Roadrageous

The Road Less Calculated: How MileMaker Is Fixing the Routing Problem Fleets Don't Know They Have

Mark Lukenbill is the Head of Commercial Operations for MileMaker, the commercial mileage and routing technology that powers Rand McNally. He grew up riding along with truck driver uncles across the lower 48, graduated into freight brokerage during the 2008 financial crisis, and has spent the last six years working across transportation technology from TMS and procurement software to railroad operations before joining one of the most established names in North American mapping. Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn: * [1:51] How summers in an over-the-road cab shaped a career in freight technology * [6:45] Why Google Maps and Apple Maps are the wrong tools for commercial fleets * [9:17] The real cost of letting drivers override commercial routing decisions * [14:34] How MileMaker is integrating with Bosch to add lane-level maintenance cost data * [16:26] Why tech stack hygiene could save your company thousands this year * [18:49] The right way to apply AI in fleet operations enhancing people, not replacing them * [26:38] Why customer service quality is the most underrated factor in tech purchasing * [28:05] Career advice for anyone entering the freight and transportation space In this episode… Most fleet operators assume routing is solved. It isn't. The gap between consumer GPS and commercial routing data is where fines, vehicle damage, and driver pay discrepancies quietly accumulate often without anyone connecting the dots. Mark Lukenbill breaks down why commercial routing is more complex than most people realize, what happens when fleets treat it as an afterthought, and how the right technology applied the right way turns a cost center into a competitive advantage. From AI-enhanced dispatching to tech stack hygiene to knowing when your current vendor has already built the solution you're looking for, this episode is dense with operational insight. Key Takeaways * Commercial routing and consumer GPS are not interchangeable using the wrong tool creates hidden costs that rarely surface as obvious line items. * When shippers base payment on commercial routes, drivers who deviate cost their own companies money without either party realizing it. * Tech stack hygiene regularly reviewing what you actually use and what your vendors have recently built consistently finds savings and surfaces solutions already owned. * AI in fleet operations should automate mechanical tasks to free operator capacity for higher-value work not replace the judgment that complex freight requires. Resources Mentioned * Mark Lukenbill on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-lukenbill-jr/] * MileMaker by Rand McNally [https://milemaker.com/] * SPIDER Driver Training by IMPROV Learning [https://improvlearning.com/] * NAFA Fleet Management Association [https://www.nafa.org/] * Chad Lindholm on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadlindholm/]

One Incident Can End It All: What Small Fleets Must Do to Stay Insurable

Derek Legg is a Commercial Insurance Advisor at Levitt Group of Colorado, where he works with contractor and service fleets across high-exposure industries to manage risk, control premiums, and avoid the kind of catastrophic claims that can shut a small operation down. In this episode of Road Rageous, Derek breaks down the specific vulnerabilities that most small fleet operators are carrying without knowing it, and what they can do about them right now. Derek and host Chad Lindholm cover the risk profile of young drivers in contractor fleets, why cell phone distraction is chronically under-coached, how maintenance habits affect carrier underwriting, and the case for cameras as exoneration tools. They also dig into the MVR gap and the post-incident documentation step that separates clean claims from costly disputes. This episode is built for fleet owners and operators who run without a dedicated safety department. If every insurance renewal feels personal, and every incident hits the bottom line directly, Derek's practical framework gives you a starting point that does not require a large budget or a full-time safety team. Learn more: improvlearning.com/fleet-training | improvlearning.com | levittgroup.com Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn: * The young driver risk that contractors consistently underestimate * Why cell phone distraction is under-coached in small fleets * How vehicle maintenance affects carrier underwriting and premiums * Why post-incident documentation determines claim outcomes * The MVR gap: most contractors hire before checking driving records * How cameras protect and exonerate drivers more than they surveil them * Why nuclear verdicts are no longer just a large-fleet problem * Three specific fixes every 10-truck fleet should make this year

Fleet Is Not the Stepchild: How Knoxville Is Redefining Municipal Fleet Leadership

