Episode Overview
Garrett Schemmel, known as the “equipment data guy” behind EquipmentWatch and now CEO of Aislelabs, joins the podcast to trace how equipment rental data has evolved, from mailed reference books to real-time, AI-powered insights. He explains why standardizing data remains a challenge, how APIs and cloud models are reshaping the industry, and why adopting AI is critical for rental businesses to stay competitive.
Timestamps:
- 00:00 – Garrett Schemmel shares his background in equipment data and building rental analytics products.
- 04:13 – Why equipment cost per hour is misunderstood and how 24 factors can influence it.
- 05:22 – How Equipment Watch collected public rates to define pricing benchmarks.
- 06:48 – Launching the first equipment intelligence conference, Traction, to gather 100 innovators.
- 22:30 – Challenges in normalizing data without federal standards, unlike the trucking industry.
- 28:28 – Why some rental companies sell equipment right after OEM warranties expire.
- 29:27 – Viewing top rental companies as data-driven asset managers, not just rental operators.
- 29:53 – Garrett’s advice to analyze your own data patterns to find hidden biases.
- 31:04 – How AI is changing the rental industry and raising customer expectations.
- 41:13 – Garrett’s best career advice: say yes to hard challenges to build experience fast.
