The Road Haulage Association (RHA)’s long-running Truck Cartel Legal Action has reached another significant milestone, with the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) scheduling a case management conference for 13 October 2026. While compensation remains some way off, the hearing is expected to determine the next procedural steps and provide greater clarity on when one of the UK’s largest competition claims involving the road transport sector could finally reach trial.
The case stems from the European Commission’s landmark 2016 decision that found Europe’s largest truck manufacturers had participated in a cartel that inflated truck prices and delayed the introduction of cleaner emissions technology for more than a decade. Since then, the RHA has pursued a collective claim on behalf of thousands of UK haulage operators seeking compensation.
Background to the Truck Cartel claim
The origins of the case date back to 19 July 2016, when the European Commission concluded that six major truck manufacturers – MAN, Volvo/Renault, Daimler/Mercedes-Benz, Iveco, DAF and Scania – had breached EU competition law between 1997 and 2011. The Commission found the manufacturers had coordinated gross list prices, agreed the timing and cost of introducing Euro 3 to Euro 6 emissions technologies and delayed the rollout of cleaner engines.
Five manufacturers admitted their involvement and settled with the Commission, while Scania later lost its appeal against a separate infringement decision. Collectively, the manufacturers received fines exceeding €3 billion, making it one of the largest competition penalties ever imposed by the European Commission.
The RHA launched its collective proceedings in 2018, arguing that UK haulage operators ultimately paid artificially inflated prices when purchasing or leasing trucks weighing more than six tonnes.
A lengthy legal journey
The litigation has taken considerably longer than originally anticipated. The claim became caught up in a series of procedural challenges, including competition over which organisation should represent UK operators, questions surrounding litigation funding, and wider legal issues affecting the UK’s relatively new collective proceedings regime.
A major breakthrough came in June 2022 when the CAT authorised the RHA’s opt-in collective proceedings rather than a rival application. Following further appeals and remitted hearings, the Tribunal granted the Collective Proceedings Order (CPO) in August 2024, formally allowing the RHA to pursue the claim on behalf of eligible operators.
The opt-in period closed on 28 February 2025, with around 11,000 class members ultimately joining the action, according to the RHA. Richard Smith recently acknowledged that delays inevitably reduced participation as some businesses ceased trading during the extended legal process.
CAT hearing scheduled for October 2026
The latest development is the Tribunal’s decision to list a case management conference on 13 October 2026, where the court will establish how the litigation progresses towards trial. According to the CAT, the hearing is scheduled to last one day.
Commenting on the announcement, Richard Smith, RHA Managing Director, said: “The Tribunal has now set a hearing date for the case management conference in the Road Haulage Association (RHA)’s truck cartel claim.
“This will take place on 13 October 2026 and will determine the next steps in the claim and when a trial is likely to take place.
“Once the case management conference has taken place, the RHA will be in a better position to advise on likely timescales to the completion of the matter however it expects that it will be at least a couple of years before compensation can be paid out if we are required to run the case to a full trial.”
The October hearing will not determine liability or compensation levels. Instead, it will establish procedural directions, including evidence timetables, disclosure requirements and the likely timetable leading to a full trial, unless any settlements are reached beforehand.
Could the claim settle before trial?
Although the case continues to move towards trial, there remains the possibility of negotiated settlements with some manufacturers.
When the CPO was granted in 2024, the RHA revealed that one manufacturer had indicated a willingness to explore settlement discussions. However, no comprehensive settlement has yet been announced, meaning preparations continue for a potentially lengthy trial process.
Smith has also emphasised that while the legal process has been frustratingly slow, the RHA believes the claim remains in a strong position and is prepared to continue pursuing compensation if negotiations fail.
What happens next?
For the thousands of operators already registered in the claim, the October case management conference should provide the clearest indication yet of how quickly proceedings will move towards trial.
However, expectations remain measured. Even if the litigation progresses without further procedural delays, the RHA believes compensation is unlikely to be distributed for at least another two years if a full trial proves necessary.
For fleet operators, the case remains one of the most significant legal actions ever brought on behalf of the UK road haulage industry. If successful, it could result in substantial compensation for businesses that purchased or leased qualifying trucks during the cartel period, while also reinforcing the principle that anti-competitive behaviour in the commercial vehicle sector carries long-term financial consequences.
