Episode 178: Fleet Culture That Works: How to Build Team Morale Without Breaking the Budget

🚀 Episode Summary

In this energizing episode, hosts Josh Turley and Marc Canton take you behind the scenes of RTA’s legendary Spirit Week, an annual company tradition that flies in every team member for a week filled with fun, games, home-cooked meals, and, most importantly, deep team bonding.

But this isn’t just about Mario Kart and barbecue. It’s a leadership playbook for anyone who wants to foster connection, culture, and camaraderie in their organization, without needing a massive budget or a corporate HR team. Josh and Marc walk through how Spirit Week started, what makes it work, and how fleet leaders can apply the same principles to strengthen their teams, even on a tight schedule or with limited resources.

From dunk tanks and cornhole tournaments to remote team integration and cross-department connection, this episode offers practical ideas to help fleet managers turn morale into momentum.

Key Takeaways:

• • Culture is intentional. Great workplaces don’t happen by accident, they’re engineered through rituals, connection, and recognition.
    
    
  • Start small, then scale. Spirit Week began as a one-day potluck. Now it’s a company-wide celebration. Your fleet culture can grow the same way.
    
    
  • Don’t wait for permission. Block time, set expectations, and create the space. Start with low-cost, high-fun activities like games, cookouts, or team trivia.
    
    
  • Remote teams need bonding, too. Flying people in may not always be feasible, but there are scalable ways to bring hybrid teams together with intention.
    
    
  • Celebrating wins matters. Spirit Week isn’t just for fun, it included a milestone celebration of $100M in fleet savings. Recognize your team’s real contributions.
    
    
  • Leaders must go first. When leaders step up, get goofy, and cook meals or take a dunk tank hit, they humanize themselves and model vulnerability.

👥 Meet the Experts:

Josh Turley
CEO of RTA: The Fleet Success Company, Josh is a visionary leader who believes in building intentional culture. He’s the original force behind Spirit Week and a firm believer in celebrating wins, no matter how big or small.

Marc Canton
RTA’s Head of Product and longtime fleet manager, Marc is passionate about fostering team culture, driving operational excellence, and reminding us that even a simple shared meal can change the vibe of an organization.

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