How to Centralize a Decentralized Fleet (Without Losing Your People)
Tony Yankovich helped consolidate a city fleet across six departments and four bargaining units. Here's what the plan missed, how buy-in saved it, and what to have in place before you start.
Hosted by Marc Canton
About This Episode
When six departments each run their own shop, their own fleet manager, and their own records, nobody can answer a simple question: what does our fleet actually cost? Recorded live at RTA Connect 2026 in Chicago, this episode of The Fleet Success Show brings host Marc Canton together with Tony Yankovich, RTA's Director of Consulting, to talk about centralizing a fleet that already exists in pieces.
Tony has seen it from both sides. Early in his career he helped bring six departmental fleet operations, four bargaining units, and about 1,200 units under one city fleet organization. Since then he has completed more than 500 fleet studies, including several dozen centralization and consolidation projects. He shares what the plan got right on paper, the one thing it missed that nearly stopped the effort, and how putting technicians and union representatives on a committee turned resistance into buy-in.
Marc and Tony also cover where centralization tends to pay off (repair turnaround, shared resources, right-sizing, and pooling), why savings and service levels both matter, why you can't prove success without a baseline, and the must-haves before you start. If you're looking for the fleet podcast that speaks to the realities of public sector fleets, this is one to share with your leadership team.
People like the idea of change until it's time for them to change.
Director of Consulting, RTA
Key Takeaways
Most fleet consolidations that stall don't fail on the math. They fail on buy-in. Involve the people the change affects before the plan is final.
Get a clear decision from top leadership first, then involve the people the change affects.
Put a representative from every department and bargaining unit on the planning committee.
Show each group what's in it for them: a better shop, better benefits, and a phased transition.
Service gains like faster repair turnaround often show up before the savings do.
One organization doesn't have to mean one building. Satellite shops and SLAs can work.
Set a cost and service baseline before you change anything.
The must-haves: a central FMIS, written fleet governance, and clear objectives.
There are no automatics. A high-performing standalone shop may not need to consolidate.
Meet the Speakers
HOST
Marc Canton
VP of Fleet Strategy, RTA
Marc is a former university fleet manager with two decades of university operations experience and deep expertise in fleet centralization and operations strategy. He hosts The Fleet Success Show and helps public sector fleets improve performance, reduce cost, and raise stakeholder satisfaction.
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GUEST
Tony Yankovich
Director of Consulting, RTA
Tony started his career in local government as asset manager for a 1,200-unit city fleet and helped consolidate six departmental fleet operations into one organization. He has completed more than 500 fleet studies and was a 2025 Fleet Management Hall of Fame nominee.
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