Whether they're in the bay or on the road, veterans have both tangible and intangible skills for success in the transportation industry. After all, from stress management to leadership and technical skills, veterans bring plenty of unique offerings to their civilian employment with fleets. But to find and keep these invaluable workers, carriers and shops need to be ready to receive them with structure and empathy. In this episode of The Fleet Lead, Fleet Maintenance's Editor-in-Chief John Hitch sat down with Nick Smith, media relations manager at International and former marine, to discuss some of the strengths veterans bring to their work after their service, the struggles they may face, and how fleets can better support the vets in their ranks.

Chapters:

Introduction - 00:40

Smith's role at International - 02:47

How veteran's experiences prepare them for work - 05:15

Smith's role and mentorship in the marines - 08:09

On leadership - 11:04

Support after service - 15:28

Veteran stigma - 25:15

How to prepare for discharge - 31:26

Fleets have been working in challenging conditions for the past two years, from a long-running freight recession to swiftly shifting regulations. But while fleets can't control today's economic volatility, they can strategically manage their fleets by paying attention to the data they're getting from their vehicles and considering how to spend their capital, whether that's on strategic repairs or carefully planned procurement. In this episode, Fleet Maintenance's Editor-in-Chief, John Hitch, sat down with Fleet Advantage's senior vice president of fleet operations, Brian Antonellis, to discuss how fleets can balance extending their trucks' lifespans with increased maintenance costs, if electric vehicles are still viable, and how fleets can manage today's trucking environment.

While fleets must often focus on a top-down view of the trucking industry, sometimes it helps to get back in the driver's seat to appreciate the finer details and challenges on today's roads. In this episode, Jason McDaniel, senior editor at Bulk Transporter, caught up with Dennis Duran, a driver with Jade Transport, to talk the care and keeping of his Kenworth truck and stainless-steel chemical tank trailer from Tremcar, as well as how the industry has changed over the years.

Chapters:

00:58 - Duran's truck and trailer

2:46 - Industry developments

3:27 - Dashcams in the truck

3:49 - Looking ahead for the tank truck world