Refueled Podcast Episode 3: When Half Your Fleet Is Past Its Prime

Nearly half of public fleet assets are past their replacement age, and the consequences are hitting fleet managers from every direction. Rising repair costs, plummeting availability, parts that can't be found, and replacement funds that keep getting raided to plug other holes in the budget. On this episode of the Refueled Podcast, fleet veterans Mike Brennan and Sam Lamerato join host Eric Bearly to unpack what's really driving the crisis in public fleets today, from EV mandates and aging infrastructure to supply chain delays that are pushing fire truck deliveries from two years out to four.Mike and Sam also dig into the practical side of the job: how to right-size a fleet without losing internal customers, why fleet creep quietly destroys budgets, and what it actually takes to defend a replacement plan in front of city council. If you're a fleet manager fighting for funding, navigating tough conversations with finance directors, or just trying to keep your operation running while equipment ages out around you, this episode is packed with hard-won advice from two leaders who have lived it.