For Larry Campbell, fleet management has never really been about vehicles; it has been about people.

Over the course of his career in public fleet, Campbell built a reputation as someone who understood the numbers, defended his department, and earned the trust of elected officials.

Listening to him speak, it became clear that the spreadsheets, dashboards, and reports were never the real focus. During his time as a public fleet leader, Campbell did what most skilled fleet professionals do: put their team first.

That mindset would shape the course of our entire conversation.

As fleets rapidly modernize through AI, telematics, and connected technologies, Campbell believes many organizations are skipping over the operational basics that still matter most.

“I think a lot of it starts in their parts room,” he said. “And the parts department not working together.”

He explained that small inefficiencies, like technicians lacking basic parts or routine items when equipment comes in for service, can quickly snowball into larger operational problems.

The issue, however, is deeper than inventory.

“A lot of people don’t know what their fully burdened rate is of their shop,” Campbell said. “How do you figure your budget if you don’t know your true costs? And then again, how are you going to defend your employees?”

That connection between operational knowledge and leadership responsibility became one of the defining themes of our conversation.

Like many fleet leaders, Campbell sees enormous potential in AI and telematics, but he also believes that too many organizations are racing toward advanced technology without first ensuring their underlying data is accurate.

He emphasized that everything starts with disciplined data entry and operational consistency.

Accurate meter readings, properly completed work orders, and technicians clocking in and out correctly on repairs are paramount for generating dependable data that will yield actionable reports.

He pointed to dashboards as one of the most useful developments in fleet software because they give managers a quick operational snapshot.

“The dashboards help a fleet manager,” he said. “It’s a quick snapshot of your data.”

He also believes dashboards create accountability within the shop itself.

“If you would put up your tech time and how they did for the day on wrench time, and somebody wasn’t carrying their weight, you didn’t have to say anything,” Campbell said. “Everybody else was on them about getting their wrench time up.”

Telematics, he added, should serve a practical purpose, not just another layer of surveillance.

Instead, Campbell sees telematics as a tool to help fleets improve maintenance scheduling, validate odometer readings, and identify underutilized vehicles.

“If a vehicle sat for a month and hasn’t been used, and they want a new vehicle? I don’t think so,” he said with a laugh.

“Don’t let political pressure change your ethics or your integrity,” Campbell said. “That’s yours. No one else can change that.”

He encouraged fleet leaders to think beyond short-term fixes and consider how decisions will affect operations for years to come.

That idea of mutual trust, leaders standing behind their teams, and teams earning that trust through integrity, became a defining part of Campbell’s leadership style.

He believes one of the most overlooked parts of public fleet leadership is relationship-building with elected officials and senior leadership.

“You have to earn your elected officials’ trust,” he said. “That’s number one.”

That trust, he explained, is built slowly over years through consistency, preparation, and sound decision-making.

By the end of his career, that credibility often followed him into budget meetings.

Campbell remembered one instance after his retirement when another employee was defending a fleet budget he had prepared before leaving.

During the discussion, she jokingly asked if she could “call a friend.”

“She said she was going to call Larry because he put the budget together,” Campbell recalled.

One council member simply responded: “Did Larry put the budget together? Then we’re good.”

For Campbell, moments like that were never about personal recognition. They were proof that trust had been earned.

In an industry constantly changing amid technological advances, staffing challenges, and political pressures, Campbell still believes the fundamentals of leadership remain the same.

Know your operation. Protect your integrity. Support your employees. And always be prepared to defend the decisions you make.