Big Geyser Keeps the Big Apple—and Beyond—Refreshed
September 10, 2026
“If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.” For New York beverage start-ups, that famous Frank Sinatra lyric is more than a line from a song it is a proving ground. Brands such as Vitaminwater and Smartwater got their start in the Big Apple, with Big Geyser helping promote and distribute them from the beginning.
Big Geyser is the No. 1 distributor of non-alcoholic beverages and snacks in New York City, Long Island, Westchester County, and Fairfield County, Connecticut. Founded in 1986, the company now distributes more than 40 brands and 400 products, including Bloom, C4 Energy, Calypso, Celsius, Poppi, Liquid Death, Hal’s New York, and many others. Big Geyser delivers to major retailers such as Costco, Walmart, and Target, as well as grocery and convenience stores. In all, the company serves more than 24,000 delivery points.
Big Geyser works with Gabrielli PacLease, the local PacLease franchise, to support its transportation operations. The company moves product with a fleet of more than 175 medium-duty side-door and box trucks, along with 11 Class 8 tractors that pickup product from suppliers and deliver it to Big Geyser’s three warehouses. Its delivery trucks are domiciled in Maspeth, Brewster, and Brentwood, which serves Long Island. According to Pat Schilling, Big Geyser’s Chief of Operations, most of the fleet consists of Kenworth trucks and tractors. “PacLease is our provider of choice, and our vision is for them to become our exclusive leasing partner,” he said.
Schilling said Big Geyser has always preferred full-service leasing for its trucks because the company does not want to manage or operate maintenance facilities. Instead, Big Geyser wants to focus on what it does best: distribution. “Leasing gives us confidence in uptime, access to replacement vehicles when needed, and assurance that maintenance is handled by our leasing provider,” Schilling said. “If we need to add trucks, we can do so quickly and efficiently. Leasing works well for us, and working with Gabrielli is a natural fit because we are both family-owned and operated companies.”
Big Geyser previously worked with multiple full-service leasing companies in the area. That began to change in 2023, when the company awarded PacLease a contract for 11 Kenworth trucks. After comparing truck quality and service support among its leasing providers, Big Geyser began expanding its PacLease fleet as trucks from other providers termed out. Schilling said the quality and image of the Kenworth equipment, combined with PacLease’s service support, clearly stood out.
“Our drivers love the Kenworth trucks, and the experience has been extremely positive,” Schilling said. “We use Kenworth T380s for our beverage bodies and T480s for our box trucks. Our Class 8 trucks with PacLease are T680 day cabs. Because our route drivers areconstantly getting in and out of the trucks, driver comfort and safety are extremely important. Each driver makes between 15 and 30 stops a day, and our driver turnover is well below the industry average. We know that a high-quality, comfortable truck helps us retain drivers.”
From a management perspective, the Kenworth fleet and PacLease service support also deliver significant value. Schilling said Big Geyser has always been customer-service oriented, and reliable trucks are critical to that commitment. “That reliability helps us fulfill orders with next-day delivery while maintaining a carefully orchestrated schedule with tight delivery windows,” he said.
“Safety and on-time delivery are our top priorities. Our on-time delivery rate is close to 99%, thanks in part to the reliability of our trucks,” Schilling said. “When preventive maintenance is needed, our drivers can take a truck to PacLease’s local facility and either wait for expedited service, drop it off and use a loaner, or rely on PacLease’s mobile service units. The process is fast and easy.”
On the safety front, Big Geyser uses Samsara forward- and inward-facing cameras to monitor driver performance. “The system allows us to identify risky behaviors and provide coaching that helps drivers improve,” Schilling said.
The company also implemented the Smith System, a well-known driver training program that supports defensive driving and ongoing driver education. The investment has paid off. Big Geyser recently finished second in the General Commodities Truckload—Medium Duty category for a safety award presented by the Trucking Association of New York. “Our safety record has also been recognized by our insurance carrier,” Schilling said. “In addition to receiving preferred rates, we have become their poster child for safety.”
As Big Geyser continues to grow, it remains focused on the qualities that have made it successful. “We are known for the quality of our service and our passion for working with customers to build their brands,” Schilling said. “Consumers can see that commitment in our Kenworth trucks and their standout graphics package. Image is incredibly important to us and to our customers. We keep our trucks clean and well-presented because they showcase our company and our beverage partners.”
Schilling said partnership building is central to Big Geyser’s business, and that philosophy extends to the companies it works with for full-service leasing. “PacLease is our strategic partner,” he said. “They are fantastic to work with and have gone beyond what we could have imagined. The Kenworth trucks they provide, along with the service behind them, are second to none. As we grow, we hope to continue growing with them.”