Equipment & Supplies

The truck decision most food truck operators make too late

Sometimes buying used saves time. Other times: not so much. Whether buying used or ordering new, the truck conversation needs to happen at the very beginning of the process, not after menus are finalized or layouts are designed.

Photo: Adobe Stock

April 13, 2026 by Daniel Fletcher — Commercial Truck Sales Consultant, Fyda Freightliner

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I've been around the food truck and mobile kitchen industry long enough to know that major shifts rarely announce themselves with a press release. More often, they show up quietly through conversations with builders, dealers and suppliers, long before operators feel the full impact.

That's what's happening right now with step vans.

Ford has not made an official public announcement regarding step van production or allocation. However, based on consistent feedback I'm hearing from food truck manufacturers, Ford commercial dealers, and step van body upfitters, production this year appears to be limited and largely reserved for large fleet customers like FedEx and UPS. The practical result is that there is little to no excess inventory flowing to dealers to support smaller markets such as food truck operators.

Whether or not Ford ever formalizes this publicly, the effects are already being felt. More importantly, they expose a reality operators need to understand: the truck decision is now one of the most time-sensitive parts of the entire build process.

Why food truck operators feel this first

Food truck operators are niche buyers competing in a market dominated by massive fleet contracts. When production tightens, manufacturers naturally prioritize customers who purchase hundreds or thousands of units at a time. Independent operators and small fleets rarely sit at the front of that line.

That doesn't mean food trucks aren't valued. It simply means they are not volume buyers. When dealer inventory dries up, builders are often forced to tell customers, "If you want to move forward, you may need to source your own truck."

At that point, many operators assume the used market will save time. In practice, that assumption does not always hold up.

The used step van reality: Faster on paper, slower in practice

Finding a good used step van is a process in itself, and the timeline can vary widely.

Sometimes the right truck appears in a matter of days. More often, it takes weeks or even months to find a unit with the right mileage, maintenance history, size, and configuration. Once a truck is located, the timeline continues to stretch.

Transportation to a builder or home base has to be arranged. The truck must be inspected thoroughly. Any mechanical or safety issues need to be addressed before the build can begin. Depending on what's uncovered, those repairs can add days or weeks.

I've seen projects stall not because a build was overly complex, but because a used truck required more work than anticipated before it was ready to enter production.

Used step vans can absolutely be a smart option, but they are unpredictable. And unpredictability becomes a real liability when financing, permits, inspections, and launch dates are already in motion.

The benefit of ordering new

Ordering a brand-new step van chassis and body is slower, but far more predictable.

From the day an operator places an order and puts down a deposit, the timeline typically looks like this:

• Approximately 5.5 months from order to delivery of the completed step van to the builder.
• Once delivered, the food truck build generally takes 2 weeks to 2 months, with about 4 weeks being a realistic expectation for most projects.

That predictability has real value. When timelines are known upfront, operators can better align financing, licensing, inspections, and marketing instead of reacting to delays midstream.

With Ford availability constrained, many builders and operators are also taking a closer look at alternatives like Freightliner, which offers both gas and diesel step van platforms. This shift is less about brand preference and more about flexibility and access in a tighter market.

The real lesson: Plan the truck first

The most common mistake I continue to see is operators treating the truck as something that can be figured out later. In today's environment, that assumption can easily cost months.

Whether buying used or ordering new, the truck conversation needs to happen at the very beginning of the process, not after menus are finalized or layouts are designed.

My advice to operators is straightforward:

• Decide early whether a used or new truck makes the most sense.
• Build timelines that realistically account for sourcing, transport, and potential repairs.
• Coordinate closely with your builder before committing to a truck.
• Avoid waiting for official announcements to confirm what the market is already showing.

In this industry, official confirmation often comes after inventory is already spoken for.

The operators who struggle most are rarely the ones who paid too much for a truck. They are the ones who ran out of time. Right now, time is the variable that deserves the most attention.

About Daniel Fletcher

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