Not every food truck owner can be a success. Many mobile food vendors make common mistakes (more), while others run into situations that are completely out of their control.  Whatever the reason you are looking to get rid of your mobile food business, there are certain steps you can take to insure the best price for your vehicle when selling it here on Mobile Cuisine or other sites such as Ebay and Craigslist.

food truck for sale

Image from usedvending.com

Consider these tips when selling your food truck online:

Ensure regular preventative maintenance. It’s no surprise that the better the vehicle condition, the higher the return will get.

Fix up minor problems. Do this so you don’t have to list it as a problem in the vehicle description.

Present your vehicle in its best light. Clean the vehicle (inside the cab as well as the kitchen), take out the trash, and wash it. Don’t forget to take off decals and bumper stickers that aren’t part of the wrap.

Offer the social media accounts. People looking to purchase a food truck are looking to start a business, if the process of selling your truck is to get out; there is no reason to hold onto the old social media accounts on Twitter, Yelp and Facebook. While many food truck buyers may not want to re-use your brand, at least give them the opportunity.

Take a lot of quality photos. Have someone who knows how to take good pictures do so. A good number of quality photos are especially important with older vehicles. How many? 20 to 30, including the exterior, interior, each tire, each seat, all of the kitchen equipment etc. Without good photos, people put in a “risk discount” when they place bids.

The headline and description matter. A lot. Write a detailed headline so people can find the vehicle. Include descriptions such as all-wheel-drive or automatic so it shows up when potential buyers search. The detailed listing should include explanations of all vehicle incidents, scratches, dings, a tear in the seat. Remember that the buyer can’t walk around to look at the vehicles. Also, be honest and detailed. List what has been added, replaced, or repaired.

Consider a low base price. This is a common tactic many online vehicle sellers recommend. Often, a food truck owner wanting $50,000 for their vehicle will set the base at $45,000. A low base price brings bidders in, and they can get competitive.

Include your contact information. There are a lot of unknowns in buying a used food truck, especially online. Having contact information listed in a prominent location allows easy access to the seller, putting at ease any questions the buyer may have.

Be quick to respond. With the rise of mobile technology, what you’ve got now is a customer who’s looking at you on an iPhone, who wants to buy a food truck in the palm of their hand. So answer those questions…and whatever you do, you just have to be fast.

Keep up your reputation as a seller. The same rules apply for selling a food truck online as for selling one in general. Even if a food truck is sold as-is, the seller has to be honest and represent it to the best of his or her ability.

Bonus Tip: While we hate to hearing about anyone that forced to sell their food truck, it does open up the opportunity for another mobile food business to open. If you’ve made up your mind on selling your food truck online, feel free to advertise your food truck here at Mobile Cuisine. We provide you with a trusted site to show off your wheels with a great chance of quickly making a deal.