Photo: The Schuetz Family of Kansas City
By Tod Trousdell, Fleet Marketing Consultant
August 20, 2025
For this edition of Fleet Pro Focus, I continue to focus on some of the young professionals who are making a name for themselves in the industry. Here, I sit down with Shaefer Schuetz, VP of Business Development for work truck rental provider City Rent A Truck. He’s a second generation fleet professional with some definitive thoughts on the industry.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself both professionally and personally.
I’m a born-and-raised Kansas Citian. You know this naturally makes me a massive Chiefs fan and a barbecue connoisseur. I’ve been part of City Rent A Truck since I was about 10 years old, starting out washing trucks and wearing many hats in the family business. These days, I identify as a “greasy sales guy.” Outside of work, I’m the proud – and very busy – dad of two boys under two and the lucky husband of a wife I don’t deserve. I’m fortunate to spend my days surrounded by people I love, both at work and at home.
Tell us about City Rent A Truck, how you work with the fleet space, and what makes your offering better.
At City Rent A Truck, we do what our name says – we rent trucks. But not just the same standard white metal that most companies do. Instead, we offer one of the most diverse mixes in fleet and just about any kind of vehicle a customer needs. This includes everything from a Ford Maverick or half-ton pickup, all the way up to a tri-axle dump truck, or a Class 8 fuel and lube truck – and frankly everything in between. Our rental terms are incredibly flexible, ranging from one day to two years. Beyond rentals, we also offer rental purchase options and outright sales for both pre-owned and new trucks. With the addition of our City Truck Equipment brand, we can now upfit external chassis as well. This allows us to cover multiple sectors of the fleet ecosystem, making us a holistic solution provider rather than just a source for project-based rentals.
Share with us a little more about the state of the work truck rental space and some of what you’re seeing and experiencing in today’s market.
The industrial space as a whole feels like it’s going through a bit of a renaissance. There’s a massive push to bring manufacturing back to the U.S., alongside the race for energy production and the explosive growth around AI. All of those factors are driving huge tailwinds for construction GDP, which historically is great news for anything industrial including fleet, work trucks, rentals, and upfits. These are all good things. So overall, I’m very bullish on our community and the entire fleet ecosystem.
Who’s had the biggest effect on your career and why?
Definitely my father and our CEO, Jeff Schuetz. He’s mentored me both professionally and personally, and I hope that someday I can provide the same kind of mentorship and coaching for my own boys. I’ve been blessed not only to call him Dad, but also to work with him every day. When I was graduating from Benedictine College, I was adamant about not joining the family business. He talked me into it, and I’m so glad he did. I’ve learned so much and been exposed to far more opportunities and experiences than I likely would have in the other paths I was pursuing. It’s been an incredible situation for me, and I’m grateful every day to work alongside my father.
In your opinion, what are the most important issues facing today’s fleets?
I’ll skip the low hanging fruit like tariffs and EV mandates. For me, big challenges often double as the biggest opportunities – and I see two facing fleet right now. The first is the massive tech overhaul we’re experiencing across fleet, particularly with artificial intelligence. AI represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for every industry, especially fleets, to integrate transformative tools that maximize efficiency. That means so much at a time when fleets are doing more with less than ever before, all while having to get more done. At the same time, it presents significant challenges because if you’re not actively learning and experimenting with AI and technology, you risk falling behind the curve.
The second major issue is rising operational and capital costs. Fleet vehicles have been getting more expensive for years. Before COVID, prices were outpacing inflation. Post-COVID, we’ve seen costs stabilize a bit, but they remain highly inflated, as do the interests rates to purchase them. Especially if you’re a small fleet. This affects every aspect of fleet management: fuel, insurance premiums, maintenance, repairs, and parts. The result is that fleets need to get more creative to maximize efficiencies and get the most of the budgets they do have. This can include taking better care of equipment, leveraging technology, and incentivizing driver behaviors that help bring those costs down.
What excites you most about the future of the fleet industry?
Fleet often carries the stereotype of being a slow moving and tech averse industry. Being in it, I can tell you that’s just not the case. There’s incredible innovation happening right now, and while the future is full of unknowns for our industry that’s what makes it exciting. We don’t know what the dominant energy source will be when my kids are adults – whether it’s electric, hydrogen, nuclear, or something entirely new. Watching that play out will be fascinating. Those shifts will ripple through the entire fleet ecosystem, creating challenges, opportunities, and a constant need for problem-solving. For those of us in fleet, it’s job security in the best way. We get to help shape the future and set up the next generation for success.
All great input. Anything else you’d like to add?
I’m incredibly thankful to be part of this space. And this industry. Some of the best human beings I’ve ever met are fleet people. From attending the shows and events, to partnering with customers, vendors, and meeting professionals connected to this world, I’ve learned it’s full of fantastic people and endless opportunities to build a career and grow. I’m grateful for the relationships, the daily interactions, and the chance to work alongside such high-caliber individuals every single day.
About the author
Fleet Pro Focus is compiled by Tod Trousdell, a 35-year marketing veteran and a partner along with Kathi Roberts in the boutique communications firm RobertsTrousdell. With over 15 years fleet experience and hundreds of marketing projects under their belt, the firm focuses on developing insights, strategy, campaigns, and lead generation for clients from all industries. He can be reached at [email protected].
