Fire trucks are so expensive because a few manufacturers build most of them, demand is high, and dozens of city lawsuits now allege those makers coordinated to inflate prices and stretch out deliveries. New engines run past $1 million and ladders near $2 million, on waits of four to five years. For most departments the practical answer is to buy reconditioned used apparatus that ships in weeks, or build a smaller new truck in months instead.
Key Takeaways
- Three manufacturers build most U.S. fire apparatus, and new prices have roughly doubled in five years: engines from about $589,000 in 2020 to $1.1 million in 2025, with ladder trucks now near $2 million.
- Dozens of cities have sued the largest makers, alleging a price-fixing conspiracy; 43 of those suits are now consolidated into one class action in Wisconsin federal court. The claims are unproven, and the manufacturers have not been found liable.
- New-truck delivery has stretched from about 18 months to nearly four years, with some quotes at four and a half to five.
- A reconditioned used truck ships in weeks, inspected and NFPA-certified; Fire Truck Center also builds new brush and light-rescue trucks in about 60 days from around $129,000.
- Buying used doesn’t mean giving up safety: a properly reconditioned truck is pump- and aerial-certified and can carry a money-back guarantee.
Why are fire trucks so expensive right now?
Fire trucks are expensive because supply is concentrated, demand is high, and delivery has slowed to a crawl. Three companies, Oshkosh (which owns Pierce), Rosenbauer, and REV Group, build most of the fire apparatus in the United States, and according to the International Association of Fire Fighters they account for more than 70% of production.
The numbers have climbed fast. A typical fire engine ran about $589,000 in 2020 and roughly $1.1 million by 2025, and ladder trucks now reach around $2 million. Providence, for example, paid $449,159 for a Pierce truck model in 2021 and $734,320 for a comparable one in 2024, a 63.5% jump in three years.
On top of the price, departments now allege something more: that the cost isn’t just market forces. That claim is what the lawsuits are about.
What are the fire-truck price-fixing lawsuits about?
The lawsuits allege that the largest manufacturers consolidated the industry through mergers and then suppressed competition, coordinating to raise prices and stretch out deliveries. These claims are alleged and unproven, and the companies have not been found liable.
According to the suits, the now-dominant makers shared confidential information through their trade association, the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association, to reduce competition among themselves. Dozens of cities and towns have filed, and 43 of those cases have been consolidated into a single class action in Wisconsin’s federal court. Plaintiffs include Providence, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Baltimore, Ann Arbor, and Los Angeles County, among others.
The manufacturers and the trade association did not respond to press requests for comment on the Providence filing, and no court has ruled on the merits. Separately, the IAFF and the American Economic Liberties Project have asked the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to open a formal antitrust investigation. Nothing here is a finding of wrongdoing, but the pressure is real, and it explains why chiefs are asking hard questions about what they’re being charged.
What’s happening across the fire-truck industry right now?
The fire-apparatus industry is in the tightest supply squeeze in its modern history, and it’s playing out on three fronts: consolidation, litigation, and a scramble for alternatives.
Consolidation. A wave of mergers left three companies, Oshkosh (which owns Pierce), Rosenbauer, and REV Group, building more than 70% of U.S. fire apparatus. The lawsuits allege that this concentration is what let prices climb and deliveries slow, though that remains unproven.
Litigation. Dozens of cities and towns have filed antitrust suits, and 43 are now consolidated into a single class action in Wisconsin’s federal court. The IAFF and the American Economic Liberties Project have separately asked the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to open a formal investigation. No court has ruled, and the claims remain unproven.
The scramble for alternatives. With new engines past $1 million, ladders near $2 million, and waits stretching four to five years, departments are voting with their budgets. More are buying and selling used apparatus than ever, and dedicated resale marketplaces have sprung up to move retired rigs between departments; one department sold a brush tanker for about $13,000 and another an engine for $170,000 to help fund their next purchase. For a growing number of departments, used has gone from a last resort to a first move.
How long does it take to get a new fire truck now?
A new fire truck now takes about four years to arrive, up from a historical norm of roughly 18 months. Some departments report quotes of four and a half to five years for delivery.
That wait is its own cost. As Providence Fire Chief Derek Silva put it, “I have firefighters that are younger than the trucks they’re driving around in.” A truck ordered today may not arrive before the current apparatus is out of service, which leaves a department covering calls with a reserve rig or a neighbor’s mutual aid in the meantime.
