Manufacturer · EUR 670m

Trucks cartel claim: Volvo and Renault Trucks

The Commission established joint and several liability for Volvo AB across both of its subsidiaries. Operators of either network hold the same rights.

EUR 670m
Fine imposed on the Volvo group
24 %
Estimated European market share
2
Brands under one decision
1997-2014
Eligible acquisition period

Joint and several liability across both brands

Although Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks run separate commercial networks, the Commission held them jointly and severally liable. Having acquired Renault Trucks in the early 2000s, the Swedish parent was sanctioned for exchanging strategic information and fixing wholesale gross prices for both brands.

In practice, a haulier whose fleet mixes Renault Magnum and Volvo FH units can group every vehicle into a single file, with no distinction by brand.

Model

Brand

Eligible acquisition years

Magnum

Renault Trucks

1997 to 2013, all engine variants

Premium

Renault Trucks

Route and Distribution series above 6 tonnes

Kerax

Renault Trucks

Construction and quarrying

Midlum

Renault Trucks

Medium distribution above 6 tonnes

T, C and K ranges

Renault Trucks

First Euro 6 models, 2013 to 2014

FH, FH12, FH16

Volvo Trucks

International long-haul

FM and FL

Volvo Trucks

Heavy, regional and urban distribution

FMX

Volvo Trucks

Construction and site work

The three strands of the infringement

Investigators showed that representatives of both brands coordinated prices at secret meetings. The arrangement covered gross price scales across the continent, the deliberate delay of the Euro 3 to Euro 6 standards, and passing the full cost of emission control equipment on to hauliers.

Contracts taken out with Volvo Financial Services or Renault Trucks Financial Services are fully eligible: these captives applied the scales derived from the cartel. The rules are identical whatever the financing: see outright purchase or credit, leasing and hire purchase, long-term hire and trucks sold or scrapped.

How your claim is calculated

The original overcharge is only part of your claim. The decisive lever is the compounding of statutory late payment interest, accrued over twelve to twenty-eight years.

C = (Vb × α) × (1 + r)t
  • C: total claimable compensation, principal and late payment interest combined
  • Vb: gross list price or net acquisition value of the vehicle
  • α: artificial overcharge applied by the cartel, between 10 and 20 %
  • r: average statutory annual interest rate applied by the court, 3 to 5 %
  • t: number of years elapsed since the original invoice was paid

Worked example: for a fleet of 5 Renault Magnum and 5 Volvo FH acquired between 2003 and 2008 at an average of EUR 105,000 net, the overcharge is EUR 15,750 per vehicle. With an interest multiplier of 2.0 to 2.4, the recoverable amount for the fleet sits between EUR 315,000 and EUR 378,000.

01

Eligibility check

Send us your invoices, lease agreements, registration documents or asset registers covering 1997 to 2014.

02

Audit and firm offer

Our lawyers and econometricians quantify your claim within four weeks.

03

Guided decision

You choose between a cash purchase of your claim within 30 days and litigation on a success-fee basis.

04

Payment released

The compensation is credited directly to your company bank account.

Frequently asked questions

No. The claim targets the Volvo AB holding company sanctioned at European level, not the independent dealers, who were themselves subject to the wholesale prices set by the manufacturer.

Yes. Period registration documents, fixed-asset registers or fleet insurance certificates establish ownership of the vehicles concerned.

No. Because liability is joint and several within the group, a single file covers vehicles of both brands.

The other sanctioned manufacturers

All the analyses in this section, plus the Manufacturers hub for the overview.

Start the free audit of your Volvo and Renault fleet

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