Some careers are mapped out. Others happen when someone tells you, “You’re going to do fleet.” 

For Lisa Kneggs, fleet manager for Farmer Bros., that unexpected moment at Pizza Hut kicked off a decades-long journey that’s seen her lead one-person departments, manage thousands of sedans, and tackle the evolving complexities of truck fleets with honesty, grit, and a sharp sense of humor.

In this episode of Legends of Fleet, sponsored by Legend Fleet, Kneggs joined me to talk about her unexpected start, lessons from the road, and why confidence and curiosity matter just as much as telematics and trucks.

Falling in by Accident, Rising Through Experience

“I started as a temp in HR at Pizza Hut headquarters in Dallas,” Kneggs said. “About six weeks later, they came to me and said, ‘You’re gonna do fleet.’ I had no idea what that meant.”

Luckily, she was already a car person. “So it didn’t throw me too much,” she said.

That early fleet career snowballed quickly. “I was there for probably 12 years. After Pizza Hut, I took in Taco Bell, then I took in KFC when PepsiCo spun off the restaurant companies,” Kneggs said. “By the end, I was responsible for about 1,300 sedans.”

Now managing medium-duty trucks and upfitted vehicles, she admitted with a laugh, “Man, do I wish I were back in a sedan fleet. It’s become challenging with all the changes over the years.”

What’s Changed: Regulations, Red Tape, and Relying on Partners

Kneggs has seen a lot shift during her time in the industry, but one thing stands out: the complexity.

“The biggest changes, of course, recently have been the government state mandates, regulations, and changes in IRP,” she said. “That red tape has created the necessity of leaning more on our fleet management companies. We rely on them to be the experts.”

Especially for someone who’s always been a team of one, that support is essential. “As my fleet specs have gotten more complex and we’ve crossed more state lines, that’s been the biggest shift,” Kneggs said.

A Million-Dollar Lesson on Fuel

One of Kneggs’ most memorable wins came early in her career, when she took a closer look at fuel usage and spotted something off.

“We dug into the transactions and found that our premium fuel usage was at 25%,” she said. “That’s ridiculous when you’re running four-cylinder sedans. It’s a waste of money and hard on the engine.”

After monitoring, communicating, and tightening controls, that number dropped to just 4-5%. 

“That small drop saved us about a million dollars in 12 months,” Kneggs said. “Sometimes it’s the things you don’t think about that end up saving big.”

Communication Over Command

Kneggs has a favorite metaphor for her drivers. “I call my drivers all my children,” she said. “They don’t know what they don’t know.”

Her biggest takeaway? “Just saying no doesn’t help. You have to explain the why,” Kneggs said. “They don’t know how our leases work or that maintenance isn’t covered. It’s just like your truck at home, guys. You’ve got to change the oil.”

For Kneggs, good fleet management is less about being the boss and more about being the explainer-in-chief. 

“It’s getting down to the nitty-gritty and communicating, not just being the mom that says no,” she said.

Rookie Advice: Ask the Question, Then Own the Answer

Looking back, Kneggs wishes she’d had more confidence early on. “If you don’t know what’s going on, ask questions,” she said. “And when you get those answers, be confident in how you share them within your company.”

That willingness to reach out helped her grow fast. “When I started, I called Sue Miller at McDonald’s and asked for her policy,” Kneggs said. “Never talked to the woman a day in my life, and she said, ‘Sure, here you go.’ Just ask somebody. And if they don’t know, they’ll probably point you to someone who does.”

Avoiding the Fear Factor in Fleet Management 

While she has high praise for newer fleet managers, especially Work Truck editorial board memberMichaela Baldwin, Kneggs said one common hurdle remains.

“Don’t be afraid of it,” she said. “You may not know what a 16-foot box goes on or what wheelbase you need, but someone else has made the same mistake. Someone can help.”

She also encouraged newer fleet pros to speak up. “If somebody asks you to be on a panel or a board, do it,” Kneggs said. “Your company will love it, and you’ll grow. I learn from fleets that don’t look like mine all the time.”

Telematics Is a Game Changer (If You Use It Right)

Kneggs has embraced telematics, especially when it comes to vehicle maintenance and mileage accuracy.

“Our guys don’t always put the right mileage in when they fuel up,” she said. “So telematics helps us know exactly what it is. We don’t use it to track vehicles daily. Nobody has time for that. But it’s been helpful.”

The only downside? Data overload. “There is so much data in the telematics world that you don’t have time to look at everything,” Kneggs said. “But overall, it’s probably been the most helpful innovation.”

Tech Has Changed the Game, Even for the Old School

Despite the advances, Kneggs remains proudly old school. “I still write stuff down because that’s how my brain works,” she said. “I’m not an Excel guru. I’ve dabbled with ChatGPT.”

But even when she doesn’t know a shortcut, she’s surrounded by people who do. “My kids, my son-in-law, they’ll say, ‘Lisa, you can do X, Y, Z,’ and I’ll go, okay.”

While tech helps with right-sizing, safety, and cost savings, the daily demands of the job still take priority. “You’ve got a guy stuck on the side of the Oklahoma turnpike, and that takes precedence,” Kneggs said. “Every day brings a new challenge, and sometimes I’ve never even heard of it.”

Her go-to phrase? “We’re not curing cancer. It’ll be there tomorrow. Step back, take a breath, and figure it out.”

Leading Without a Team

Though she’s spent 30 years managing fleet, Kneggs has never had a team.

“I’ve always been a department of one,” she said. “So I have no one to blame but myself, and no one to share decisions with.”

She’s grown used to the solitude. “I was remote back in the early 2000s. One friend told me, ‘The good thing is you don’t have a boss in Dallas and nobody knows what you do. The bad thing is, you don’t have a boss in Dallas and nobody knows what you do,’” Kneggs said. “And I’ve kind of gotten used to my anonymity.”

Advice for Newcomers

Asked what she’d say to someone just stepping into fleet, Kneggs lit up.

“It’s a great industry,” she said. “We get to meet great people, hear great speakers, talk to folks across the country, and learn from peers, customers, and leaders.”

It’s not just rewarding. It’s relatable.

“Somebody’s already dealt with the issues you’re facing,” Kneggs said. “Again, just ask the questions. We get to go to great places and talk to people we’d never meet if we weren’t in this industry.”