The Sweetest Partnership: Bakery Expands Isuzu Fleet

Businesses come and go in Victoria, so the longevity of the ever-popular Routley’s Bakery means the team must have a secret ingredient. 

Routley’s Bakery is a successful Geelong-based business, with a focus on pies, breads and cakes. There are 10 flagship stores Victoria-wide, with Routley’s Bakery supplying many cafés and restaurants with their gourmet goods, along with school canteens, and tuck-shops at sporting facilities and football clubs across the region. 

Speaking from a typically cold but clear Geelong, Sam Routley is the third generation of the Routley family running the bakery business and describes how this might play a part in their recipe for success. 

“I'm in North Geelong at our main baking facility, overseeing the distribution, packing and wrapping of products, which is part of my role as operations manager. 

“My grandparents started the business back in 1947, they had five children, and the five children are all in the family business,” he said. “So, it's become very family orientated. 

“Now the next generation have done their apprenticeships and are working at Routley’s Bakery, four generations deep in baking for the family name.” 

With such a time-sensitive product, Routley’s Bakery requires complete reliability from its Isuzu transport fleet. 

“We're very service orientated. Customers will put in their order six days a week and we're super reliant on our fleet to get the product to our customers every day, without fail. 

The great service Routley’s Bakery receives down at Geelong Isuzu keeps the fleet operational and always on the road. 

Service is a top priority for Routley’s Bakery not only with their own customers but with their strong reliance on their Isuzu fleet, which is vital to business operations. ​ 

“Our latest truck is a long wheel base FRD 110-260 Auto fitted with a Thermo King fridge body and a rear tail lift. We’ve had it seven months now and it’s exactly what we needed,” Sam explained. 

The FRD 110-260 has a GVM of 11,000 kg and GCM of 16,000 – 20,000 and with a 10-pallet capacity build out the back, there’s not only plenty payload, but acres of space to build genuine efficiencies into their daily delivery routing. 

The fleet has been built up slowly over time in-line with the bakery’s expansion increase, with the relationship between the Routleys and Isuzu Trucks stretching back to the 90s. ​ 

“Our Isuzu fleet is on the road early six days a week,” said Sam. “But the trucks do have a day off on Sunday.” 

With an eight-truck fleet on the road already, Sam has plans to expand within the next 12 months due to continued growth. ​ 

“We have tried other trucks at times to mix up the fleet but with Geelong Isuzu’s incredible service and reliability I know there won’t be issues,” Sam said reflecting on the business relationship. ​ 

“We did try the competitors and it wasn't a smooth process in the end, or anywhere near the reliability we needed.” 

In a marriage of convenience of sorts, the Geelong Isuzu dealership and servicing arm happens to be located fortuitously directly opposite the bakery itself, a level of accessibility that works to keep the fleet on the road. ​ 

“Our fleet travels the Geelong and Surf Coast region, and the FRD 110-260 travels to Melbourne delivering a massive amount of food and produce, which is then divided into the fleet of Isuzu N-Series trucks that service the Western suburbs of Melbourne,” Sam mentioned. 

“We also have a truck that drives to the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne, which then delivers to another distributor there.” 

“The whole fleet covers a combined 1,200 – 2,000 kilometres every day!” 

“If there's an urgent issue, Geelong Isuzu always will always have our truck back to us on the same day!” Sam exclaimed. 

“For routine servicing we drop them off and then Geelong Isuzu brings the truck back in the afternoon. Without the trucks on the road, products get left in the factory. That's why we continue to buy Isuzu because they don't let us down and we don’t have downtime waiting on repairs or servicing.” 

With fleet expansions in the works and more demand than ever for their award-winning bakery range, it will be exciting to see what happens next for Routley’s Bakery. 

“We know we’re sticking with Isuzu Trucks because they've got the right formula for their business…a balance between their outstanding product and fantastic customer service and truck servicing. ​ 

“With that level of reliability, it's no wonder they are leading the field and that's why we partner with Isuzu Trucks. ​ 

“We like partnering with the best!”