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 tec...

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 r...

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 fl...

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They get real about the everyday struggles—fuel card fraud, driver compliance, wasted time managing physical cards, and outdated tech that hasn’t evolved in decades.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 smar...

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 thes...

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 a...

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...

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, bo...

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 Amer...

In this episode, we share Erin's recent appearance on The Cash Flow Contractor Podcast, where she joins hosts Khalil Benalioulhaj and Martin Holland for a deep dive into fleet management. With over 21 years of experience, Erin shares practical, data-driven insights for businesses of all sizes—from one-vehicle operations to large fleets. Erin discusses the key pillars of fleet management, including...

In this 55th episode of The Straight Talk on Fleet podcast, Erin interviews Ernie Garcia. Ernie serves as Director of Fleet Management and Business Systems at Gothic Landscape. Gothic Landscape is a family owned and operated landscaping company operating in California, Arizona, and Nevada, employing more than 2300 dedicated landscape professionals. Not only does Ernie manage a large, decentralized...

In this 54th episode of The Straight Talk on Fleet, Erin interviews Fleet Industry legend Mike Antich. Mike was the long-time editor in chief at Bobit Business Media, serving the fleet industry for over 38 years. Mike is also a Fleet Hall of Fame Inductee, member of Global Fleet Hall of Fame, Remarketing Industry Icon Award winner, two-time AFLA President and Multinational Industry Speaker! In thi...

In this 53rd episode of The Straight Talk on Fleet, Erin interviews industry expert and former fleet executive Ken Jack. Ken has been in the transportation and fleet industry for over 20 years and is owner and founder of KenetIQ, a fleet and sustainable mobility management consulting firm. This episode promises to deliver pro tips, stories and great conversation from two of the industry’s top flee...

In this 52nd episode of The Straight Talk on Fleet, Erin interviews industry expert and Fleet Manager of the Year Finalist, Ted Chan. Ted serves as the Corporate Fleet & Travel Manager at Schindler Elevator Corporation. Schindler is a leading global elevator and escalator provider that supports sustainable urban development while moving two billion people every day all over the world. This epi...

In the latest episode of Straight Talk on Fleet, Erin Gilchrist Rugg welcomes Wise Systems’ Vice President of Global Partnerships, Erin Blair, to discuss the value of combining route optimization and fleet management technology into one super-charged platform. They discuss everything from the challenges of last mile delivery to the everyday solutions for fleets to optimize routes. Erin Blair also...

On this short but sweet episode of Straight Talk on Fleet podcast, Erin celebrates 50 episodes and 11,000 followers on LinkedIn! Why is this important? Well, the Straight Talk on Fleet podcast aims at building a community of industry professionals! It’s a destination for thought leadership, best practice sharing, vetting out challenges and fosters open dialogue for solutioning. In this 50th episod...

In this 49th episode of The Straight Talk on Fleet podcast, Erin interviewed 5 seasoned fleet professionals from the NAFA booth at NAFA I&E 2024. NAFA I&E is one of the industry’s top learning and networking events. Each fleet manager shared who they are, what they do, what they are working on now and in the near future, and lastly, gave their perspective on driving safety culture in their...

Host Marc Babin of The Auto Tech Show Podcast interviews Erin on his podcast hosted by Anyline. In this 47th episode of Straight Talk on Fleet Podcast, we repurpose a great conversation hosted by Anyline’s Marc Babin, host of Auto Tech Show Podcast. Embark on a transformative journey in commercial fleet management with this unique industry expert discussion! Explore the efficiency-enhancing power...

It takes a lot of moving parts and careful maintenance for a vehicle to effectively run—and it takes as many moving parts and as much maintenance for a company to effectively manage a fleet of vehicles.

Erin switches it up in Episode 41 of Straight Talk on Fleet Podcast to talk about how association membership and involvement can boost career success. Research shows that active participation in professional associations offers a range of benefits that can positively influence career development and advancement. To talk about how NAFA supports this idea, Erin hosts Bill Schankel, CEO of NAFA Fleet...

In this 39th episode of The Straight Talk on Fleet, Erin interviews industry expert and Fleet Manager of the Year Finalist, Sharon Etherington. Sharon is Sr. Manager, Regional Administrative Services at Roche. In her role, she manages travel, fleet, and credit card services for the US and Canada. Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve p...