Nebraska’s attorney general has filed an antitrust lawsuit against four major manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks over their agreement with California air quality regulators.
The Clean Truck Partnership
Truck makers Daimler, Paccar, Volvo, and International Motors, along with industry group the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association — which was also named in the suit — were among the signers of the Clean Truck Partnership with the California Air Resources Board last year.
CARB officials said the pact provided flexibility to vehicle and engine manufacturers as they worked to meet California’s emissions reduction targets and develop zero-emission vehicles.
Nebraska’s Lawsuit
The filing from Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, however, contends that the agreement would improperly reduce vehicle output, raise prices, and limit choice in the market for heavy trucks. The complaint characterized the partnership as an “illegal horizontal conspiracy.”
Trade publication FleetOwner reported that the four companies made up one-third of the U.S. heavy truck manufacturing and accounted for nearly all domestic sales of Class 8 trucks in the second quarter of the year.
Fuel Industry Co-Plaintiffs
The lawsuit was filed in state court, but FleetOwner noted that most antitrust cases involving interstate commerce are brought by federal regulators in the federal court system.
The filing also includes two fuel industry groups as co-plaintiffs: Energy Marketers of America and Renewable Fuels Nebraska, the latter representing the ethanol sector.
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