Empowering Crews When It Matters Most with Sam Lamerato

When crews are clearing downed trees in an ice storm, the last thing they should be doing is calling back for purchase approvals.

Samuel Lamerato recounts a Michigan ice storm where fleet teams were sent to help a neighboring community with no power, water, or communications. Fuel was only part of the equation. Crews needed lodging, food, replacement tools, safety gear, tires, and supplies, often in the middle of the night.

With legacy cards, purchasing rules are fixed, and every exception requires another call back for approval. Newer approaches allow purchasing categories to be turned on or off in real time, giving crews what they need while maintaining accountability.

Instead of staying focused on recovery, time was lost tracking approvals while conditions on the ground kept changing.

Public fleets operate in the real world, especially during emergencies. Sam’s experience brings that reality into focus in this clip.