The Straight Talk on Fleet

In Episode 66, Erin sits down with Josh Zolin—CEO of Windy City Equipment, author, podcaster, and former technician turned modern blue-collar leader—for an unfiltered conversation on what it really takes to build a thriving team in today’s service-driven world.

Together, they unpack what it means to modernize field service operations without losing the heart of your business: your people. From tech adoption and operational transparency to culture-building and leadership values, Josh shares actionable insights on using data the right way, driving meaningful change, and leading with purpose.

Get ready for straight talk on retention, ownership, “camp syndrome,” and why truth isn’t just a concept, it’s a blueprint.

In this episode of Straight Talk on Fleet, Erin sits down with Stefano Denari, Fleet Ecosystem Strategist at Fleetio, to talk about a topic every fleet leader wrestles with: maintenance. And not just oil changes and tire rotations—we’re talking about building a proactive, compliant, driver-first maintenance culture that actually works.

Erin and Stefano break down why so many fleets stay stuck in reactive mode, what “maintenance as a cost center” gets wrong, and how to start shifting your program—from chaos to consistency. You’ll hear real strategies you can steal today, from digging into your last 10 breakdowns to getting drivers to speak up (and actually giving them a way to do it).

They also cover how tech like IntelliShift and Fleetio help connect the dots between data, inspections, and PM schedules—so you can get ahead of issues before they blow up your budget, your customer satisfaction, or your safety score.

Spoiler: A great maintenance program doesn’t just reduce downtime—it builds trust, retains talent, and maybe even lets you take a vacation.

Straight from the floor of NAFA I&E in Long Beach, Episode 64 brings you rapid-fire insights from some of the most dynamic voices in fleet. In this special podcast shorts format, guests share unfiltered answers to speed-round questions like:

• What’s the biggest myth in fleet

• If you had unlimited budget—what’s the first thing you’d fix?
• What’s one habit you'd change in every driver?

Hear from fleet pros across nonprofits, commercial services, and public operations as they drop wisdom, humor, and straight talk on what it takes to run safe, smart, future-ready fleets.

Featuring guests from Ronald McDonald House Charities, Atrium Home Services, RTA, CoolSys, and the Museum of Tolerance.

Quick takes. Big insights. All in under 10 minutes each.

In this episode of Straight Talk on Fleet, Erin Gilchrist sits down with Phil Mirisola from Coast to dig into one of the biggest headaches in fleet management: fuel programs. They get real about the everyday struggles—fuel card fraud, driver compliance, wasted time managing physical cards, and outdated tech that hasn’t evolved in decades. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Erin and Phil explore smarter, more modern solutions that give fleets real-time visibility, tighter security, and fewer administrative fires to put out. Spoiler: You don’t have to settle for the status quo.

Whether you're tired of chasing down receipts or wondering why your driver filled up miles from the job site, this episode is for you. Erin and Phil walk through how integrated, digital-first tools (like Coast + IntelliShift) can give you back time, control, and peace of mind. They also talk change management, how to make the switch without the chaos, and what the future holds as fleets move toward EVs. It's an honest, insightful convo that might just change the way you think about fuel management. Give it a listen—you’ll be glad you did.

Celebrate Women's History Month with our powerhouse panel of women in fleet! Join us as we dive into inspiring career journeys, from breaking into the industry to building a legacy. Our guests share their experiences, offer invaluable advice on work-life balance and overcoming imposter syndrome, and discuss the importance of community and mentorship. Get ready to be motivated and empowered by these remarkable women driving change in the fleet industry.

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. Also, connect with Erin on LinkedIn. You’ll join a community of like-minded fleet leaders, have a voice in the conversation, and be part of an industry-leading initiative to elevate the role of fleet operations and break down the barriers to change.

Keeping our finger on the pulse of safe and efficient fleet operations takes a village. In this episode of The Straight Talk on Fleet, Erin digs into key metrics and KPIs that all fleet operations and safety leaders should consider and socialize within their organizations. The overarching theme around KPIs in this podcast is that KPIs should demonstrate to your organization how effective you are as a fleet, operations, and safety team. Erin considers KPIs as a guide to help leaders make good decisions to improve our fleet operations. She suggests that focusing on baselines and needed improvements in the areas of safety, efficiency, and cost will help the audience develop solid KPIs for managing their fleets.

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. Also, connect with Erin on LinkedIn. You’ll join a community of like-minded fleet leaders, have a voice in the conversation, and be part of an industry-leading initiative to elevate the role of fleet operations and break down the barriers to change.

Kicking off a new year sometimes means we need to get back to the fundamentals. We often make resolutions about how we’re going to improve our health and change our lifestyle to be more sustainable.

Running a fleet is no different! Fleet, safety, and operations leaders have analyzed results, developed 2025 budgets, and ordered vehicles to prepare for the new year. All this will be a wasted effort if we don’t execute on the fundamentals every day. Erin revisits episode 8 of the Straight Talk on Fleet podcast to reinforce the importance of performing daily vehicle inspections. When executed well, vehicle inspections can be a core practice for improving the overall safety, wellness, performance, and life of both your fleet vehicles and drivers. If you want to learn more, connect with Erin on LinkedIn.

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll join a community of like-minded fleet leaders, have a voice in the conversation, and be part of an industry-leading initiative to elevate the role of fleet leaders and break down the barriers to change.

In the 59th episode of The Straight Talk on Fleet, Erin chats with Brian Fielkow, Executive Vice President of Risk Resources at Acrisure and a powerhouse in safety leadership. Author of Leading People Safely: How to Win on the Business Battlefield, Brian’s not your typical safety strategist—he’s transformed the way businesses think about safety, showing how it can drive operational excellence, boost morale, and even become a competitive edge.

In this episode, Erin and Brian tackle the big questions: Why does safety so often take a backseat? How can fleet leaders flip the script and make safety a core value, not just a priority?

Packed with relatable insights, bold ideas, and a fresh perspective, this episode will challenge you to elevate your safety culture, engage your team, and drive real results. Don’t miss Erin and Brian connect on what it truly means to lead with safety at the heart of everything you do.

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. Also, connect with Erin on LinkedIn. You’ll join a community of like-minded fleet leaders, have a voice in the conversation, and be part of an industry-leading initiative to elevate the role of fleet operations and break down the barriers to change.

In this 57th episode of The Straight Talk on Fleet, Erin interviews industry expert and change management guru Thurman Register.

Thurman has been in the fleet industry for over 30 years and currently serves as Senior Manager, Fleet for Ferguson Enterprises. Ferguson is the largest value-added distributor serving the specialized professional in their $340B residential and non-residential North American construction market.

This episode promises to deliver pro tips, stories and great conversation from two of the industry’s top fleet leaders. Thurman shares his secrets to success that any fleet, safety and operation’s leader can use to drive safety and efficiency in their own organizations. Tune in for best practice sharing around change management, rapid growth and acquisition strategies, and how to get drivers on your side!

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. Also, connect with Erin on LinkedIn. You’ll join a community of like-minded fleet leaders, have a voice in the conversation, and be part of an industry-leading initiative to elevate the role of fleet operations and break down the barriers to change.