RTA: The Fleet Success Company

What's the fastest way to discover weaknesses in your fleet? Wait until a crisis. That's exactly what happened when Patti Earley, CAFM helped lead one of the largest fleet consolidations in the country. As she says in this clip, it felt like a "hostile takeover." The problem wasn't the vehicles. It was everything the organization hadn't been forced to test before the pressure arrived. Whether it's a hurricane, staffing shortage, supply chain disruption, or unexpected growth, emergencies have a way of exposing communication gaps, undocumented processes, and operational blind spots. The good news? You don't have to wait for a crisis to find them. We put together a new article on simple ways fleet leaders can stress-test their operations before they're tested for real. Linked inside, we've included our free Disaster Plan template put together by our own Sara Burnam, MSL, CAFM. 🎙️ Watch Patti's full Fleet Success Show episode, link in article. Facundo Tassara #FleetManagement #FleetLeadership #PublicWorks #FleetSuccess #EmergencyManagement

Most university fleets run on one of three models: centralized, decentralized, or some version of both that nobody planned on purpose. None of those are wrong. But each one comes with tradeoffs that show up later, in the budget, the utilization numbers, or the ability to answer a simple question like "how many vehicles do we actually have." On July 22, RTA Fleet's Marc Canton is joining NASUF for a live session on exactly this: University Fleet Governance: Centralized, Decentralized, or Hybrid? He'll get into: → What each governance model actually costs a fleet in visibility and accountability → How to tell if a structure fits the fleet, or if it's just what got inherited → Practical steps to tighten things up without a full reorg If you manage a university fleet, or you're trying to figure out why departments never seem to be on the same page, this one's worth an hour.

"We've just cured the fleet data analyst problem." That's what 🥤Jacob Turley and Marc Canton discussed on the latest episode of The Fleet Success Show. Then they added... "Maybe not literally...but almost literally." It's a bold statement. For years, fleet leaders have been told that if they wanted to become truly data-driven, they needed analysts who could build reports, write queries, and turn raw data into decisions. Jacob thinks AI is changing that. Not because fleet managers suddenly became data analysts. But because they may not have to. Imagine asking your fleet software a question in plain English instead of exporting spreadsheets, building reports, or waiting on someone with technical expertise. That's where this conversation goes. Will AI replace data analysts? Probably not. Will it give every fleet manager access to capabilities that used to require one? Marc and Jacob have an interesting perspective. What do you think: Is AI the biggest productivity breakthrough fleet management has seen in decades...or is the industry getting ahead of itself?

A lot of conferences bring in speakers who've read about fleet management. Connect brings in people who've actually run one. Here's who's teaching this October. Marc Canton, VP of Fleet Strategy. 20+ years as a transportation director before RTA. He's sat in your seat. Tony Yankovich, Director of Fleet Consulting. 25+ years, 400+ organizations helped, from 25-vehicle fleets to 250,000-asset fleets. Nathan Schafer, MBA, CAFM, CPFP, Fleet Consultant. Nominated for Fleet Manager of the Year and the Fleet Hall of Fame. Facundo Tassara, Fleet Success Ambassador. 7-time 100 Best Fleets award winner with 25 years in the industry. 🥤Jacob Turley, VP of Innovation. Focused on where fleet technology is actually headed, not where it's trending. Josh Turleyrley, CEO. He'll be there all week, telling it straight and answering whatever you bring him. Plus, special guest appearance by Steve Lerch, with his keynote on AI for All: simple stories and practical strategies for fleet leaders. No buzzwords, just what you can actually use. More speakers will be announced as we get closer to October. Registration link in the comments.

AI isn't the biggest barrier to AI adoption in government. The bigger challenge is often uncertainty. Questions about data security, cloud software, procurement, and compliance are all valid. Public fleets should absolutely do their due diligence before adopting new technology. But there's an important distinction between evaluating risk and assuming newer technology is inherently less secure. In this clip from the latest Fleet Success Show, 🥤Jacob Turley and Marc Canton share an interesting perspective on why specialized software vendors often have advantages when it comes to protecting the applications they build. It's a conversation that's becoming more relevant as AI capabilities become part of modern fleet management software. We also explored this topic in a companion article covering: - Why AI security concerns deserve thoughtful answers - Why on-premises isn't automatically the safer option - How outdated procurement requirements can unintentionally slow innovation - What fleet leaders can do to help their organizations evaluate AI with confidence 🎙️ Listen to the full Fleet Success Show episode, link in article. 📖 Read the companion article: What's Really Slowing AI Adoption in Public Fleets? Where do you think the biggest hurdle is today: technology, procurement, or organizational mindset? #FleetManagement #PublicFleet #FleetTechnology #GovTech #ArtificialIntelligence

