was allegedly told its 2022 order would not be delivered unless it accepted a $150,000 increase.
Legally, the complaint asserts two counts under Section 1 of the Sherman Act — conspiracy to restrict production and conspiracy to exchange competitively sensitive information — plus claims under the Massachusetts Antitrust Act, the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act (Chapter 93A), and unjust enrichment. It seeks treble damages, disgorgement, and an injunction ending the alleged information exchange. As with any complaint, no court has ruled on whether any of this actually happened.
How Leominster Says It Was Harmed
Leominster, a city of about 44,000 in Worcester County, says it has bought Pierce fire trucks since 2012, when it paid roughly $475,000 (about $600,000 with additions) for a custom pumper to replace a 1995 engine. Engines that once cost less than $1 million now cost as much as $2 million, the complaint says, and the city has experienced delivery delays that forced it to spend money repairing aging vehicles and to rely on mutual aid. The city says it is currently auctioning trucks dating to the 1980s, and that operating vehicles past the National Fire Protection Association's recommended 15-to-25-year replacement benchmarks puts firefighters and residents at risk.The complaint estimates that if fire truck prices had merely tracked inflation since 2015, a pumper would cost about $680,000 and a ladder truck about $1.2 million today — meaning purchasers are allegedly paying roughly 47 percent more for pumpers and 66 percent more for ladder trucks, and have collectively overpaid by approximately $19.8 billion since 2016.
Is There a Settlement Yet?
No. This is a newly filed lawsuit, not a settlement.That means:
• There is no settlement fund.
• There is no claim form.
• There is no payout, and no deadline to act.
• Cities, fire departments, and taxpayers do not need to do anything at this stage.
The filing of a complaint is the very beginning of a case. The defendants have not been found liable simply because a lawsuit was filed, and they will have the opportunity to respond, including by moving to dismiss. If the case is ever resolved through a settlement or a class is certified, a formal claims process with its own eligibility rules and deadlines would be announced separately.
Who Could Be Affected?
Leominster brings the case on behalf of itself and others similarly situated — generally, public purchasers such as municipalities and fire departments that bought fire trucks at allegedly inflated prices. The relevant market described in the complaint covers all seven NFPA-recognized fire truck types sold in the United States, from standard Type 1 structural engines to wildland brush trucks and aerial ladder apparatus. With roughly 30,000 fire departments nationwide and only about 5,000 new fire trucks sold each year, a certified class of governmental purchasers could be substantial. Because no class has been certified, the exact class definition and covered time period are not final.The Bigger Picture
The lawsuit lands amid growing government scrutiny of the fire apparatus industry. In April 2025, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Jim Banks opened an inquiry into private equity roll-ups of fire truck manufacturers, and the International Association of Fire Fighters has urged the FTC and Department of Justice to investigate, with its president testifying before a Senate subcommittee in September 2025 that manufacturers had "rigged the game." Reporting by The New York Times and others has documented soaring prices and shrinking fleets — including more than 100 of the Los Angeles Fire Department's 183 fire trucks being out of service when the January 2025 wildfires broke out.The case also fits a broader wave of antitrust class actions over alleged price coordination in everyday markets, including the Ace Hardware price-fixing class action over allegedly coordinated retail prices, the Lucky Strike bowling monopoly class action over an alleged roll-up of U.S. bowling alleys, and the Vail Resorts & Alterra lift ticket antitrust class action. Like those cases, this one asks whether consolidation and information sharing eliminated the competition that keeps prices in check — here, for equipment communities depend on in life-or-death emergencies.
What Happens Next?
The defendants will respond to the complaint, likely with motions to dismiss, and the court will decide whether the claims can proceed. If they do, the case would move into discovery, and Leominster would at some point ask the court to certify a class of similarly situated purchasers. Antitrust cases of this scale routinely take years, and the complaint could be amended, consolidated with similar cases, narrowed, or resolved along the way.OpenClassActions.com will continue watching the case for major updates, including motions to dismiss, class certification activity, any parallel government enforcement action, settlement talks, or any future claim form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a fire truck price-fixing settlement yet?
No. This is a proposed class action lawsuit. There is no settlement, no fund, and no claim form. The defendants have not been found liable just because a lawsuit was filed.What does the lawsuit allege?
According to the complaint, REV Group, Oshkosh/Pierce, and Rosenbauer — allegedly controlling 70–80% of the U.S. fire truck market — conspired to restrict production and raise prices, exchanging confidential pricing and output data through members-only FAMA statistical reports and meetings. Prices allegedly doubled while delivery backlogs stretched to three or four years. The allegations are unproven.Who could be part of the class?
Leominster sues on behalf of itself and others similarly situated — generally public purchasers like cities and fire departments that bought fire trucks at allegedly inflated prices. No class has been certified, so the definition is not final.Do I need to file a claim?
No. Because this is a lawsuit and not a settlement, there is nothing to claim and no deadline. If a settlement or certified class ever produces a claims process, deadlines and eligibility would be announced then.Sources
• Complaint — City of Leominster v. Oshkosh Corporation, et al., Case No. 2:26-cv-01105 (filed June 8, 2026)• The New York Times — "As Wall Street Chases Profits, Fire Departments Have Paid the Price": New York Times
• Reuters — "As fire truck prices hit $2 million, US firefighters demand an antitrust probe": Reuters
• Sen. Elizabeth Warren & Sen. Jim Banks — April 15, 2025 letter to the International Association of Fire Fighters: Senate Letter (PDF)
• U.S. Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Disaster Management — "Sounding the Alarm: America's Fire Apparatus Crisis" hearing testimony (Sept. 10, 2025): Senate Testimony (PDF)
• American Economic Liberties Project & IAFF — May 13, 2025 letter to the DOJ and FTC: Letter to FTC & DOJ (PDF)
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Status
Complaint Filed — Proposed Class Action
Case Title
City of Leominster v. Oshkosh Corporation, et al.
Case Number
2:26-cv-01105
Defendants
Oshkosh, Pierce Manufacturing, REV Group, Rosenbauer America, FAMA
Date Filed
June 8, 2026
Senate Inquiry
Warren–Banks Letter