Fleet Is Not the Stepchild: Nicholas Bradshaw on Professionalizing Municipal Fleet Management Nicholas Bradshaw, Director of Fleet Services for the City of Knoxville, leads a 1,700-vehicle municipal fleet with a philosophy rooted in people-first hiring, life cycle analytics, and innovation. In this episode, he breaks down why fleet gets overlooked, what it takes to change that, and the practical steps he is taking in Knoxville to build a more professional, visible, and financially accountable fleet operation. Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn: * How a career in building inspections and HR led to fleet leadership * Why an HR background changes how you hire and manage a fleet team * Fleet as the invisible backbone of city operations * The case for life cycle data and total cost of ownership modeling * Why fleet is on the leading edge of municipal innovation * How Knoxville is using 3D printing to solve supply chain problems * Telematics, fuel management, and moving from reactive to proactive maintenance * Why fleet technicians are really IT professionals now * Advice for anyone considering a career in public fleet management Key topics include Knoxville's use of 3D printing to manufacture parts in-house during supply chain disruptions, how telematics shifted the department from reactive to proactive, why hiring for attitude beats hiring for credentials, and how fleet managers can make the business case for life cycle replacement funding. Nicholas also shares his perspective on professionalizing the fleet industry through certifications, analytics, and intentional advocacy. If you work in public fleet or are considering a career in fleet management, this episode is a direct and energizing look at why the field matters more than most people realize. Resources: knoxvilletn.gov | improvlearning.com/fleet-training | apwa.net Good to go, or any tweaks needed?

Why Safety Fails When It's Just a Priority: Steven Mock on Risk, Culture, and the Real Cost of a Claim

Steven Mock [https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-mock-434b6111] is the Risk Mitigation Director at Brown and Brown and a Certified Safety Professional with 18 years of experience in safety training, compliance, underwriting, and fleet risk management. His track record includes taking a fleet from a 300% loss ratio to 21% in three years while tripling its size. In this Road Rageous episode, Steve challenges the assumption that fleet safety is primarily a driver behavior problem. Most claims, he argues, trace back to failures in administrative controls: outdated training, unenforced policies, and telematics systems nobody uses. He makes the financial case for safety as a core value, not a priority, and shares the I-75 collision that permanently shaped how he thinks about defensive driving. Key topics in this episode: * The collision on I-75 that turned Steve from safety advocate to true believer * The picture frame on the visor: building emotional buy-in for safe driving * Why both new drivers and 20-year veterans are your highest-risk groups * Why 85% of insurance claims trace back to administrative control failures * How to use telematics scorecards the same way you use a P&L * The NIOSH hierarchy of controls applied to fleet risk * Safe production versus production at any cost: the math always favors safety * Publicly praise, privately reprimand: leadership lessons from the Marine Corps Connect with Steven Mock on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-mock-434b6111] or email steven.mock@bbrown.com [steven.mock@bbrown.com]. Read the full episode article at improvlearning.com [https://www.improvlearning.com/].

From Dealership to #1: How Tallahassee Fleet Became America's Municipal Gold Standard

