The food truck industry has exploded over the last decade. As of 2021, there are 24,000 active units in the U.S. Unfortunately, not every truck is in top shape.
This is a problem because it reduces productivity and revenue. Furthermore, investments are lost due to emergency repairs and even replacement. To avoid this from happening to your business here are 7 care tips to keep your food truck running smoothly.
1. Maintain or Fix Weather Seal Stripping
Like it does in a home, your food truck’s weather seal keeps the elements out. It stops cold winds, rain, and snow from seeping into the kitchen area. The last two have the potential of doing damage. Thus, clean it properly with a rubber protectant. If the seals are cracked or ripped then visit a local service shop to get them replaced.
2. Maintain Proper Tire Pressure
Regularly check the air pressure in your tires to see if it matches the pounds per square inch (psi) suggested by the manufacturer. Doing this maintains the health of your tires and helps maximize your fuel efficiency. A psi that’s too high or low weakens the wheels and increases the risk of flats or issues with your suspension.
3. Regularly Change Your Oil
Though the dipstick shows you have plenty of oil the color signifies something different. Light brown represents healthy lubricant while a dark shade means dirty fluid. In turn, this hurts your engine and reduces fuel economy. Thus, regularly change your oil per manufacturer standards.
4. Flush The Food Truck’s Fluids
Fluids for your radiator, transmission and power steering also need to be flushed and replaced in your food truck. Not doing so has the potential of hurting other parts of your vehicle. Additionally, flushing these systems and replacing their necessary fluids reveals if any leaks must be repaired.
5. Check The Brakes
You want your food truck’s brakes to work well. The lack of good pads or drums results in potential accidents during sudden stops and inclement weather. Furthermore, improperly working breaks push around the loose contents of the truck’s kitchen when you make a hard stop. Overall, check the pads, discs, and lines.
6. Wash the Food Truck
Washing your truck doesn’t seem like a maintenance method. However, it’s critical to keep its exterior healthy. First, it protects the paint job to impress customers. Second, it prevents corrosive dirt and chemicals from causing rust on the surface. If not treated, this rust opens holes that expose components of the drivetrain and powertrain.
7. Check Electrical And Plumbing Lines
When the electrical or plumbing systems fail on your food truck you can’t serve people. Thus, you lose not only revenue but possibly your reputation. Furthermore, electrical failures result in the loss of your cooling system. This causes your food to spoil.
This is why a check of the electrical and plumbing systems is so important.
Needless to say, the care tips mentioned to keep your food truck running smoothly aren’t suggestions. They are the means to maintain your business’s operations. Neglecting any of these items results in lost days where the truck needs to be serviced.
Therefore, commit some time to each of these tips. When you do, you increase the time you spend servicing the public instead of broken items.
