I read an article recently about wall-climbing robot swarms being introduced into the U.S. Navy’s fleet maintenance program—an effort aimed at reducing repair delays and improving operational readiness amid ongoing global threats.

One statistic in the article stood out.

According to the author, only about 60% of the Navy’s ships are operational at any given time due to maintenance backlogs. With a fleet of roughly 300 ships, that means approximately 120 vessels are out of service at any given time.

As a citizen, that’s concerning.

As an operator, it’s familiar.

And it raises a broader question—if an organization as sophisticated and well-resourced as the U.S. Navy is managing through this level of fleet downtime…

What does that mean for the rest of us?

It immediately got me thinking about fleet readiness in the ground transportation industry. While 40% out of service is a staggering number, I can recall periods in organizations I’ve led where availability challenges—driven by aging fleets, parts delays, and staffing shortages—combined with increasingly complex vehicle systems that require longer diagnosis times before a wrench is ever turned—created similar pressure.

And yet, here’s the question I kept coming back to:

Do we really measure this?

Fleet utilization—the percentage of vehicles in use on a given day—is tracked closely across most operations.

But what about the inverse?

• What percentage of the fleet is out of service?

• How long are those vehicles down?

• And more importantly… do we understand why?

In many cases, the systems in place don’t make this easy. In some organizations I’ve led, this data wasn’t available at all—or at least not in a way that was actionable.

So we built it ourselves.

Fleet Readiness Isn’t a Maintenance Metric—It’s a Leadership Metric

Too often, fleet readiness is viewed as a function of the maintenance department.

It’s not.

It’s a reflection of leadership.

The Navy example makes that clear. This isn’t just a maintenance issue—it’s a system-level challenge that requires visibility, prioritization, and alignment with leadership.

Because when vehicles are consistently out of service, the impact doesn’t stay in the shop—it shows up everywhere:

• Missed or delayed service

• Increased spare ratios and capital strain

• Dispatcher workarounds that introduce risk

• Driver frustration

• And ultimately, a degraded customer experience

And yet, many organizations don’t have a clear line of sight into the true health of their fleet.

They track utilization.

But they don’t always track availability with intent.

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“I thought EBITDA was a Swedish rock band.”
— Stephanie Stuckey, in her book Unstuck: Rebirth of an American Icon

When Stephanie Stuckey stepped back into leadership at her family’s iconic roadside brand, Stuckey’s Corporation, she openly shared just how steep the financial learning curve was. That now-famous line wasn’t just a joke — it was a moment of v…

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Thi…

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Have you ever considered the origin of the word "dashboard"? According to Wikipedia, the term initially referred to barriers made of wood or leather placed at the front of horse-drawn carriages. These barriers were designed to protect the front seat occupants from mud and debris "dashed" up by the horses' hooves. As personal transportation evolved into …

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In the high-stakes world of ground passenger transportation, punctuality is not just a principle; it is the lifeblood of success. A company's ability to deliver on time reflects its commitment to service and detail, making on-time performance (OTP) a critical key performance indicator (KPI) for providers. Therefore, it is perplexing that employee punctuality remains a significant challenge during business assessments. How can a company meet client expectations and achieve its OTP targets when it fails to prioritize punctuality among its workforce?

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The implications of employee punctuality extend far beyond operational statistics. It is crucial in shaping team members' productivity, morale, and stress levels, especially those whose roles hinge on others arriving promptly. For instance, dispatchers and operations managers experience heightened pressure when drivers are late, while maintenance leaders depend on technicians to arrive as scheduled. A tardy driver creates unnecessary stress for the Operations staff, who must scramble to locate them, reducing precious time for pre-trips and travel and addressing potential issues. This excessive stress can significantly impact the morale of the entire team.

Furthermore, a lack of punctuality can severely damage a company's reputation. It sends a message to clients that the organization is unreliable and lacks the robust processes necessary to deliver quality service, jeopardizing future business opportunities.

From the employees' standpoint, punctuality signifies a strong work ethic and self-discipline, or lack thereof. It sets a professional standard for peers and clients, potentially opening career advancement doors. When evaluating candidates for trainer positions, for example, I always inquire about their punctuality and behavior, as these factors significantly influence my decisions.

So, how can companies foster a culture of punctuality?

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As the P&L leader of a transportation company, one of the most frustrating challenges I encountered was receiving unpaid invoices for services rendered months earlier. These weren’t minor line items—they were often tied to maintenance or operations and could total hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Because accounting wasn’t aware of the original exp…

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