Fire Trucks in Crisis | Seattle News

Seattle News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 19, 2026 · 2m

Fire departments across the country are locked in a legal battle with major truck manufacturers, accusing them of secretly colluding to inflate prices and delay deliveries—sometimes by four years or more. Lawsuits allege the top three manufacturers, backed by their trade group, rigged the market to squeeze public safety budgets, forcing departments to pay soaring costs for aging equipment. With fleets crippled and first responders scrambling, communities face real danger as essential tools vanish from service. Manufacturers blame pandemic-driven supply chains and demand spikes, while state…