Buying a used food truck has few benefits, whereas buying a tailor made custom food vessel has many. Below we have listed the top benefits of purchasing a custom food truck, though there are many more perks that come along with it!

Tailored Layout + Flow
An important and most adored feature of a custom food truck is the tailored layout and flow. Every truck owner has a layout in mind and a workflow that works best for them -it is one of our favorite parts to sit down with a customer to come up with theirs. We have a motto and it’s, “No Nuts to Butts” -there is nothing more exciting than a busy food rush for a food truck owner, there is also nothing more frustrating than a busy food rush with multiple chefs in the kitchen and bumping into each other while trying to prep, cook, assemble and run food -something we often see when hobby builders build trucks or people are looking at used food trucks. So save the headache and the shoulder checks, tailor made is the way to go.
Minimize Issues and Maximize Functionality
When going with the custom build option you minimize your chances of equipment and utility malfunction and maximize your opportunities of functionality. We recently had a new customer call us because her used truck only had a 2 space breaker and she needed much more power as a mobile food unit. We ended up placing a 12 space breaker, running new outlets and lighting to make her truck more efficient and functional for her operation. Remember that your vessel will make or break your business, if you are constantly having issues, shutting down for repairs because things are breaking, then you may notice a break in your business. Customers get frustrated with the lack of consistency, and will not be continuous patrons as they once were -something we have seen as well.
Equipment + Warranties
Yes, that used food truck looks pretty nice and the equipment looks to be in good shape, price doesn’t look so bad either...but what about a couple months from now? One rule of thumb is never buy refrigeration equipment used. Why? You never know how or if it was maintained, the life of that specific equipment is about 7-10 years before problems occur or become obsolete, so it’s better to play it safe than sorry. That’s just one “for instance”. We have a good friend and customer of ours who always says, “Buy it nice, or buy it twice” -a good motto to live by. When building custom, you have the opportunity to get the equipment you need and want and also have more warranty options available to cover your equipment if something were to happen like a break during transport, faulty item upon use, factory defects, etc.
So Fresh So Clean
Used food trucks have lots of wear and tear, and even though someone may have cleaned it up real nice it still may have underlying issues like mold, water leaks, electrical issues, grease build up and unnecessary health risks. Instead of finding a used truck that was utilized for someone else’s previous business venture, you will have a fresh and clean truck that is ready for you to utilize it towards its’ specific purpose, and no scary surprises down the road.
Saving in the Longrun
Some may think it is cheaper to buy a used food truck/trailer/cart, but purchasing a custom truck will actually save you more money in the longrun. We have worked with people who purchased $50,000 food trucks, just to turn around and dump another $5-15k into them because they either were not functional for what they were needing, were poorly constructed, or did not follow city/county codes, and it can be completely devastating for a new business owner. So do yourself a favor and don’t take the cheap way out!
Broader Palatte
When looking for a used food truck/trailer/cart, it can be very limiting. You will only come across certain layouts, vessel sizes, and equipment which may not even work for what your food truck’s flow needs to be -forcing you to settle for what’s available. When opting for a custom vessel, you don’t have to settle, you have the ability to create exactly what you need/want tailored for your business.

We hope that this information can be helpful when making the final decision about purchasing a used vs. a new custom food truck. Still need more convincing? Check out some of our work or give us a call at 541.728.3511 to learn more about making your food truck dreams come true today!