From Dealership to #1: How Tallahassee Fleet Became America's Municipal Gold Standard Libsyn Show Notes Version Guest: Jeff Shepard, Fleet Manager, City of Tallahassee, Florida Topic: Building the 2025 #1 Municipal Fleet in America Duration: [Podcast Duration] Episode Summary Jeff Shepard transformed Tallahassee's 2,900-vehicle municipal fleet into America's #1 ranked operation. Starting as a dealership technician 32 years ago, Jeff built a 24/7 operation that manages police, fire, utilities, transit, solid waste, and airport operations while running 150 electric vehicles, 30 electric buses, public charging infrastructure, and in-house CDL training programs that have certified 180+ drivers. His secret: customer service mindset, radical transparency, relentless team support, and zero excuses on safety. Timestamps [1:12] From tractor sales to 32-year municipal fleet career [2:07] How customer service culture transformed city fleet operations [2:35] The Tallahassee way: no excuses on driver safety [2:47] Building career progression for technicians [3:08] Telematics and driver cameras across 2,900 vehicles [4:04] Overcoming driver resistance through exoneration stories [6:47] Managing 1 million miles monthly [7:10] Operating 150 EVs, 30 electric buses, public charging [8:24] 24/7 hurricane response and mutual aid operations [13:11] Building a 110-person team that never sleeps [16:57] Transparency dashboards: the #1 competitive advantage [17:31] Why manager-level buy-in changes everything [19:08] Owning mistakes and building diverse teams [19:55] Non-negotiables: brakes, safety, human life [21:16] In-house CDL training (certified 180+ drivers) [22:43] Writing training into vendor contracts [27:01] Advice for new fleet managers Key Takeaways ✓ Transparency is foundational — Create dashboards showing every department their vehicle mileage, downtime, repair history, and costs in real time ✓ Camera adoption works through exoneration — Start with one department, use driver protection stories, let other departments request adoption rather than mandate it ✓ 1M+ monthly miles requires telematics — Accurate mileage tracking and fault code monitoring aren't optional for diverse fleets ✓ In-house CDL training scales — When external programs can't meet demand, certified internal training programs deliver 180+ certified drivers ✓ Leadership buy-in transforms perception — When top management recognizes fleet as mission-critical infrastructure, everything changes ✓ 24/7 operations need 24/7 teams — Transit buses cleaned and ready at 5 AM, night crews fueling and repairing continuously ✓ Vendor contracts should include training — Make supplier training mandatory—it's cheaper than developing expertise in-house ✓ Embed factory technicians — Use maintenance contracts to place vendor specialists in your shop for complex equipment ✓ Non-negotiables center on human life — Vehicle safety (especially brakes) and technician safety can't be compromised for efficiency ✓ Support your team first — Train continuously, provide pathways, and back them when mistakes happen Quotable Moments "City of Tallahassee has a great organization with great benefits. So I said, man, I need to get on board with these guys." "We run a data-driven customer service operation. They're our customers. We don't dictate to them their equipment." "Just no excuses on driver safety. When we repair something, it's got to be back out on the road safely." "It saved the drivers more than it has called heartache on them because we always get driver complaints from the citizens and they pulled the camera up and said, no, he did not do that." "Our vehicles travel over 1 million miles a month here in town." "Transparency is my biggest thing. We have a dashboard that all of our customers can see." "You've got to get buy-in from the top, the manager's office." "If you make a mistake, just own it and go back and fix it. Bring your team involved, because your team's going to really give you great advice." "That's just non-negotiable to make mistakes and put our citizens and our customers in jeopardy—there's the human life that's involved with it." "Support your team and train and educate your team. That's the biggest thing." Action Items for Fleet Leaders Immediate (This Month) * Create a transparency dashboard showing your top 3 metrics (mileage, downtime, costs) * Schedule a meeting with your executive leadership to explain why fleet is mission-critical * Identify one safety non-negotiable and communicate it to your team Short-Term (Next Quarter) * Audit your technician training programs—identify skill gaps * Start one in-house training initiative (CDL, vehicle-specific, or safety) * Review vendor contracts—which ones should include training requirements? Long-Term (This Year) * Build comprehensive telematics across your fleet * Develop a camera/exoneration program starting with one department * Create clear career progression pathways for technicians * Establish monthly safety committee meetings with team input Resources Mentioned * Jeff Shepard on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-shepard-4948a433/] * City of Tallahassee Fleet Services [https://www.talgov.com/] * SPIDER Driver Training by IMPROVLearning [https://www.improvlearning.com/fleet-training] * Chad Lindholm on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadlindholm] * Gary Alexander on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-alexander-492219] * American Public Works Association (APWA) [https://www.apwa.net/] Guest Profile Jeff Shepard is Fleet Manager for the City of Tallahassee, Florida, overseeing the 2025 #1 ranked fleet in America. With over 32 years of experience starting as a dealership technician, Jeff manages approximately 2,900 vehicles across police, fire, emergency services, utilities, transit, solid waste, airport operations, and the city's own power generation facilities. Under his leadership, Tallahassee operates 24/7, manages 1 million vehicle miles monthly, maintains 150 electric vehicles and 30+ electric buses, operates public EV charging infrastructure, and runs certified in-house CDL training programs that have certified 180+ drivers. His 110+ employee team includes 55 technicians, factory-trained specialists, and support staff. Jeff is known for his customer service approach to fleet management, radical transparency through real-time dashboards, uncompromising safety standards, and his commitment to team development. His philosophy: own your mistakes, support your team, train continuously, and never compromise on things involving human life. About This Episode This episode is part of the Roadrageous podcast series, where we interview fleet leaders, safety innovators, and operations experts driving real change in transportation and logistics. Brought to you by IMPROVLearning [https://www.improvlearning.com/] At IMPROVLearning, we understand that the #1 fleet requires more than technology and transparency—it requires trained drivers. Jeff Shepard's operation demonstrates the power of in-house training programs combined with proven behavior change methodology. SPIDER™ Driver Training develops the cognitive skills that prevent incidents across diverse fleets: hazard recognition, space management, and decision-making processes that work whether drivers are responding to hurricanes or navigating school zones. When you're managing 2,900 vehicles traveling 1 million miles monthly, every driver matters. Training determines outcomes. Learn more about IMPROVLearning [https://www.improvlearning.com/]