Episode 181: You Can Be Right or You Can Have a Fleet: Budget Cuts for Grown-Ups

Episode Summary

"You can be right, or you can be married; the same applies when leading through budget cuts."

In this candid episode of The Fleet Success Show, RTA CEO Josh Turley and fleet industry veteran Marc Canton dive headfirst into a growing crisis facing government fleets: massive budget shortfalls. With some agencies facing $2-3 million in cuts, they explore the crossroads where leadership, fleet efficiency, and public service collide.

Rather than simply trim the fat, Josh and Marc flip the script: budget cuts can be a golden opportunity to innovate, right-size, and lead with boldness. From leveraging debt financing to rethinking replacement backlogs and idle fleet utilization, this episode is a strategic playbook for fleet managers forced to do more with less. It's a masterclass in leading up, down, and across, all while protecting your team and your fleet's integrity.

Whether you're managing a city fleet or consulting on fleet maintenance management software, this episode will leave you with tools to navigate fiscal storms while keeping your mission (public service) at the core.

Key Takeaways

• Two options for deficits: Cut expenses or raise revenue, and the latter is politically toxic.
• Leadership mindset: Your first response cannot be “we can’t.” Be an advisor, not a blocker.
• Debt financing & leasing: Underutilized lifelines for cash-strapped fleets.
• Right-sizing tactics: Everything from technician staffing to underutilized assets can yield savings.
• Consulting ROI: Outside expertise often identifies millions in savings by seeing what insiders can’t.
• Storytelling = survival: Present options with consequences, not resistance. You’re informing policy, not making it.

Speaker Bios

Marc Canton
Head of Product & Consulting, RTA
With a background in consulting and analytics, Marc now leads the design of tomorrow’s fleet management software—one that meets real-world needs in the shop and the boardroom.

Josh Turley
CEO, RTA: The Fleet Success Company
As RTA’s CEO, Josh brings decades of insight into building better fleets through smart leadership, technology, and systems. His mission: help fleet managers lead with confidence.

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