Why Fleet Managers Must Step Out of the Bay to Lead: Lessons from EMS
This article is based on a recent episode of The Fleet Success Show podcast.
Watch the full episode here:
What’s the Best Way for a Fleet Manager to Improve Performance?
Step out of the shop.
If you’re a fleet manager still turning wrenches, your fleet is likely falling behind in strategic performance. This is especially true in industries like EMS, government, and transit, where the stakes are high, technician shortages are real, and resources are tight.
In this episode of The Fleet Success Show, Marc Canton and EMS fleet leader Drew Morrow share what happens when a technician becomes a fleet leader—and refuses to let go of the wrench.
1. From Chaos to Calendar: How Structure Frees Up Strategic Leadership
Fleet management is reactive by nature—but it shouldn’t be entirely reactive. Drew shares how blocking time on his calendar for leadership tasks like procurement, stakeholder meetings, and reporting helped him reclaim control over his week.
“I block out at least five hours on Monday, Wednesday, Friday to work on the business... Otherwise I’d never get to it.” – Drew Morrow
2. PM Compliance Is More Than a Metric—It’s Legal Protection
Missed PMs don’t just hurt uptime—they create liability. In emergency services, any lapse in scheduled maintenance can come under legal scrutiny in the event of an incident. By tracking how communication breakdowns impact PM compliance, fleet managers can show the true risk of poor planning.
“When the lights are on, it's all your fault... the lawyer’s gonna dig into the driver, the training, and then the maintenance history.” – Marc Canton
3. Reframing Fleet as a Strategic Asset
Too often, leadership views fleet as a cost center—until something breaks. Drew explains how to use KPIs, total cost of ownership (TCO), and utilization data to reframe fleet as a mission enabler.
“We exist for the healthcare. The truck is a means to that end… but if the means isn’t there, the end never happens.” – Marc Canton
4. CapEx vs. TCO: What's the Real Cost of Holding Onto Old Fleet Assets?
|
Metric |
New Ambulance |
Old Ambulance (8+ years) |
|
Purchase Cost |
$250,000 |
$0 (already owned) |
|
Residual Value |
~$16,000 |
$0 or minimal |
|
Annualized CapEx (Straight Line) |
~$31,000 |
$0 |
|
M&R Costs |
Low |
High |
|
Downtime Risk |
Low |
High |
|
Liability Exposure |
Minimal |
Significant |
This shows that the real cost of keeping aging vehicles isn’t just mechanical, it’s strategic and financial.
5. Solving the Technician Shortage with Redundancy and Relationships
Relying on one technician is a single point of failure. Drew recommends:
- Building redundancy with co-op students
- Partnering with local high schools or tech schools
- Creating regional networks with other fleets
“We’re trying to build better bonds… but in private EMS, there’s too much bravado. Not enough collaboration.” – Drew Morrow
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why shouldn’t fleet managers turn wrenches full time? A: Because strategic leadership, planning, budgeting, and performance improvement all require time and focus. If a fleet manager is constantly in the shop, they cannot execute these responsibilities effectively.
Q: What’s the best way for a small fleet to justify hiring a technician? A: Show leadership how technician shortages lead to missed PMs, increased liability, and reduced asset availability. Use fully burdened labor and downtime costs to make the case.
Q: How can I prove it’s time to replace my fleet vehicles? A: Compare annualized CapEx (purchase cost minus resale value over years) with current maintenance, downtime, and risk costs. Highlight safety, compliance, and operational efficiency gains.
Q: How can software help me lead my fleet more effectively? A: Fleet maintenance management systems like RTA Fleet360 automate PM tracking, provide KPI dashboards, streamline communication, and reduce manual admin work—freeing up leadership to focus on strategy.
Q: What should I track to improve fleet performance? A: Start with KPIs like PM compliance, missed service due to poor scheduling, technician wrench time, fleet availability, TCO per vehicle, and internal stakeholder satisfaction.
Final Thoughts: Leading Means Letting Go
Whether you manage a school bus fleet, public works, or ambulances, the message is the same: You can’t lead your fleet if you’re stuck turning wrenches.
Strategic fleet success depends on leadership, prioritization, and systems that allow you to work smarter—not harder. With RTA Fleet360, you gain the tools to track what matters, reduce manual work, improve compliance, and build the business case for growth and investment.