The Fleet

When a business changes, the fleet cannot stop moving.

Jennifer VrMeer, Senior Manager of Sales Operations at BD, has helped manage fleet through acquisitions, divestitures, vendor changes, driver expectations, and program redesigns - all inside a 2,500-vehicle healthcare fleet. Her rule for any major transition is simple: business as usual on day one.

In this episode of The Fleet, Jen breaks down what it takes to keep drivers moving while the business changes around them. She explains why communication matters even when nothing is changing, why fleet data has to be clean before a divestiture ever appears, how to think about vendor consolidation without overcorrecting, and why staying too long with the wrong fleet management company can create a loyalty penalty instead of a loyalty bonus.

This is a practical playbook for fleet leaders navigating change without breaking the program, losing driver trust, or creating unnecessary noise across the business.

• Why the rule on day one of any fleet integration is "don't break the program" — and how to communicate change to drivers

• The three things that actually matter when picking a fleet vendor (and the order they matter in)

• The hidden cost of staying too long with the wrong fleet management company — and why loyalty doesn't pay off

• The one RFP question most fleet leaders never ask — and the client references that actually tell you the truth

• Why divestiture is harder than integration, and what to build now so you're ready when it lands

• How to hit 95% driver satisfaction without trying to please everyone

• The fleet metrics leaders obsess over that don't matter — and the ones they ignore that do

Jennifer VrMeer on LinkedIn

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)

The Fleet podcast

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. Learn more at elementfleet.com.

0:00 Business as Usual on Fleet Day One

1:29 Inheriting Three Fleets at BD

2:58 The Edwards Acquisition and a New Reimbursement Model

6:22 Why Reimbursement Didn’t Work in 2020 - But Works Now

9:02 The Three Things That Matter When Picking a Fleet Vendor

12:45 The Real Cost of Vendor Sprawl

15:32 When Fleet Managers Stay Too Long

18:37 Inside Jen VrMeer’s RFP Playbook

20:56 The RFP Question Almost No One Asks

23:16 The Fleet Job Nobody Talks About: Divestiture

28:30 How to Prepare Before a Divestiture

31:09 Balancing Cost Savings and Driver Satisfaction

34:49 Why Standard Driver Surveys Aren’t Enough

37:26 The Parent Phone Call and the Ghost Driver

41:58 The Fleet Metrics That Actually Matter

47:26 Mobility Trends Fleet Leaders Should Watch

52:22 Jen VrMeer’s Advice for Fleet Leaders

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.

Fleet strategy only works if drivers actually use it.

EV rollouts. Safety tech. Policy changes. Vendor consolidation. Every major fleet initiative eventually comes down to the same question: will drivers buy in?

Michael Acosta helps manage more than 1,300 vehicles across the US, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil for UCB with a two-person team. And his belief is simple: the biggest lever in fleet is not the tech, the policy, or the vendor. It is whether drivers actually love the program you have built.

In this episode, Michael breaks down what really drives adoption - from vehicle choice and personal-use perks to hybrids, feedback loops, and the anonymous message board that revealed what drivers were never going to say in a survey.

Chapters:
0:00 Inside a Global Pharma Fleet
2:44 Why Driver Buy-In Decides Every Fleet Outcome
4:28 What Two People Actually Do in a Day
7:02 Translating US Driving Realities to a European HQ
9:52 What to Look for in a Global Fleet Partner
14:08 A Young Voice in a Veteran-Heavy Industry
18:00 How Tech Is Changing Fleet Management
20:54 Telematics, Privacy, and the Data Tension
24:57 Why Fleet Runs on the Honor System
26:54 What Actually Keeps Drivers Happy
29:42 EVs, Choice, and Translating Global Targets
41:08 The Anonymous Message Board That Changed the Rollout
48:03 Selling Fleet’s Importance Inside Your Own Company
51:57 Where Fleet Is Going Next

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. Learn more at elementfleet.com.

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.

4 people. 18,000 vehicles. No blown engines. How does that work?

Charles Schott is Fleet Director at Rollins, one of the largest service fleets in North America - 20 pest control brands, 4,000 vehicles refreshed every year, 90% service compliance. He's built fleet operations at global scale before: 30,000+ vehicles across 70 countries at Pfizer, armored fleet at Brinks, now Rollins.

