Starting With a Clean Sheet: How Scania Is Powering Gouge Linen’s Regional Rise

Supplied by Scania Australia

By any measure, regional Victoria is a big patch to cover. Yet every day, and well into the night, bright white Gouge Linen trucks spool out across the state and southern New South Wales, quietly sustaining the accommodation, healthcare and industrial sectors with something most of us never think twice about: clean linen and workwear.

Behind that deceptively simple task is a transport and logistics operation moving the equivalent of fifteen laps of Australia every month. And underpinning that mammoth logistical ballet is a fresh fleet of 10 Scania trucks, some racking up 1,300 kilometres per day, delivering healthy doses of fuel efficiency, safety, and reliability.

It’s a far cry from the company’s humble beginnings in the 1940s as a local dry-cleaner in Shepparton. Today, Gouge Linen and Garment Services is still family-owned by the Priestly family since the ’80s, and is split into two primary operations:
• A commercial laundry servicing hospitals, hotels, aged care and industrial sites
• A traditional dry-cleaning and uniform cleaning business

From caravan park cabins in country Victoria to major CBD hotels and regional hospitals, the Gouge footprint stretches across 1,300 customers. And every customer expects the same thing: their exact order, on time, every time. For CEO John Calleja, that expectation is non-negotiable.

A Business Growing Faster Than Its Footprint

The backbone of the operation is Gouge’s long-serving main laundry at Mooroopna, just outside Shepparton. But as demand grew, so too did the need for capability—and space. That necessity has now taken shape as a purpose-built, fully automated laundry facility in Geelong, more than twice the capacity of Mooroopna and designed to carry the business well into the future.

Alongside Geelong and Mooroopna sit the Niddrie dry-cleaning and uniforms facility in metropolitan Melbourne and satellite distribution depots in Bendigo, Ballarat and Melbourne. Linen and workwear flow from plant to depot to customer in a seamless cycle—one that relies heavily on Gouge’s 52-strong truck fleet.

Ten of those are Scanias:

• Two prime movers (420 P-series and 460 G-series)
• Eight rigids ranging from 280 to 360 hp in 4×2 and 6×2 configurations

And according to Logistics GM Damian Marston, they’re already proving their worth.

The Tender That Changed Everything

“I came from warehousing,” Damian explains. “Fleet management was new to me, but the KPIs and cost triggers aren’t. When I arrived, I dug straight into maintenance, efficiency, and vehicle utilisation. That’s what led us out to tender.”

Enter Scania Account Manager Roger Lake, who Damian describes as “sensational from the start—transparent, supportive, and proactive.”

When supply challenges threatened delivery timelines, Roger went hunting and found available units. Bodybuilders were aligned. The trucks landed. Everything clicked.

John was initially cautious, particularly when Damian reported the fuel figures Scania claimed the trucks would achieve. “I said, ‘That’d be awesome… but prove it,’” John laughs. Scania did precisely that, loaning a demo truck that delivered the promised numbers on the road. The deal was as good as done.

Long Days, Heavy Loads and Remarkable Fuel Returns

This is not light-duty metro work. Some of Gouge’s Scanias are covering 1,300 kilometres per day across two shifts, departing full and returning full. Linen is dense, uniform trolleys are heavy, and the schedule is relentless.

Fuel savings of even a few per cent are worth serious money over that distance—but the Scanias are delivering significantly more.

“The fuel efficiency speaks for itself,” Damian says. “And with the kilometres we’re doing, the savings compound fast.”

But for Gouge, fuel burn is only part of the story.

Why Regional Businesses Need Smarter Trucks—Not Just Bigger Ones

Electric trucks may be getting headlines, but for a company operating vast distances from regional Victoria into southern NSW, the technology simply isn’t viable yet.

“Range and charging don’t work for us; not with our footprint,” John says. “So, the next best thing is minimising emissions through reduced fuel use. Scania gives us that. It’s a big win.”

Safety is another pillar of the business.

“Safety is a daily conversation,” John stresses. “Our team move trolleys, push heavy loads, and spend long hours behind the wheel. We owe them the safest environment possible.”

Scania’s visibility, advanced active safety systems, turn-assist and side cameras all contribute to that goal. But there’s another unexpected factor winning driver loyalty: Scania’s in-dash driver performance scoring.

“Our drivers talk about their scores at toolbox meetings,” Damian grins. “They take photos of the dashboard, comparing results. It’s friendly competition—but it’s lifting our overall standard.”

Add Scania Driver Training, and Gouge suddenly has a powerful tool for upskilling, engagement and retention.

Reliability Matters When the Wheels Never Stop Turning

When trucks are accumulating kilometres at breakneck pace, downtime isn’t just inconvenient; it can cripple service delivery.

“Some brands just don’t hold enough parts stock in Australia,” Damian says. “You can’t have a truck parked up waiting for spares. Scania’s parts availability and warranty support are a big deal for us. And having a dealer in Geelong now—that mattered.”

Scania’s Fleet Monitoring tools add another layer of insight, allowing John’s team to track cost per kilometre, fuel efficiency, and maintenance trends across the fleet.

“I’m an accountant,” John smiles. “If the numbers stack up, and the truck is safer and better for our drivers, it’s a straightforward decision.”

A Clean Sheet… and a Clear Road Ahead

Gouge’s fleet will continue to evolve, with smaller trucks still required for tight-access customers like aged-care facilities and inner-city hospitality venues. But for the big-kilometre regional runs where the real cost savings lie, Scania has quickly become the platform of choice.

“Fuel efficiency is where the big bang for buck is,” Damian says. “And Scanias deliver that, day after day.”

From a modest Shepparton dry-cleaner to a state-spanning logistics and laundry powerhouse, Gouge Linen and Garment Services is a regional success story built on service, scale and smart investment. With a new high-capacity laundry in Geelong, a swelling customer base, and a fleet that never stops rolling, the company is genuinely starting with a clean sheet, and Scania is helping them write the next chapter.