Food Truck Life: What to Know About Working in the Industry

While food trucks are far from being a new concept, they're becoming increasingly prevalent in today's communities and among adventurous eaters. These days, you don't even need to leave your living room to understand the thriving existence of food trucks with shows like The Great Food Truck Race and YouTube channels such as the iconic First We Feast highlighting the life of food on wheels. Whether you're thinking about entering the food truck industry or you'd like to learn more about what it's like to work on a food truck, this is what you need to know.

1. Summers are long and hot.

I begin here not to start on a sour note but because I believe this is the most significant piece of information that a prospective food truck employee should consider. While most of the big business occurs during the summertime, which usually means an influx in cash tips for the employees and a happy bank account, the biggest downside of working in a food truck during the summer is the heat. This is especially true if you reside in states that experience hot summers.

While I can only speak from my experience working in Sacramento and the surrounding areas, a hot summer day (around 90 degrees) means it'll reach at least 100 degrees in a food truck. Hydration is necessary year-round but is especially important during the summertime to keep up with the lifestyle of working on food trucks and to stay cool. Trucks with enough fridge space for bottled waters are fantastic, as are fountain machines with ice and a water dispenser, but bottled waters in an ice bath will make you feel fortunate enough for water at some degree less than the outside temp.

2. Winters are cold and can lead to financial uncertainty.

Just as the summer heat leads to high temperatures inside the trucks, winters can be very cold for the food truck worker. Huddling beside hot stations, such as the warmer and grill, becomes somewhat of a common occurrence for us during the wintertime.

Besides the cold, there are other issues that the winter may bring to food truck employees. One of the biggest downsides to working on a food truck occurs in the wintertime, when there are fewer events to schedule for. Unlike the summer, there aren't many outdoor events or festivals that occur during the cold and wet season. This leads to a decrease in hours worked and a less hefty paycheck.

It may be wise to have a backup plan that you can resort to in the wintertime to keep yourself financially afloat. While the decrease in hours may be a welcome break for you from the busy season, your bank account might not agree so much. Skip the stress and plan ahead to make sure you've got another hustle secured or save throughout the year so that you'll be covered for a few months of slow business.

3. The hours are unpredictable.

While most restaurants may have their employees on somewhat of a set schedule, the work schedule for a food truck is a bit (okay, a lot) more unpredictable. Really, you're at the mercy of the event's hours, which can totally vary depending on what kind of event the truck has booked. Plus, if your truck is well-loved and busy, most of the time there will be multiple events in one day. Doubles (two shifts, or events) are incredibly common and happen mostly on a daily basis, especially during the summertime.

Company lunches can last around two or three hours. Dinner events like "Food Truck Manias" usually tend to be around three to four hours. Private events can last as long as the event coordinator wants them too. Festival events can take as long as 12 hours from prep to closing and cleaning, and that's just one day.

Most likely, you can bet that you'll always be heading to work and coming home at all different hours. For example, I could leave for work at 9 AM and get home by 8 after a double, and then be out the door at 11 AM the next day to be home by midnight. Not to mention that some events may require some out-of-town travel, which are sure to rack up those hours away from home.

4. The fun events are unforgettable.

While a lot of the time you may be doing some corporate lunches, caterings, and food truck manias (which can all have their upsides for sure), some events can be exciting, or at least interesting, experiences. Yep, I'm talking festivals.

One of the most exciting events I've worked to date is Aftershock in Sacramento. For me - it's not far from home, which is a HUGE plus, but if you think the days are long for concert-goers (gates open around noon with the headliner playing around 9 PM) then you better believe the days are extensive for staff as well, including food truck employees. With long lines that never seem to die down throughout the day and the additional discomfort of working inside of a hot truck, the work feels never-ending.

However, there's something really beautiful about working and being able to hear that live music from your truck, if you're a fan of the music. If you're lucky, you may even get the opportunity to take a short bathroom break and see some of your favorite artists.

Another festival that I feel I've been blessed enough to participate in via the food truck is Bottlerock in Napa Valley. While the line was non-stop throughout the entire day, I did manage to get away long enough to see a couple of minutes of Halsey live on stage, as well as Bruno Mars on a huge screen next to our truck.

So, though you're sure to be working wild hours and dealing with customers who may need to wait a little long to get their food, you still get to relish the vibe that the great big festivals bring.

Not to mention, the tips can help make it all worth it too.

5. Your relationship with food is going to get real interesting.

Arguably one of the best parts about working on food trucks for adventurous eaters and foodies is all the food you get to be around all the time. Not only do you get to enjoy the food off of your own truck, you'll get to sample some of the best food trucks in your area too, and on a more regular basis than you would if you worked anywhere else.

It gets even better: You may even get to eat some of the food from other trucks for a trade. One downside to working on a food truck is that you get sort of stuck eating the same food over and over, which can turn even some of the best food into a bore. One solution to this problem is to trade food with other trucks if they're interested. Of course, not all trucks abide by this completely optional agreement of trade. With rising food costs, some trucks may find it easier to save money by not trading with other trucks. Others may feature a much pricier menu, such as those that sell seafood like lobster or other expensive meals, and may offer fellow food truck workers a discount instead.

Another thing you'll get used to is eating what you can when you can. Over the past few years of experience I've had in the food truck world, I've gotten extremely used to eating cold food. Breaks, though traditional in the work setting and when working in restaurants, are typically few and far between. On top of their limited existence, they are also short, lasting only a few minutes or as long as it takes for you to scarf down a quick snack. Of course, slower events can be more merciful in this respect than crazy-busy events and can leave you with a lot more time to take breaks. Then it's just up to your employer as to how frequent and how long your breaks should be. Therefore, you might be able to snag some great and tasty food, but you might not end up with a whole lot of time to eat it.

While working on a food truck may seem like an overwhelming experience, it's one that offers a lot of unique opportunities for those that want to work in the restaurant business but don't want to feel stuck in one location all the time. These are the top 5 things to consider about the food truck life, whether you're interested in employment or you just want to understand your very tired friend's life choices a little better.