The 3Ws of Fleet: How to Right-Size Your People, Space, and Equipment for Maximum Performance

This article is based on a recent episode of The Fleet Success Show podcast. Watch the episode below:

What Are the 3Ws of Fleet Management?

Fleet management is rarely as simple as "How many vehicles do we need?" The answer depends on three interconnected elements that veteran fleet consultant Tony Yankovich calls the 3Ws:

1. Workload

The total volume of maintenance, repairs, inspections, and service required to keep your fleet operational. This includes both planned and unplanned work.

2. Workforce

The technicians, supervisors, parts staff, and admin personnel responsible for fulfilling that workload.

3. Workplace

The physical infrastructure—shop bays, admin space, parts rooms, exterior deadline parking, fuel islands, and employee areas—that supports the work being done.

“If one of the Ws is out of balance, your entire operation suffers.” – Tony Yankovich

Why Fleets Struggle With Right-Sizing

Right-sizing is more than just deciding how many vehicles you need. It's about understanding how vehicle quantity, replacement schedules, shop resources, and personnel bandwidth affect each other.

Many fleets:

• Lack an accurate fleet utilization model
• Don’t track technician productivity (or even know how many techs are truly wrenching)
• Are stuck with old, downtime-heavy assets due to poor replacement funding
• Operate out of outdated or undersized shops
• Use headcount instead of FTEs to plan labor needs

All of these gaps make it nearly impossible to right-size effectively.

The Domino Effect of Poor Replacement Planning

Marc and Tony both agree: Fleet replacement is often the most important lever you can pull.

Why?

Because an older fleet causes:

• More downtime
• Increased maintenance workload
• Lower availability
• Higher need for spare units
• Burnout among technicians
• Crowded deadline yards
• Increased outsourcing

“When your fleet’s falling apart, no amount of technician hiring or process improvement can fix it. You’ve got to fix the root cause: the age of your fleet.” – Marc Canton

When you start with a strong replacement plan, everything else improves—availability, technician morale, shop efficiency, and budget predictability.

Technician Headcount vs. FTEs: Why the Difference Matters

Here’s a mistake many fleet managers (and finance teams) make:

They assume that if you have 10 technicians, you have the capacity of 10 full-time wrench-turners.

But in reality, you might only have 7 or 8 FTEs once you account for:

• Parts delivery and inventory responsibilities
• Admin or fuel management duties
• Helping other departments with welding or facilities
• Absenteeism and time off
• Facilities-related work (plowing snow, mowing lawns)

“You think you have 10 techs. But if 2 of them spend 25% of their time on non-wrenching tasks, you’re down to 8.5 FTEs. That gap directly affects your availability.” – Tony Yankovich

Start here if you're unsure where to begin:

• Audit how much time each tech spends on direct labor
• Convert headcount into actual FTEs
• Use that data to justify changes to staffing, replacement, or outsourcing

Using Data to Model Scenarios (and Win Budget Support)

Fleet leaders often hit a wall when presenting requests to leadership—especially when the ask involves headcount or capital.

Tony suggests presenting multiple scenarios backed by the 3Ws model.

Instead of just saying:

"We need more technicians."

Say:

“If we replace 30% of our fleet, here’s the impact on technician workload, parts demand, and shop capacity. If we don’t, here’s what happens instead.”

Use real math:

• “10 techs = 95% availability”
• “8 techs = 85% availability”
• “Fleet age increases spare need from 10% to 25%”
• “Bays, deadline parking, and fuel demands increase as downtime rises”

Presenting data-backed scenarios:

• Increases trust with leadership
• Helps non-fleet stakeholders understand tradeoffs
• Opens up budget options (partial replacement, outsourcing, added shift, etc.)

“When they can see the chain reaction of their decisions, leadership is more likely to buy into your strategy.” – Tony Yankovich

FAQs

What is fleet right-sizing?

Fleet right-sizing is the process of optimizing your fleet’s size and composition to match operational needs. It includes adjusting vehicle count, usage, replacement cycles, and support resources.

What are the 3Ws of fleet?

• Workload = The maintenance and service demand
• Workforce = The staff to fulfill the workload
• Workplace = The infrastructure that enables the work

These three elements must stay in balance for a fleet to perform well.

Why is replacement planning so important?

Because aging fleets lead to more downtime, lower availability, increased labor needs, spare creep, and budget bloat. A proactive replacement plan can eliminate—or significantly reduce—these issues.

What’s the difference between FTs and FTEs?

• FTs (Full-Timers) = Headcount
• FTEs (Full-Time Equivalents) = Actual available wrench time after accounting for other duties

You may have 10 FT technicians but only 7.5 FTEs due to parts, admin, or other non-maintenance work.

How can I get leadership to fund more staff or replacement?

Use the 3Ws model to present multiple scenarios. Show how a lack of replacement leads to higher workload, which demands more staff and space. Quantify tradeoffs and use FTE analysis to explain why your shop is overextended.

Final Thoughts

The best fleet operations don’t just react—they plan.

By understanding the relationship between workload, workforce, and workplace, you can make smarter decisions, gain leadership support, and move your operation from overwhelmed to optimized.

Start with:

• A fleet replacement plan
• A real FTE audit
• Shop capacity review
• Workload analysis
• Clear communication with stakeholders

And remember: right-sizing isn’t about cutting—it’s about aligning your resources with your reality.