In this episode, Chris Brandt and Charles break down what makes it all work: FLOW as the operating principle, A3 problem-solving as the discipline, acquisition integration as the stress test, and the fleet management partnership as the force multiplier.

What you'll take away:

• Why fleet leaders are asset managers first — and how that reframing changes every decision

• The 'truck rodeo' standardization play that got 20 brands aligned without a mandate

• How Rollins' 4-person team pulled off 31 secretly-staged trucks for an acquisition

• The one vehicle metric (over-temp) that nearly eliminated blown engines across 18,000 units

• The three things Charles looks for in a fleet management partner

Connect with Charles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-schott/

The Fleet podcast: https://mission.org/the-fleet

Chapters:

0:00 18,000 Vehicles. 4 People. Nothing Can Sit

1:40 Charles Schott runs fleets from Pfizer to Brink

6:46 18,000 vehicles, 4 people, and the big F word: FLOW

9:04 Fleet management is air traffic control

12:30 Acquisitions: the seat at the table

14:20 31 trucks staged in secret - how Rollins pulled it off

19:52 How fleet leaders earn credibility (crumb-to-loaf rule)

25:13 A3 problem-solving across the supply chain

32:35 The truck rodeo: standardizing 20 brands without a mandate

35:26 Telematics, over-temp, and eliminating blown engines

41:03 Supply chain constraints and keeping vehicles longer

50:13 What Charles looks for in a fleet management partner

55:59 Going global: build the foundation, not the roof

59:11 Close

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. Learn more at elementfleet.com.

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.

Fleet safety isn’t just accidents - it’s what your data says you did about them.

In this episode, Brian Kinniry - Director of Safety and Collision Product Management at Element Fleet Management - reveals how the shift from reactive to proactive safety programs is transforming fleet operations. With nuclear verdicts reaching seven and eight figures, traditional "train after the accident" approaches leave companies exposed to catastrophic legal and financial risk.

Brian shares real fleet data showing how connected technology and telematics are helping companies identify risk before incidents happen - including why incident rates actually increase when you deploy cameras (and why that's a good thing), and how a single cargo van training module reduced preventable incidents by 35%.

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. Learn more at elementfleet.com.

Chapters:

0:00 Ignoring Driver Behavior Is a Risk

1:22 From Safety Program to Legal Risk

3:58 What Negligence Looks Like in Court

6:58 Why Documentation Is Failing Fleets

9:38 The Shift From Reactive to Proactive Safety

12:08 The WWII Lesson for Fleets

13:42 Why Incident Rates Go UP With Cameras

16:02 How Driver Data Prevents Bigger Accidents

18:18 Why Every Fleet Needs a Different Strategy

21:12 How Safety Data Changes Hiring Decisions

24:28 Are You Increasing Risk Without Knowing It?

28:18 The Training That Reduced Crashes by 35%

31:32 Why Micro-Targeted Training Works

36:32 ADAS, EVs, and the False Sense of Security

43:28 What Fleets Still Get Wrong And What To Do Now

51:10 Brian Kinniry: Advice for Fleet Leaders

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.

Physical AI is rewriting what's possible for autonomous fleets, and the infrastructure decisions you make today determine your competitive position in 2035.

Colin Dhillon, futurist and advisor to NuPort Robotics, joins Chris Brandt on The Fleet to explain why fleet leaders who start building autonomous capability now gain compounding advantages over those who wait for "perfect" solutions. Neural networks have eliminated the need for human-written code in autonomous vehicles, learning from sensor data in real time instead. Lights-out factories are producing a million phones with zero humans. The truck cabin itself could disappear, replaced by humanoids that handle the last remaining manual task like placing safety cones.

This conversation breaks down how Physical AI (the convergence of neural networks, autonomous systems, and real-world operations) is reshaping fleet economics faster than most leaders realize, and what separates organizations positioning for the future from those still optimizing yesterday's operations.

Chapters:

0:00 Why “Robots Taking Jobs” Was Wrong - Until Now

2:10 Colin’s Journey from Car Design to Physical AI

4:18 What Is Physical AI?