What can a department do about it? The used and new alternatives
A department facing a seven-figure quote and a multi-year wait has two faster, cheaper paths: buy a reconditioned used truck that ships in weeks, or build a smaller new truck in months. Neither one requires waiting half a decade for a $2 million rig.
Here’s how the three options compare:
| Option | Typical cost | Time to in-service |
|---|---|---|
| New from a major maker | ~$1M engine, ~$2M ladder | ~4 to 5 years |
| Reconditioned used (dealer) | A fraction of new, by type | A few weeks |
| New FTC-built brush / light rescue | From ~$129,000 | ~60 days |
Reconditioned used apparatus is the fastest route back into service. Fire Truck Center reconditions each truck, and you can browse our used fire trucks for sale across pumpers, aerials, tankers, brush, and rescues. For type-by-type pricing, our used fire truck price guide breaks down what each actually sells for.
For a smaller new truck, we build our own. Fire Truck Center makes custom-built brush trucks and light-rescue vehicles to a department’s spec in as little as 60 days, starting around $129,000, with a 5-year Ford chassis warranty and a 3-year warranty on the firefighting components. That’s a brand-new truck, built to order, in months instead of years. If you’re weighing the trade-offs, our guide on how to decide between new and used walks through it.
Does buying used mean giving up safety or reliability?
No. A properly reconditioned used fire truck is inspected, pump- and aerial-certified to NFPA standards, and can be backed by a money-back guarantee. The word “used” describes the truck’s history, not its condition once it’s been gone through.
Every truck Fire Truck Center sells clears a 150-point inspection, with third-party NFPA pump tests and aerial certifications where they apply, before it’s delivered. Our general guideline is to buy trucks with as few miles as possible, with a cutoff around 100,000 miles and 10,000 engine hours; many good used rigs are 10-to-20-year-old reserve trucks with roughly 10,000 miles that barely ran. And every truck ships with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee: return it within 30 days for any reason for a full refund, and we pay the return freight. Thirty days is enough to confirm a truck is mechanically sound.
How much can a department actually save by not buying new?
A department can typically save hundreds of thousands of dollars by buying reconditioned used instead of new, and get the truck in weeks rather than years. Used apparatus is priced by type, age, and condition, and it consistently lands well below a new build while still meeting NFPA requirements.
The savings compound when you count the wait. A truck in service this month protects a district now and starts earning its keep, instead of sitting on an order sheet for four years while prices climb further. For a smaller apparatus need, a new FTC-built brush or rescue truck from around $129,000 beats a major-maker quote on both price and time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who makes most of the fire trucks in the United States?
Three manufacturers, Oshkosh (which owns Pierce), Rosenbauer, and REV Group, build most U.S. fire apparatus, together accounting for more than 70% of production according to the IAFF. That concentration is central to the current price-fixing lawsuits, which allege the makers used their market position to suppress competition. Those allegations are unproven.
Are the fire-truck manufacturers guilty of price-fixing?
No court has found the manufacturers guilty; the price-fixing claims are alleged and unproven. Dozens of cities have sued, and 43 of those suits are consolidated into a single class action in Wisconsin federal court, but the cases have not been decided and the companies have not been found liable. It’s an active dispute, not a settled fact.
Is a used fire truck NFPA compliant?
A used fire truck is NFPA compliant when its pump and aerial have passed current third-party testing and it’s in service-ready condition. Reconditioned apparatus from a dealer is pump-tested and aerial-certified before delivery, which is what confirms it’s safe to operate. Ask for the current test and certification paperwork before you buy.
Does Fire Truck Center build new fire trucks?
Yes. Fire Truck Center builds new brush trucks and light-rescue vehicles in-house, to a department’s spec, in as little as 60 days from around $129,000. They come with a 5-year Ford chassis warranty and a 3-year warranty on the firefighting components, a fast, affordable new option next to a multi-year major-maker build.
Staring at a seven-figure quote and a delivery date years out? You have faster options. Fire Truck Center has service-ready used apparatus you can put in service in weeks, and builds new brush and light-rescue trucks in about 60 days. Tell us the type and spec you need and we’ll help you find it or build it. Browse current inventory or call (215) 559-9119.
Sources & Credits
The prices, delivery timelines, and lawsuit details in this article come from public reporting and court filings. Credit to the organizations and outlets that reported them:
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