The short answer: Set a dollar limit per repair. Routine work under that limit (oil changes, tires, brakes within a normal range) is approved automatically; anything above it goes to one named approver with a deadline to respond. Ask every shop to send estimates the same way, with the vehicle, mileage, and line items. With HoneyRuns, the fleet sets the limit, Riggs sends estimates above it to the fleet manager to approve, and the repair goes ahead only after approval.
Why approvals slow repairs down
The shop finishes the diagnosis and sends an estimate. It lands in an inbox of someone who is in the field, on another call, or out that day. The shop will not start without approval, so the vehicle waits, sometimes for days. In many fleets this one step adds more time than the repair itself.
Set an approval limit
Pick a number that covers routine work but not big surprises. Many small fleets land somewhere between a few hundred dollars and $1,000 per repair, depending on vehicle type. Below the limit, the shop can proceed. Above it, a person decides.
Write down what is always pre-approved regardless of price, such as:
- Scheduled preventive maintenance
- Tires and brakes that fail inspection
- Safety items: lights, wipers, horn, seat belts
And what always needs a person, such as engine or transmission replacement, or any repair on a vehicle you might retire soon.
Make estimates easy to approve
A good estimate request includes the vehicle, current mileage, the problem, line items for parts and labor, and whether anything is safety-critical. Ask shops to send estimates by text or email in that format. The approver should be able to say yes or no from their phone in a minute.
Give approvals a deadline
"Please approve by 2 p.m." gets a faster answer than an open-ended request. If the approver has not responded by then, a second person should be able to approve.
Keep a record
Log every approval: who approved, how much, when. It answers "who said yes to this?" later, and it shows whether your limit is set right. If you approve 95% of estimates above the limit without changes, the limit is probably too low.
How HoneyRuns handles approvals
The fleet keeps control of spending. With HoneyRuns, the fleet sets its own approval rules: what is pre-approved, and which actions need sign-off. Riggs sends repair estimates to the fleet manager to approve before work goes ahead, over Slack, text, or email, and follows up with the shop once it is approved. Every repair goes through the fleet's own shops and vendors, not a network chosen for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a good repair approval limit for a small fleet? A: Many small fleets set a per-repair limit between a few hundred dollars and $1,000 so routine work proceeds without a call and larger repairs get reviewed. Adjust it based on how often you change estimates above the limit.
Q: How do I stop repair estimates from sitting in my inbox? A: Pre-approve routine work under a set limit, ask shops to send estimates in a standard format, and give each approval a deadline with a backup approver.
Q: Can an AI agent approve fleet repairs? A: With HoneyRuns, repair estimates go to the fleet manager to approve before work goes ahead. The fleet decides which other actions need sign-off.
Q: Who should approve fleet repair estimates? A: One named person, with a named backup, and a written limit above which they must review. Everything below the limit should not need them.
Get Started with HoneyRuns
Set your approval rules once and stop holding up repairs. Get started.
HoneyRuns gets fleet maintenance done. It watches mileage, intervals, and telematics, books the repair with the shops and vendors you already use, stays on the driver and the shop until the vehicle is back, and logs the completed service in the system you already run. Your team approves repair estimates before work goes ahead. Founded by fleet operators who manage 70 vehicles across three fleets today.