If you’ve been thinking of opening a food truck business, chances are you already know you’ll have to look for a food truck at some point. This is one of the more crucial investments you can make for such a business venture. On the other hand, if you’re selling a food truck, you may be unsure what features to include in the listing, what to check, and what documents to prepare.

When it comes down to it, buying a food truck is quite similar to buying another kind of vehicle. Not only are buyers looking at the overall price, but they will want to see if the vehicle meets their needs. Case in point: someone thinking of starting a mobile grocery store won’t be looking for space for a griddle or stove; they’ll just be concerned about whether or not there’s enough storage space for the groceries they plan to sell. Given that, just what are the top things or features buyers look for in a used food truck?

 

Storage

This is the first thing people look for when considering which used food truck to get. Ideally, there should be storage space for both cooking utensils and ingredients, especially for those that need to be kept cold. Optimally, there’ll be a fridge for main food items, another for beverages at the very least, in addition to shelves and cabinets for pots, pans, and other cooking utensils.

If a food truck has specialized refrigeration equipment such as an under-counter refrigerator or a salad prep refrigerator, that’s even better because that means there’s twice as much utility without taking up a lot of space. Sellers will want to include these details.

If you’re a buyer and you’re not sure how much storage space you’ll need, start by determining your break-even point, or how many people you’ll have to serve each day to pay off all expenses. Optimally, there should be enough storage to help you make more than that so you can start making a profit earlier. Even if the truck doesn’t seem to have that much storage, you can boost its capacity by adding some more storage options. Just make sure you do have the space to do so, though.

Cooking Equipment

Some food trucks come with cooking equipment that’s been built into the counters, so buyers that find such trucks count themselves lucky – especially if the cooking equipment happens to fit what they need for their business. At the very least, consider getting a food truck that already has a flat-top griddle and cooking range. The former is ideal for cooking pancakes, eggs, vegetables, and burgers, while the latter lets you saute, boil, simmer, and pan-fry anything from meat to sauces.

A food truck exhaust hood is another feature people look for, and while it doesn’t cook anything, it does remove vapors that other equipments produce, helping to ensure the back of the food truck is safe to work in.

Space for Alterations

Even if the truck meets requirements when it comes to storage and cooking equipment, you’ll want to plan ahead for additional equipment and any upgrades. That’s why those looking to buy a food truck will also check and make sure there’s some space for them to carry those out in, say, three months or half a year. 

It’s also possible that only part of the floor plan suits the business owner’s needs. If this is the case, buyers will want to check whether or not there’s space for the changes they’ll need to make. For instance, can you add a corner unit for additional storage without having to get rid of the small refrigerator next to it? Or can you add a food warmer or two to the side so you can make a big batch of something like pulled pork and add it to a rice dish or a sandwich as needed? 

Need ideas? Read this article: 5 Brilliant Space Saving Kitchen Ideas for Your Food Truck

Maintenance Logs

You may have the very basic equipment you need, with some room for improvement or upgrades later on, but a food truck is still a food truck. That means you need to know as much as possible about what’s going on under the hood. This means looking for the maintenance logs so you can check them. These will give an idea of how well the previous owner looked after the food truck. On top of that, you’ll know if there’s any maintenance coming up that you need to schedule, and at least you’ll have a rough idea of how much time you need before something may have to be replaced. 

If you’re the seller, make sure you have copies of your maintenance logs at the ready so that buyers can look them over.

Warranties

Ideally, the food truck itself will still be under warranty, especially if it’s already had some work done but you want to make sure you won’t be shelling out too much for any repairs soon after the purchase and you know there’s no chance you will have damaged the truck yourself somehow. For that same reason, it’s important to check for warranties for the equipment that comes with the truck, too. 

If you’re buying from a dealer, this is an especially important thing to look for, because you’re about to make a big purchase, which will take a big chunk of your budget. You don’t want to have to compromise on finances for everything else after that, since that’s what will happen if there’s no warranty and the cost of repairs falls to you.

If you’re selling a food truck, check to make sure any warranties are transferable. If they’re not, find out how much it costs to transfer them to another person’s name. You know how big an investment a food truck can be, and you’ll want potential buyers to have a good feeling about dealing with you. So even if you need to add the cost of transferring warranties to their name, at least you can say with confidence that the truck or equipment is under warranty.

Obviously, there are some specifics that will change depending on what kind of food truck you’re thinking of operating. For instance, a BBQ food truck will need more space for grills than a salad food truck since the latter won’t need to grill too much in comparison to the former. But the items listed above are still the top things buyers look for in a used food truck to make sure they’re making the best possible investment.

Ready to sell your truck with UsedVending? Visit this page to get started! We also recommend reading our guide here for some expert tips.