Case Studies

Auto-Chlor System is a national leader in the production, installation and service of energy-saving dishwashers with a service network of over 140 branches, providing coast-to-coast 24/7 service. After working with multiple fleet maintenance companies (FMCs) for a few years, Nick Eddie, the Safety and Fleet Operations Manager, realized the fleet needed a change in how it managed maintenance.

Ultimately, Nick was looking for a solution that could help get things straightened out and help him really understand the fleet. Enter Fleetio. With Fleetio, Auto-Chlor brought outsourced repair approvals back under internal control instead of allowing small, unnecessary add-ons to pass through a third-party fleet maintenance company.

Branch managers now review repair line items before work begins, helping the company avoid $280K in unnecessary maintenance spend over 12 months, reduce outsourced repair costs by 15.4%, and generate ~4.3X return on its Fleetio investment across a fleet of more than 1,000 vehicles operating in 27 states.

We used to work with an FMC for our repairs, but we felt like we weren’t getting the full picture. With Fleetio’s Maintenance Shop Network, every repair runs through us. This year alone we’ve rejected 84,000 line items – many $50–$100 each – keeping unnecessary costs off the books and giving us real visibility into our fleet spend. Nick Eddy, Safety and Fleet Operations Manager

The Challenge: Auto-Approved Repairs and Limited Control

With more than 1,000 vehicles operating across 76 locations in 27 states, Auto-Chlor relies almost entirely on outsourced maintenance. Nearly every repair flows through an external shop.

Under their previous model with a FMCs, repair approvals were largely handled outside the business:

• Many repairs were auto-approved without line-item review
• Shops could add additional services during routine maintenance
• Branch managers had little visibility into what was being approved
• Fleet leadership lacked clear, reliable data on maintenance spend

The problem was thousands of small add-ons. Oil changes turned into air filter replacements, brake fluid flushes, or premature services. Individually, these items might cost $50–$100, but across thousands of repair orders, they added up quickly.

Over time, this created a system where unnecessary work was routinely approved, small costs compounded across the fleet, and decision-making happened outside the business.

We had a vehicle with 20,000 miles get a $100 brake fluid flush added on during an oil change. There was no reason for it. That’s the kind of thing we wanted control over. Nick Eddy, Safety and Fleet Operations Manager

The Solution: Putting Control Back in the Branches

With Fleetio’s Maintenance Shop Network, Auto-Chlor removed most auto-approvals and brought repair decisions back inside the business.

Instead of relying on a third party to approve work, branch managers now review and approve each repair order before service begins, giving them direct control over maintenance spend at the location level.

Fleetio gives our branch managers control of their budgets. They see every repair request and can reject the little line items that quickly add up. Nick Eddy, Safety and Fleet Operations Manager

Fleetio makes each repair decision more informed and intentional:

• Line-item visibility allows managers to review every proposed service, so unnecessary add-ons can be rejected before work begins
• Service history and mileage verification provide context on whether a repair is actually due, helping prevent premature or duplicate services
• Warranty and prior repair data can be checked instantly, ensuring the company doesn’t pay for work that should already be covered

This shift enabled Auto-Chlor to systematically review and reject unnecessary work at scale, ultimately eliminating tens of thousands of low-value repair line items. Every repair now goes through a consistent internal review process, rather than a third-party system.

Fleet leadership also maintains visibility through tools like the Repair Orders Pending dashboard, allowing them to monitor activity across locations and ensure repairs are addressed quickly without losing control over spend.

$280K+ avoided and 4X+ ROI

Over the last year, Auto-Chlor reduced unnecessary add-ons and brought tighter control to outsourced maintenance spend. In total, they:

• Avoided $280K+ in unnecessary repair spend
• Reduced outsourced maintenance costs by ~15%
• Achieved 4X+ ROI on Fleetio investment over the last year

This impact was driven by a simple but scalable change: reviewing and rejecting unnecessary repair line items before work begins. In fact, Auto-Chlor rejected more than 84,000 individual repair line items in a single year, many costing $50–$100 each — preventing thousands of small, unnecessary charges from compounding across the fleet.

Because of this, Auto-Chlor avoided hundreds of thousands in unnecessary spend over the last year, savings that exceeded the cost of Fleetio several times over, resulting in a 4X+ return on the platform.

For a decentralized fleet operating nationwide, that level of control improves margins without adding internal headcount.

Better Data, Better Decisions

Beyond cost savings, one of the biggest drivers behind the switch was confidence in fleet data. With its previous FMCs, Nick explained that Auto-Chlor wasn’t really able to get general data and trends on vehicles to make smart choices around when to replace them, so often times, the company was sinking money into keeping should-be-retired vehicles on the road.

Auto-Chlor needed accurate, centralized information to support long-term decisions like vehicle replacement, budgeting, and maintenance planning.

It’s all about good data in, so you get good data out. We’re finally confident in the numbers we’re looking at. Nick Eddy, Safety and Fleet Operations Manager

With repair data flowing directly into Fleetio:

• Service history is centralized across all locations
• Spend trends are visible and consistent
• Budget decisions are based on actual data, not assumptions

That visibility allows the team to move from reactive maintenance decisions to proactive, data-driven planning, reducing risk and improving long-term cost control.

What Changed Day-to-Day

Moving away from an FMC required more hands-on involvement, but it also created clear ownership at the branch level. While it was certainly a change for branch managers, Nick explained that a major benefit is knowing where dollars are going during quarterly budget meetings and enabling managers to feel more empowered with the information they have and the numbers they're presenting on their expenditures.

Before:

• Repairs were approved externally with limited oversight
• Branch managers had little visibility into repair decisions
• Add-ons and premature services often went unnoticed

After:

• Branch managers receive repair notifications and review line items directly
• Approvals happen before work begins, not after the fact
• Managers control location-level budgets and engage proactively in vehicle care

When we get into our quarterly budget meetings, our managers feel more empowered because they actually know where their dollars are going. Nick Eddy, Safety and Fleet Operations Manager

To maintain speed, Auto-Chlor uses text notifications to ensure pending repairs are reviewed quickly, keeping vehicles moving without sacrificing control.

A Shift From Outsourced Oversight to Internal Control

Fleetio didn’t just replace a vendor, it changed how Auto-Chlor manages fleet spend. Instead of relying on a third party to determine what’s necessary:

• Repair approvals now run through internal leadership
• Branch managers own their budgets and decisions
• Fleet data drives proactive planning
• Budget conversations are rooted in transparency

At some point [with the FMC], it felt like repairs were just getting auto-approved without much thought. We wanted more control over where our money was going. Nick Eddy, Safety and Fleet Operations Manager

For Auto-Chlor, Fleetio delivers visibility, accountability, and a measurable 4X+ return on investment over the last year.