Case Studies

Scalable Maintenance Operations for Large, Growing Fleets

Family-owned and operated since 1964, Atlanta-based Arrow Exterminators is the largest family-owned pest and termite control company in the United States ranked by revenue. Arrow operates a modern fleet of more than 3,500 vehicles.

At that scale, outsourced maintenance creates significant volume, with roughly 2,000 maintenance invoices each month across 50–75 service providers. As the fleet expanded geographically, the administrative burden of managing third-party maintenance increased as well.

Fleetio replaced Arrow’s reactive, invoice-driven process with a centralized, approval-first workflow. Vendors submit repair orders digitally, Arrow reviews and approves work before it’s performed, and all documentation is captured in one system. This standardization creates consistency across locations while eliminating the inefficiencies of post-service reconciliation.

Fleetio is the system of record that our fleet maintenance department uses day to day. Brooke Freeman, Director of Fleet & Risk Management, Arrow Exterminators

The Maintenance Shop Network also improves visibility for the field. Approved vendors and locations are discoverable across the organization, reducing reliance on manual updates from the fleet team as vendors add new locations or expand service areas.

Cost control and visibility

Using Fleetio, Arrow evaluates maintenance recommendations in full context: vehicle mileage, age, service history and long-term value. In some cases, the right decision isn’t to approve additional repairs, but to plan for vehicle replacement rather than continuing to invest.

Vendor accountability plays a central role. Arrow requires vendors to clearly explain why a service is being recommended, particularly for common upsells like filters, flushes or preventive items. Mileage alone isn’t enough; approvals are based on documented inspections, measurements and condition-based evidence.

In the first six months alone, Arrow processed 2.2 million line items through Fleetio and rejected 17% of them. These rejections prevented unnecessary upsells and ensured repairs aligned with vehicle condition, lifecycle stage and safety requirements.

We’re catching everything on the front end, so we don’t have to go back and fix problems on the back end. Brooke Freeman, Director of Fleet & Risk Management

By addressing pricing and scope upfront, Arrow avoids hours of back-end invoice review and dispute resolution, turning maintenance oversight into a controlled, repeatable process.

Faster payments

Before Fleetio, Arrow’s invoice workflow often delayed vendor payments. Invoices arrived inconsistently, and missing paperwork led to follow-up calls from vendors asking when they would be paid.

By managing maintenance through the Maintenance Shop Network, approved work orders are connected directly to invoices, simplifying validation and reducing exceptions for Arrow’s accounting team. Because services are approved in advance, invoices move faster and with fewer errors.

For vendors—especially smaller, independent ones—the impact is immediate. Some providers can now be paid within 48 hours via ACH, rather than waiting weeks for a check.

We value our independent vendors. This new system helps strengthen those relationships through clear communication and timely payments. Brooke Freeman, Director of Fleet & Risk Management

Faster payments reduce friction, improve vendor satisfaction and support stronger long-term partnerships.

Lasting vendor relationships

Arrow Exterminators views service providers as partners, not just vendors. Early on, the team worried that adopting a digital approval workflow might weaken those relationships or reduce flexibility.

Fleetio’s Maintenance Shop Network had the opposite effect. Arrow maintains 100% control over vendor selection, approvals and communication. Vendors work directly with Arrow’s fleet team (not an anonymous third party) and benefit from clearer expectations, faster payments and better documentation.

When onboarding local vendors, Brooke personally explains the process and benefits. Vendors continue to service Arrow vehicles and communicate with Arrow personnel, but with added structure and accountability.

Fleetio reinforces trust by requiring documentation and inspection details to support recommendations, creating transparency on both sides.

[Vendors] aren’t talking to someone behind a desk who’s never seen the vehicle… We wouldn’t have that level of trust without the notes and documentation coming through Fleetio. Brooke Freeman, Director of Fleet & Risk Management

The result is a safer, more reliable fleet—one where every maintenance decision supports Arrow’s highest priority.

We have 3,500 people working hard to improve the lives of our customers and their properties, it’s paramount that we keep them safe as they are the heart of Arrow Exterminators and our community. Brooke Freeman, Director of Fleet & Risk Management

Tired of chasing invoices and approvals?

Copy the playbook set by Arrow Exterminators to bring control to your outsourced maintenance. Get a demo to see how Fleetio helps you approve work upfront, reduce exceptions, and pay vendors faster.

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