Hundreds of hours back -every single week.
How The Tuff Towel skipped self-fulfilment entirely and scaled straight through a 3PL partnership with Fulfilpackers.
Automotive Accessories · Gold Coast, QLD
The Tuff Towel - built for Aussies who live a little rough.
The Tuff Towel is a waterproof, machine-washable towel seat cover designed to protect car seats from beach days, sweaty gym sessions, muddy paws and job site grime. It's made for tradies, surfers, gym-goers, dog owners, and everyday Australians who don't want to baby their car interior - they just want it protected without the bulk or hassle of a traditional seat cover.
Co-founded by Jayden and Riley, the brand is built around a simple idea - life is messy, and your car shouldn't have to suffer for it. The product is designed to go on in seconds and come off just as fast, with no compromise on protection.
What sets the brand's story apart isn't just the product - it's how the founders set the business up. Before they shipped a single order themselves, Jayden and Riley handed fulfilment to Fulfilpackers, and put their energy into growth instead. The following is from a conversation with Jayden, Co-Founder of The Tuff Towel.
Straight to a 3PL. No self-fulfilment phase at all.
Most founders try to pack orders themselves before handing fulfilment over. Jayden and Riley skipped that step entirely - a decision shaped early by a conversation with Gavin, who saw the potential in the product before the brand had scaled.
"We were very fortunate to meet Gavin and have him see the vision of our product early on. Whilst we were sceptical of entering a 3PL, once it was broken down to us - the costs and benefits of how much extra time we could spend on the business rather than packing orders - we knew that the team would be a good fit for us to scale the business quickly."
- Jayden, Co-Founder, The Tuff TowelThere was a clear line they weren't willing to cross: time. Both founders had major commitments outside the business, and protecting that time mattered more than the comfort of doing things themselves first.
"The biggest thing for us was saving time. We both had big commitments outside of the Tuff Towel and wanted to ensure that we were both making the most of our time when we were working on the business."
- Jayden, Co-Founder, The Tuff TowelNo real fears going in - and a team that felt like family from day one.
Unlike most founders handing over fulfilment for the first time, Jayden had few reservations. He'd already seen other businesses get strong, fast results working with the Fulfilpackers team.
"We were quite confident working with Fulfilpackers, and we knew of some businesses that have trusted the team and were able to see strong results and improve their operations almost immediately. We didn't really have any worries before starting."
- Jayden, Co-Founder, The Tuff TowelWhat sealed the decision wasn't a sales pitch - it was clarity and culture.
"Immediately, it felt like we were a part of a family and a part of the team. Everything was broken down to us very simply, and there were no questions left unanswered."
- Jayden, Co-Founder, The Tuff TowelStraightforward onboarding. Confidence from the first dispatch.
Onboarding was simple from the start - easy systems, no friction, and confidence built in almost immediately.
"The onboarding was super straightforward. The systems that we used are nice and easy to use, and after our first order was dispatched, we knew that it was going to reach our customers safely."
- Jayden, Co-Founder, The Tuff TowelPackaging presentation mattered from day one - getting the parcel size right, not too big or too small, was communicated clearly upfront and has been refined ever since.
"The presentation of the Tuff Towels was very important - not having it look too big or too small. From the start, that was clearly explained to the team. It's always been improved upon and never ever been a disappointment."
- Jayden, Co-Founder, The Tuff TowelWhen small issues have come up, they've been resolved fast - and used to tighten the process going forward. Jayden's care rating for the Fulfilpackers team: a solid 10 out of 10.
"There has been a handful of little issues that are quickly resolved. The team is quick to fix and make improvements to ensure that these problems don't happen in future."
- Jayden, Co-Founder, The Tuff Towel
Time saved that's almost impossible to measure.
Most founders can put a number on the hours they've reclaimed. Jayden can't - because the scale of what's been saved, especially through Black Friday and major sale periods, goes well beyond a weekly estimate.
"I think this answer is really just as long as the piece of string. At least hundreds of hours per week. The amount of time that it has saved us is insane. We wouldn't be able to do this alone."
- Jayden, Co-Founder, The Tuff TowelThat time freedom hasn't just protected Jayden's personal life - it's directly fuelled the business.
"We've been able to achieve exponential growth within the business. We've also been able to better ourselves and our personal lives, as we've been able to generate more time freedom and a better work-life balance."
- Jayden, Co-Founder, The Tuff TowelWhat Jayden would tell a founder about to launch.
Asked whether he'd do anything differently, Jayden's answer was unequivocal - and his advice to other eCommerce founders just as direct.
"If I were to redo the last year of business being an e-commerce founder, I would do it all the same way. I wouldn't change a thing. I would highly recommend using a 3PL service right off the bat. The hard thing is testing the products and knowing that you have a winner. But if you are absolutely certain that you can bring your product into the market and it's going to be a winner, then you have to go to a 3PL straight away."
- Jayden, Co-Founder, The Tuff TowelAnd the one thing he wishes someone had told him sooner:
"I wish someone told me how easy it would make things and how quick it can increase your brand's growth."
- Jayden, Co-Founder, The Tuff TowelHear it from The Tuff Towel
At least hundreds of hours per week. The amount of time it has saved us is insane - we wouldn't be able to do this alone.
Jayden · Co-Founder, The Tuff Towel · Gold Coast, Queensland
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