Vegas sues truck makers over costs

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue joined a federal class-action lawsuit on Tuesday. The suit accuses major fire truck manufacturers of conspiring to raise prices and slow down deliveries.

The department filed an amended complaint over the summer. It details a September 2021 order for four engines and one truck from Pierce Manufacturing Inc. The order cost a combined $4.1 million. It took 22 months to arrive.

The city placed the same order again in October 2022. That order cost $5.2 million. When the department joined the lawsuit in June, it had still not received the trucks. That was more than three and a half years after the initial order.

About 70 local fire agencies and governments are making similar claims. The lawsuit targets Pierce and its parent company, Oshkosh Corp. It also names REV Group Inc., Rosenbauer America, and their subsidiaries. The Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association trade group is also a defendant.

The complaint states that Oshkosh, REV, and Rosenbauer control 70% to 80% of the $3 billion fire apparatus market. It argues this market dominance began with private equity consolidation starting in 2008. The plaintiffs claim fire truck prices have doubled in the past decade. They say cost increases and inflation do not fully explain the rise.

The complaint quotes the manufacturer defendants as relying on inelastic demand to create long backlogs. It alleges they raised prices almost twofold and restricted output rather than compete. Las Vegas Fire & Rescue operates 22 stations across 150 square miles. Its teams provide paramedic services, fire prevention, and technical rescue.

The city alleges the defendants violated the Nevada Unfair Trade Practice Act and the Nevada Deceptive Trade Practices Act. A city spokesman said the city generally does not comment on pending litigation. In May 2025, the International Association of Fire Fighters and the American Economic Liberties Project asked federal agencies to investigate the industry. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Jim Banks launched a Senate investigation in 2025.

Defendants denied colluding to fix prices in an August motion to dismiss. They attributed the issues to post-pandemic demand and supply chain disruptions. The cases are centralized in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin before Judge William Griesbach. The complaint cites incidents in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago where aging equipment caused delays or failures during fires.