Chris Wade, CDME

I believe exceptional fleet organizations are built through disciplined maintenance, empowered teams, & a relentless commitment to safety & operational excellence. Throughout 20 years in fleet maintenance leadership, I have helped organizations improve equipment reliability, reduce operating costs, and build first-in-class maintenance cultures across multi-site operations. My experience spans regional and enterprise fleet leadership, overseeing maintenance operations across multiple states, leading shop managers & technicians, managing vendor partnerships, and driving preventive maintenance strategies that consistently improve uptime & compliance.

Some of my proudest accomplishments include reducing Out-of-Service rates from 12% to below 5%, maintaining overdue preventive maintenance below 2%, increasing fleet utilization from 60% to 93%, and reducing maintenance cost per mile from $0.18 to $0.13 through disciplined operational improvements. Operated multi-million dollar P&L budgets as well as fleets up to 2500 assets. My leadership philosophy centers on developing people, standardizing processes, leveraging data to drive decisions, and creating maintenance organizations that consistently exceed performance expectations while protecting employees, customers, and company assets.

Regional Fleet Maintenance Manager at Grocers Supply (2024-07 – Present)

Provide executive leadership for a complex maintenance organization supporting 5 maintenance facilities, 60 employees, 5 shop managers, and 1300+ pieces of equipment, including refrigerated assets on a $3.5 million budget

• Designed and launched a quarterly technician training incentive program, driving measurable performance improvements while consistently meeting budget and weekly P&L targets.
• Reduced operational risk by maintaining preventive maintenance overdue rates below 2% and Out-of-Service (OOS) rates under 4%.
• Negotiated improved vendor labor rates, generating sustained cost savings across all locations.
• Established standardized SOPs for in-service and decommissioned equipment, improving asset control and compliance.
• Implemented a mounted tire program across all shops, increasing uptime and reducing turnaround time.
• Conducted comprehensive shop audits & CapEx projects for shop designs and tooling

Regional Maintenance Manager at Hub Group (2019-10 – 2024-07)

Led maintenance strategy across the South Central and Northwest Regions, overseeing multiple shop managers and satellite facilities.

• Reduced Out-of-Service rates from 12% to below 5% and overdue PMs from 15% to 3% through disciplined PM execution and accountability.
• Negotiated labor rates and vendor incentives to control costs while maintaining service quality.
• Designed and implemented comprehensive safety and compliance programs, ensuring training and regulatory adherence.
• Played a lead role in the planning, renovation, staffing, and tooling of a new Dallas maintenance facility.
• Conducted detailed vendor invoice audits to protect budget integrity.
• Ensured strict compliance with PM/DOT cycles across multiple terminals

Director of Fleet Maintenance at Thomas Transportation (2015-12 – 2019-10)

Directed maintenance leadership teams across Texas, Maryland, and Louisiana, managing road breakdowns, accident response, and shop operations.

• Built the company's maintenance platform, SOPs, and departmental budget from the ground up.
• Reengineered preventive maintenance programs and asset utilization strategies to improve fleet efficiency.
• Implemented continuous safety training protocols, reducing risk exposure while improving profitability.
• Optimized fuel efficiency and reduced idle time through targeted driver education programs.
• Negotiated national labor and parts pricing agreements, lowering maintenance spend.
• Modernized fuel operations by implementing new routing systems and compliance controls.

Fleet Maintenance Manager/Ast Director at Navajo Express (2013-11 – 2015-12)

Managed breakdown operations and maintenance leadership across facilities in ID, TN, CO, UT, CA, and AZ.

• Increased departmental profitability 30% in under two months by reducing maintenance cost per mile from $0.18 to $0.13.
• Improved equipment utilization from 60% to 93%.
• Developed cost-control SOPs, warranty programs, and preventive maintenance initiatives.
• Negotiated cost-effective service agreements and warranty policies to maintain budget discipline

Accident Mgr/Ast Fleet Maintenance Mgr at Stevens Transport T L, Inc (2007-02 – 2013-11)

Oversaw accident-related repairs and breakdown operations across Texas and California.

• Trained and onboarded 20+ team members on new systems and procedures, improving retention and continuity.
• Developed reporting tools to track and reduce equipment downtime.
• Built strategic vendor partnerships and negotiated favorable service rates.
• Authored repair estimates and implemented controls to reduce third-party repair expenses.

Fleet Maintenance Coordinator/Accident Coordinator at Ffe Transportation Services, Inc (2005-03 – 2007-02)

As a Road Breakdown Coordinator, I was responsible for generating reports for equipment downtime, reducing over the road maintenance costs, establishing and maintaining vendor relationships, and coordinating with the operations department to provide cost-efficiency and high levels of customer satisfaction.

Mechanical work at Swift Transportation (2004-03 – 2005-03)

As the Shop Foreman, I performed all fleet maintenance, increased equipment utilization, and ensured timely delivery of services.