Episode #50
Best Way to Learn Fleet? Become a Sponge.
Jamie McKay walked into a role that had never existed at Aptive Pest Control, in the middle of COVID, knowing almost nothing about fleet. Six years later, she manages a fleet that has grown from 400 vehicles to more than 2,400 across 76 locations. Her approach has been simple: get into the room, ask questions, and keep information moving. In this conversation with host Chris Brandt, Jamie explains why she wanted to be “a sponge” in her first year, why fleet needs visibility into the company’s goals, how strong FMC and vendor relationships depend on transparency, and why the best upfit decisions come from listening to the people actually using the vehicles in the field. Connect Jamie McKay on LinkedIn Aptive Environmental Sponsor This episode is sponsored by Element Fleet Management. If your organization depends on a fleet of vehicles, it's time to think about your fleet as a strategic asset. Chapters • 0:00 Introduction: 400 to 2,400 vehicles across 76 locations • 1:38 How Jamie fell into fleet — the COVID RIF and the phone call • 4:35 'I wanted to be a sponge' — surviving a role that never existed • 7:31 What actually helped scale from 400 to 2,400 vehicles • 8:50 How to say no without saying the word 'no' • 11:50 Managing supply chain chaos and market change • 13:38 'Fleet's really expensive' — what the C-suite needs to hear • 16:18 Why fleet is an octopus — and touches every department • 20:50 What a real FMC partnership looks like (vs a vendor) • 23:55 Selling fleet spend to a skeptical CFO • 25:23 The most expensive thing a fleet manager can do • 30:23 Why you can't design a fleet vehicle from a desk • 33:24 The backpack problem — and the Decked cargo-glide fix • 39:03 Order Bank Open Day: fleet's Rex Manning Day • 43:41 EVs, safety tech, and the non-negotiables on every new vehicle • 46:38 What keeps a fleet leader up at night Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
