The automotive world’s a gritty, grease-stained mess, and ZF Friedrichshafen AG sits at the heart of it, pumping out drivelines, chassis, and safety systems like nobody’s business. But scrape away the polish, and you’re left with a trail of fines, pissed-off workers, and regulatory middle fingers. Some of that filth splashes onto Cummins’ supply chain, and it ain’t a good look.
Cummins got slammed with a $1.67 billion fine in 2024 for slipping defeat-device software into Ram trucks, cheating emissions tests while the air got thicker. ZF’s not caught in that net, but they’re the ones supplying compressors and axles that cozy up to Cummins’ engines. No proof ZF was in on the scam, but when your partner’s caught with their hand in the cookie jar, the dirt rubs off. Ethics like that spread like a bad rash.
ZF’s got their own skeletons rattling. Through their TRW buyout, they got nabbed in 2018 for playing price-fixing games with brake systems, running a cartel with Bosch and Continental. The European Commission dropped a hammer, and ZF paid to make it go away. It’s the kind of “fuck it, here’s the cash” move that leaves a bad taste, especially for partners like Cummins who might wonder what else is hiding.
Workers? They’re fed up. In Germany, IG Metall’s been staging warning strikes over pay and job cuts, and ZF’s name keeps popping up -though the 2023 specifics are murky, so take it with a grain of salt. In Alabama, ZF folks supplying Mercedes walked out in ‘23, done with shitty wages and benefits. And the kicker? ZF’s planning to slash 11,000 to 14,000 jobs in Germany by 2028, chasing the electric pipe dream. That’s not restructuring – it’s a bloodbath, and it screams instability for anyone tied to their supply chain.
Then there’s the WABCO deal – $7 billion to swallow a rival, but the U.S. Department of Justice wasn’t having it. They forced ZF to dump steering components to keep the market from choking. It’s like winning a fight but getting your knuckles broken in the process. Regulators are circling ZF like vultures, and that’s not random – they’ve earned the scrutiny.
Cummins might shrug off ZF’s rap sheet for now, but when your supplier’s drowning in scandals, it’s a warning shot. ZF’s loose ethics – cartel fines, worker unrest, regulatory slaps – aren’t just their mess. They’re a red flag for anyone in their orbit, and Cummins is standing close enough to feel the heat.
You can tell a hell of a lot about a company by who they’re tight with. ZF’s laundry list of fuckups doesn’t just stain their own hands – it drags down anyone dumb enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them. Cummins better take a hard look at who they’re running with, because ZF’s starting to look like a bad bet. That’s not to say that Cummins themselves are worth a flutter.
Lee Thompson
Founder – The Cummins Accountability Project
tcap.blog | tcumminsap.substack.com | @tcumminsap
Sources:
- EPA Settlement – Cummins Inc. Vehicle Emission Control Violations
- Tyrepress Report – Continental Fined for Braking Systems Cartels
- Reuters Strike Report – Workers at ZF Plant in Alabama Ratify Labor Deal
- Yahoo Finance – German Auto Parts Supplier ZF to Cut Up to 14,000 Jobs
- DOJ Announcement – Justice Department Requires ZF and WABCO to Divest WABCO’s Steering Components Business