Refueled

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.

Host Eric Bearly sits down with three members of the RoadFlex team, Mary Akhavan, Jessica Elam, and Minta Wilcox, who work directly with commercial and vocational fleet customers every day. Together they unpack the real challenges fleet managers are facing right now: doing more with the same headcount, wrestling with legacy FMC tech stacks that refuse to play nicely with modern tools, and drowning in disconnected systems that make a single source of truth feel like a pipe dream.The conversation covers what separates a best-run fleet from one that's constantly playing catch-up, why total cost of ownership matters more than a per-gallon discount, and what proactive versus reactive fleet management actually looks like in practice. They also look ahead at where things are going, from contactless payment adoption to AI-powered alerting, and why human customer service still matters even as automation takes over more of the day-to-day.If you manage a fleet, this one is worth your time.

In this engaging conversation, Eric Bearly hosts industry veterans Sam Lamerato and Michael Brennan to discuss the current challenges faced by public fleet managers. They delve into pressing issues such as technician shortages, budget constraints, and the evolving landscape of fleet management post-pandemic. Both guests emphasize the importance of adapting to rapid changes in technology and the need for effective communication and leadership skills among fleet managers. They also highlight the significance of networking within the public fleet community to share knowledge and best practices.