This episode is built for the end-of-year crunch. We get into what fleets are doing when replacement costs stay high and budgets don’t stretch: using real utilization and PTO hours to defend replacement timing, leaning on leases and remounts where they make sense, and using grants to close the gap on cleaner options.
We also step back from the spreadsheet to cover the technician hiring reality behind the “shortage” label, plus a winter prep playbook that still holds up. And because this season changes the operating environment overnight, we close with holiday travel risk, a police aviation fleet update, and a facilities move that protects patrol vehicles from hail and heat.
Timestamps
0:00 – Intro: doing more with what you already have, from people, assets, and time.
0:33 – Replacement & budget reality check (GFX 2025) How fleets are tying replacements to utilization and PTO hours, using leases where it fits, remounting when it buys time, and leaning on grants to close the cost gap.
00 22 – Technician “shortage” vs. technician career crisis. Why “no one is applying” is a different problem than “applicants aren’t qualified,” and what fleets can do about the perception and pipeline issues.
3:32 – Snow & ice readiness from the archives (still current) Spec and order timing, pre-season inspections and checklists, operator/tech training, parts stocking, towing plans, fuel island prep, and facility readiness.
4:52 – Holiday travel surge: increased road risk AAA travel forecasts, congestion windows, winter weather exposure, and the basics fleets should reinforce with drivers before the busiest days.
5:50 – Police aviation: Erie County adds an Airbus H125 Why a second helicopter changes scheduling, maintenance downtime risk, and operational coverage.
6:03 – Weather protection for patrol fleets. A look at how Mansfield, Texas, approached hail/heat protection with a purpose-built canopy system, and what fleets should evaluate if they’re considering the same move.
6:20 – Wrap Check out our end-of-year roundups (running through the end of the year), including the big themes and the Top 10 stories worth revisiting.
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