7:24 80s Robots vs Today’s Neural Networks

9:48 Lights-Out Manufacturing for Fleets

12:38 30 Humanoids on Stage - Training Compressed from Weeks to Hours

15:22 How Autonomous Systems Change Fleet Labor Models

16:32 Why Colin Went from Fighting Regulation to Calling for It

18:46 The Infrastructure Problem - Why Autonomy Fails in the Real World

24:52 Why True 5G (and 6G) Matters for Fleet Autonomy

30:07 Why Fleets Will Be the First to Fully Adopt Autonomy

30:42 The Cone Problem - Autonomy’s Last Human Barrier

35:16 94% of Accidents Are Human Error - The Case for Physical AI

36:47 The Truck Cabin Might Disappear Entirely

42:44 How Zero-Marginal-Cost Operations Change Everything

48:47 About Kulbir Colin Singh Dhillon

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The Fleet podcast is brought to you by Element.

To learn more about how Element can move your fleet forward, visit elementfleet.com

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.

Cargo theft has fundamentally evolved – and the criminals behind it aren't breaking locks. They're forging documents, building fake carrier identities, and running what amounts to a direct-to-consumer pipeline for stolen goods.

In this episode, Danny Ramon, Intelligence and Response Manager at Overhaul, reveals how modern cargo theft works. With 15 years in supply chain security and hands-on experience recovering stolen loads, Danny exposes the invisible fraud happening inside everyday fleet operations.

Danny walks us through strategic theft: the use of fraud to steal cargo under the guise of legitimate business. From the "criminal direct-to-consumer pipeline" born during the pandemic to the exact fraud mechanics criminals use to extract 98% of loads while delivering perfect paperwork, you'll learn how organized crime exploits normal receiving procedures.

We explore why toilet paper became a premium target in 2020, how AI and modern technology are scaling these operations globally, why the "golden hour" determines recovery success, and the two non-negotiable security priorities every fleet needs: visibility and situational awareness.

If your fleet still relies on ink-and-paper BOLs or thinks security is just about physical protection, this conversation will fundamentally shift how you think about cargo protection in 2026 and beyond.

Learn more at elementfleet.com

Chapters:

00:00 - How Criminals Steal Cargo With Perfect Paperwork  

04:36 - Current Targets: GPUs, Crypto, and Viral Products  

09:58 - Fraud in Plain Sight: 40 Pallets Become 2  

15:19 - The Criminal Direct-to-Consumer Pipeline  

20:42 - The ROI of Prevention: One Loss Pays for Years  

27:02 - Why Third-Party Security Partners Make Sense  

30:12 - The Golden Hour: 98% Recovery in 1-2 Hours  

35:00 - How AI Enables Wider Fraud Nets  

41:13 - Why Pharma Leads: The Canary in the Coal Mine  

43:30 - Building Law Enforcement Relationships Before Crisis

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.

Fleets are undergoing a once-in-a-century transformation and the companies leading this shift aren't traditional automakers. In this episode, Philipp Kampshoff, Co-founder of McKinsey's Center for Future Mobility and the Global Co-lead of its Automotive Practice, and Dor Shay, CTO of Element Mobility and Autofleet, break down what's really changing in fleet operations.

You'll discover why $1 trillion in outside investment (94% from tech, not auto) is accelerating innovation faster than anyone predicted, why autonomy:not electrification:will be the true game-changer for fleets, and how simple data integrations are already delivering 70% reductions in downtime.

From MS Paint vehicle repositioning to AI-driven orchestration, from 2,500-mile break-even points to 7,500-mile autonomous futures, this conversation challenges conventional wisdom while offering practical guidance on what to pilot now versus what to wait on.

Whether you're managing a delivery fleet, rethinking charging infrastructure, or just trying to keep up with the pace of change, this episode delivers the strategic perspective and real-world examples you need to stay competitive in 2026.

Learn more at https://www.elementfleet.com

Chapters:

0:00 - Future of Fleet Management with McKinsey & Element

2:02 - $1 Trillion in Fleet Technology Investment (92% From Outside Automotive)

6:30 - Fleet Manager Strategy for Adopting New Technology

13:38 - Fleet Automation Success Story (From Manual to 70% Less Downtime)

18:26 - Fleet Data Management and Building Your Data Lake

26:52 - Autonomous Vehicles vs Electrification (Which Will Transform Fleets?)

