City Boys: Gino and John Roselli

Gas Chassis: The Best Option for These New York Franchisees

One of the best things about talking with different franchisees throughout the United States and Canada is learning how you design tool trucks to suit your needs, your customers’ needs and what will work in your environment. We learn a lot from these conversations.

And this is no exception with the Roselli brothers: Gino and John. While both own routes in the state of New York, their needs in custom tool trucks are both similar and vastly different. New York is ranked fourth in the nation in terms of total population. And a large portion of those residents are located within the cities where these two run their routes. Traffic, congestion and sometimes lack of parking are all part of the daily challenges working in the city.

“I’ve been a franchise owner for 21 years,” says Gino Roselli. “My route is in the South Bronx of New York and I spend one day in Manhattan.”

Owning and operating a mobile tool store in New York isn’t easy. For one, New York will issue a citation for any vehicle idling more than three minutes. If you are near a private or public school, that duration drops to one minute so having an on-board generator is a must. Parking can also be a challenge.

Gino Roselli just took delivery of his latest truck: a 20-foot Freightliner MT-55 with the 6.0-liter gas engine.

But why the gas engine?

“I drive 200-yards, make a right, stop and then I service four or five shops on that block,” Gino tells us. “My stops are all in the city.

With diesel engines made to run so hot these days for emissions purposes, a gas truck is the perfect fit for Gino.

“The gas engine works great in town. Plus, the maintenance is much cheaper on the gasser,” he tells us. “It takes less oil and common oil filters too.”

Gino’s brother John also runs a gas chassis. John’s route is on Long Island and he operates a 22-foot MT-55 which he took delivery of in 2020.

“I collect from around 240 customers a week, but I have 380-390 in total. I see a lot of customers on my route,” John Roselli told us. “I tried to run a diesel truck on my route but not every gas station has diesel. So, I was driving out of my way to fill up. Now I can go to any station, gas-up and go.”

John shares the same thoughts as his brother when it comes to maintenance. Oil changes are far less expensive, plus the 6.0L engine is easy to work on and service.

“This is my second gas truck,” John mentioned. “It has worked out really well for my needs.”

LDV will typically recommend the gas chassis for customers logging 12,000 to 15,000 miles per year or less. But there are some other factors to consider such as idle time, drive time and loaded vehicle weight. While the diesel chassis does have more torque, there are significant benefits to running a gas chassis. Lets not forget about cost. The gas chassis is significantly less expensive than a comparable diesel.

“The Rosellis are a great example of when to select the gas chassis for a custom truck,” said their Sales Specialist, Sam Sottile. “We equipped each truck with a gas generator which can be operated without penalty in New York. For those with less stringent idle laws, these gas engines can operate with engine air and power as well.”

Contact your Sales Specialist to learn more about the benefits of a gas chassis. They are here to help you make the right choice for your route.