Food Cart Guide: Trucks vs. Trailers

Food Cart Guide: Trucks vs. Trailers

Many people dream of sharing their culinary talents through the creation of a mobile food business. One of the first decisions potential mobile food entrepreneurs have to make is what type of mobile food preparation platform would be best suited to their business model.

A food truck is a popular choice with individuals starting a mobile food business for many reasons. The dimensions of a food truck allow it to be driven into areas where there is less room to maneuver such as city streets. Because everything needed for food prep is already built into a food truck, it makes it easy to just pull up and start cooking. Food trucks are also ideal for traveling to multiple locations in a day. 

Even though food trucks offer many benefits for a mobile food business, there are some downsides to consider.  Food trucks require a larger initial investment than food trailers. Food trucks also require mobile business owners to factor in the cost of vehicle maintenance, and if there is a mechanical problem that requires service, this food business is forced to stop until it is repaired.

Although it is less expensive to purchase a food trailer than it is to purchase a food truck, it is still necessary to have a vehicle that is large enough to tow the food trailer around. For those who do not already own a vehicle with enough towing capability, the added cost of the required vehicle could ultimately make a food trailer more expensive than a food truck. However, in the event of a mechanical problem with the vehicle being used to tow the food trailer, one advantage of a food trailer is that you can still have access to the food trailer while that vehicle is being repaired.

In general, food trailers offer more cooking and prep space than a food truck, since the configuration is not constrained by the dimensions required to keep a food truck narrow enough for parking on city streets. Another reason that food trailers offer more usable room is that the required power generator is usually situated outside of the food prep space. Food trucks typically lose some interior prep space to their built-in generators. Another consideration is licensing requirements which are typically less restrictive for food trailers than food trucks.

The structure of your food business and the amount of capital you have available to invest are typically the determining factors when choosing between a food truck and a food trailer. Take time to weigh the pros and cons that each offer so you can select the option that provides the most upside for your new mobile food business.