32:39 - Fleet Technology Pilots (What to Test Now vs What to Wait On)

36:49 - Fleet Technology Hype Cycle and What's Overrated in 2026

42:34 - EV Charging Infrastructure and Solving the Fleet Electrification Challenge

49:17 - Fleet Management Advice for 2026 on Innovation and Partnerships

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.

You’re not stuck because there aren’t enough chargers.

Dr. Sheldon Williamson, professor at Ontario Tech, explains why the real constraint is when and how power hits the grid, not where vehicles sit.

Chris Brandt hosts this episode of The Fleet covering smart charging, grid stress, incentives, battery tech, and why tomorrow’s fleet leaders will need energy literacy as much as operational know-how.

Chapters:

0:00 EV Charging Solutions Require Energy Literacy

1:25 Sheldon Williamson Explains Fleet Electrification

2:30 Why EV Adoption Slowed and What’s Next

4:45 Incentives, Policy, and What’s Actually Blocking Progress

7:20 Charging Density, Battery Cost, and Vehicle Economics

10:10 Charging Is a Scheduling Problem, Not Infrastructure

11:55 Lithium Dependence, China, and Battery Supply Chains

16:30 Post-Lithium Batteries: Sodium, Potassium, and What’s Next

19:25 Hybrid Battery Systems: Power vs Energy Chemistries

23:10 Range Anxiety, Charging Distance, and Human Behavior

29:45 Infrastructure Strategy: Buildings, Utilities, and Government’s Role

36:25 Energy Literacy: Education, Confidence, and Systems Thinking

41:10 Electrifying Aviation, Renewables, and Real Emissions Impact

51:25 Fleets as Grid Assets: Vehicle-to-Grid and Demand Response

This episode of The Fleet is brought to you in partnership with Element Fleet Management.

Element delivers end-to-end solutions that reduce costs, improve productivity and support sustainability goals.

From vehicle acquisition to electrification and everything in between, Element’s data-driven approach helps organizations optimize performance and keep their drivers safe and supported on the road. Learn more at elementfleet.com

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.

Vehicles were designed for an old era of transportation. The modern fleet demands a redesign.

In this episode of The Fleet, Will Graylin, Founder & CEO of IndiGO Technologies, explores how today’s fleet needs have outgrown traditional vehicle assumptions, and why electrification works best when vehicles, charging, and deployment are designed together as a system. From last-mile delivery and charging access to community-level operations, this conversation reframes EV adoption as an opportunity to rethink how fleets are built and deployed for today’s realities.

Key Moments:

0:00 Why EV Architecture Has to Change

1:20 Will Graylin is Reinventing the Wheel for Fleets

3:55 The Fleet EV Problem (Last-Mile + Charging)

11:30 Fleet Electrification Needs Systems Thinking

14:10 Smart Wheels Explained

18:00 Modular EV Architecture

22:10 Accessibility and New Fleet Use Cases

24:25 Why OEMs Struggle to Change

28:20 The Model T Lesson for EVs

32:10 What Fleet Managers Should Evaluate

35:30 EV Charging as the Bottleneck

38:00 Safety, Visibility, and Vehicle Size

41:10 EV Fleet Ownership and Business Models

45:00 Electrification-as-a-Service (EASE)

46:05 Go Loop and Community Fleets

49:35 The Future of EV Fleets

If your organization depends on a fleet of vehicles, it’s time to think about your fleet as a strategic asset. Element delivers end-to-end solutions that reduce costs, improve productivity and support sustainability goals.

From vehicle acquisition to electrification and everything in between, Element’s data-driven approach helps organizations optimize performance and keep their drivers safe and supported on the road. Learn more at elementfleet.com

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.

The world’s next fleet evolution isn’t just electric - it’s contextual.

Chris Brandt sits down with Dominique Kwong, Founder and CEO of Damon, to explore how “data with context” can prevent accidents before they happen, how micro-mobility is reshaping last-mile delivery, and why Gen Z may push fleets toward an access-over-ownership model faster than expected.

Key Moments:

0:00 Why Contextual Data Matters for Fleets

From vehicle acquisition to electrification and everything in between, Element’s data-driven approach helps organizations optimize performance and keep their drivers safe and supported on the road. To learn more about how Element can move your fleet forward, visit https://www.elementfleet.com

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.