If you're at STN Expo West this week in Reno, come find us. RTA is at booth #130 This evening and tomorrow. Stop by to talk fleet software, PM scheduling, work orders, whatever's actually on your mind. No pitch required, just come say hi. We'll be there through the end of the show. See you on the floor.

AI doesn't matter if it can't help you answer the questions that impact today's operation. Questions like: ❓Which vehicles have been in the shop the longest? ❓Which technicians have the most open work assigned? ❓Which critical parts are at risk of stocking out? ❓Which vehicles are becoming more expensive to maintain? Those aren't hypothetical questions. They're decisions fleet managers make every day. That's why we built Ron360 AI Chat: to help users find information faster without leaving Fleet360. Curious what modern fleet AI looks like? Download the infographic to see the kinds of questions your FMIS should be able to answer for you, then check out our latest webinar for more AI tips.

Most people are using AI backwards. They type a request, hit Enter, and expect a great answer on the first try. That's rarely how good work gets done. In this clip from The Fleet Success Show, Marc Canton and Josh Turley talk about a habit that's improved almost every AI conversation they've had. Before asking AI to write a report, build a presentation, or analyze data, tell it to ask you three to five clarifying questions first. It's no different than handing a project to a new employee. If they came back with a finished presentation without asking a single question, you'd probably wonder what assumptions they made along the way. AI does the same thing. When it doesn't have enough context, it fills in the blanks. Sometimes it gets lucky. Sometimes it confidently heads in the wrong direction. A few minutes spent answering clarifying questions can save far more time than rewriting a response that missed the mark. 🎥 Watch the clip below, then check out the full episode for more practical ideas on how fleet leaders are getting better results from AI without becoming prompt engineering experts. What's one AI habit that's made a noticeable difference for you?

If your AZ APWA schedule is already filling up... we've got one more stop you should add. 👇 We'll be in Tucson, July 29-31, for the Arizona APWA Statewide Conference, and we'd love to connect. You'll find the RTA Fleet team at Booth #44. Whether you want to: ✅ Talk shop with people who actually understand public fleet operations ✅ Swap ideas about improving fleet performance ✅ See what's new in fleet management technology ✅ Or just grab a break from walking the exhibit hall... ...stop by and say hello. The AZ APWA Conference is one of the best opportunities of the year to connect with public works professionals from across Arizona, learn from industry experts, and share ideas that help keep our communities running. If you're already planning to attend, don't leave your meeting schedule to chance. 📅 Schedule a time with our team before the conference so we can make the most of your visit (link in comments). We'd love to hear about your fleet, the challenges you're tackling this year, and how other public fleets are eliminating blind spots, bringing more order to their operations, and building fleets they're proud to lead. See you in Tucson! #AZAPWA #PublicWorks #FleetManagement #PublicFleet #FleetLeadership

For years, fleet managers have been expected to do more with less. More assets. Fewer people. Higher expectations. That's why the conversation around agentic AI is worth paying attention to. This isn't about AI answering another question or generating another report. It's about AI taking action, like creating work orders, scheduling PMs, checking parts inventory, and surfacing exceptions that actually need a fleet manager's attention. In this clip from the latest Fleet Success Show, 🥤Jacob Turley and Marc Canton explain why agentic workflows could be the next major shift in fleet management. If you'd like to dive deeper, we've also published a companion article exploring what agentic AI is, why it matters for public fleets, and how fleet leaders can start preparing today. 🎙️ Listen to the full episode, link in article 📖 Read the article: Fleet Managers Have Struggled With Resource Shortages for Decades. AI Might Finally Change That Tell us: What's one repetitive task in your shop that you'd gladly hand off to AI? #FleetManagement #PublicFleet #FleetTechnology #FleetMaintenance #ArtificialIntelligence