Nobody ever goes to prison if they have enough money - it’s “better” to have them pay fines, let them in business and tax their profit that to lock them up and cater for them.
Rico’s gone, their trucks with owners by now. They busted quite spectacularly with drivers scattered all over Europe with blocked fuel cards and impounded trucks.
After couple of weeks of no movements some trucks were on the road again to finish contracted jobs, all the rest was returned financial comps and put up for sale. Complete and final end was pronounced sometime in winter. I think Heisterkamp was interested in German branch but the buyout did not go ahead.
As of their drivers, having to spoken to few Czech and Poles, they were quite happy to drive for them - sensible money, sensible driving times, well kept trucks. After the bankcrupt the drivers were even paid owed money - which is not always seen.
Rico’s growth and disaster were based on cheap credit and managers’ believe that if you owe some money you have to borrow even more, get more trucks, more work and paid for debts… I think the company only owned about 200-300 trucks, the others 2000 were on finances.
No. 1 example of exploitation of the Easterners and other dirty tricks was Kralowetz - it all brought him down but not to dust, they’ve been trading uninterruptedly! Did Karl actually went to prison? I know he was sentenced in at least 3 countries (D, L, A) for some funny 6-8months but whether he really went to jail I don’t know.
LKW Augustin was also referred to as “slavetrader” at some point but has since much improved… He was doing it in a different way though…
And there are and there will always be some other “Kralowetz”… I got a good tip on one…