Everyone has finally understood the amazing communication power of food trucks in the promotion of brands and products.
The many different kinds of food trucks available offer the chance to take profit of all sorts of contexts, outdoors and indoors: streets, squares, courts, train stations, airports, shopping malls, festivals, trade shows, congress centers, private corporate areas, casinos, outlet villages, resorts, lidos, etc.
Food trucks are meant to be on the move and to communicate, to promote and to sell. They are flexible mobile instruments to place where your target gravitates.
Their aesthetics and ductility, think about Piaggio Ape TR or Vkart just to mention a couple, make them extremely effective in catching the attention of the passers-by and in promoting a brand with style and a certain commercial standard.
That being the case, it is no wander that companies big and small in every sector are investing in food trucks (promo trucks if the vehicles are not built for food preparation purposes).
Not all companies, though, can easily find the necessary capital for the purchase. Small business owners, shop owners and small restaurants can be tempted by second hand trucks in order to reduce the financial impact of the investment.
Many do not consider that buying a second hand or “renewed” food truck involves a series of risks and disadvantages that make it almost always a solution to avoid.
Here some risks and disadvantages of buying a second hand food truck:
- no warranty;
- less reliable (in terms of mechanics, electric system and engine);
- the risk of a driving ban for violation of antipollution regulations;
- inadequate and off-specs chassis in terms of dimensions;
- the risk of having to replace systems and equipment in order to adapt them to existing legislation;
- usually very high costs in rebranding, since it is highly likely that colors and materials differ from company to company;
- even if upgraded, they are indeed used vehicles and, sometimes, old enough to seem less attractive than new ones.
For all these reasons, it happens very frequently that the saving you can get from buying a second hand food truck is NULLIFIED IN THE LONG RUN by much higher maintenance costs, fines for off-specs systems, loss of profits caused by the impossibility to use the truck.
Same thing but with even more risks, in case the truck is a vintage vehicle.
Vintage vehicles outfitted as food trucks: just a few can afford it
Another popular trend is having a food truck built on vintage vehicles, used and restored.
These vehicles are so prestigious and fascinating that are powerful street marketing tools that companies can use.
Vintage food trucks are therefore ideal for corporate promotion during events, trade shows, openings and everywhere you can operate with a vehicle.
But… there is a but! If vintage vehicles are better than new food trucks for their communicative strength on one hand, it is also true, on the other hand, that they increase all the negative aspects of used food trucks, in terms of risks and additional disadvantages.
We can summarize some here below:
- no warranty;
- less reliable (in terms of mechanics and engine);
- the risk of a driving ban for violation of antipollution regulations;
- inadequate and off-specs chassis in terms of dimensions;
- old vehicles, with many km on their wheels and a limited reliability;
- tend to be slower, heavier and bulky;
- harder to drive in comparison to modern trucks;
- initial costs quite high (a vintage food truck can easily cost more than 60.000€)
- high maintenance costs (hard to find spare parts and old-timer expert mechanics to repair them);
For all these reasons, buying a vintage food truck is advisable only for big companies and entrepreneurs that can easily move the necessary capitals and involve a whole team in the project.
On the other hand, we would like to point out the advantages of buying a new food truck:
- warranty on the vehicle;
- reliability;
- more margin for customization;
- studied ergonomics;
- respect of the sector regulations (weights and dimensions);
- no restrictions on antipollution regulations (traffic bans);
- respect of all hygienic and safety regulations
.
The list of the advantages outnumbers the surplus of investment for the purchase. Most companies should have no doubt in choosing a new food truck over a used one.
Moreover, we can offer a perfect alternative for companies that are interested in a vintage food truck. It’s called New Vintage Food Truck and it is a brand new Citroen Jumper that recalls, with a new touch, the style of the old Citroen Type H from the ‘60s/’70s.
An excellent solution to use the vintage design with the benefit of a new truck built by a reliable manufacturer.
