One thing that frequently keeps aspiring food truckers from moving forward with their dream is concern about winter weather in the place they live.  Some people who live in temperate climates do not have to give this consideration, while others who live in a place with reliably cold winters can make a plan as they prepare for several consecutive months of below freezing temperatures.  For many others, however, they are caught in the mushy middle and left to wonder if February will be full of unseasonably warm dates that make food truck operation an easy decision or provide a cold snap that leaves the entire month with below freezing temperatures.  For folks in this situation it is especially difficult to know how and when to operate.  Operators in this place often wonder, “How do I keep my food truck from freezing?” 

Additionally, many potential customers who live in this middling climate have no concept of what an actual cold winter is like and will retreat to their homes in perfectly safe and comfortable conditions, believing themselves to be cold and in danger.  In these situations, even when food truck operators have mastered cold weather operation it does not make sense for them to bring their truck out for a clientele that is unlikely to show up.

After running multiple food trucks across decades in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where the winter climate is truly hit or miss, these are the most valuable and actionable things I have learned.

Choosing to Operate: Your Truck and Equipment

If you’ve decided that operating through winter will be the best thing for your business, you will need to make sure that your equipment agrees with you.  The ambient temperature of your kitchen will be drastically affected by freezing temperatures outside.  If you live in a climate where this weather is common you will need to have a plan to keep your entire kitchen heated on a daily basis.  Popular options for achieving this goal are split heating and cooling units or a diesel heater.

A split system may have appeal for its ability to provide air conditioning in summer months, but typically air conditioning systems have minimal effect on food trucks in hot weather. Additionally, while it is convenient to have a heating system built into your truck it will pull an additional electrical load on your truck that will put added strain on your power source.  It is certainly possible to plan for this if you are designing a truck from scratch, but it may prove difficult to retroactively place such a heating unit into your vehicle.  When planning for a heating system it is also important to consider that hot air rises and you exhaust system is also designed to draw internal air up and out of your truck.  Of course, if you have a set up that does not require the use of a hood the latter is not a concern.  For these reasons, I never gave such a system consideration for my own trucks, but there are people who successfully employ them.

A diesel heater will lack the convenience of permanent installation and require careful attention as it consumes its fuel.  Additionally, it will need to have a dedicated footprint in your workspace when it is in use.  Since it heats from the ground it may be more effective at producing and retaining warmth within your space.  While you will have to make sure you maintain adequate fuel levels for your diesel heater to run as needed, you will not have to worry about any added strain on your generator or other electrical power source while you use it.  With either a diesel heater or split unit, you should be able to size it accordingly for your space.

The reason it is important to have an ambient heating solution in place if you are going to regularly work in below freezing temperatures is because as you drive to an event your kitchen will match the temperature outside.  When you begin to start your propane powered equipment from a frozen state you must do so gradually.  If you simply light a pilot and immediately turn a thermostat to a high setting you will risk cracking your frozen gas line.  On top of that, a pilot light will take significantly longer to light than it would on a temperate day.  Cooking oil may also begin in a frozen or sludgy state. This means that at best you need to commit significantly more time to your setup ahead of service than you would on a warmer day and at worst you are causing extensive damage to your equipment that will be costly from both a time and money standpoint to repair.  All of this can be avoided if you are able to maintain a climate controlled indoor kitchen temperature on your truck throughout the winter.

Propane commonly fuels gas powered cooking equipment such as a flat top grill or deep fryer on a food truck. The colder it gets the more difficult it becomes for propane to move from your propane tank, through your propane lines, and into your equipment.  To combat this reality several things can be done:

1. Daisy chain multiple propane tanks together to create a larger surface area for your equipment to draw from.
2. Make sure your regulators are properly adjusted.
3. Purchase a propane blanket to provide insulation for your tank.  Most propane blankets are electric, so you will need to plug it into your power source to take full advantage of its capability.

Without proper propane flow your equipment will not reliably operate.

With regard to refrigeration, at a certain point in cold weather your units need to function as heaters.  Obviously, refrigerators are not designed to do this and the colder it gets the more problematic it becomes.  This is another reason why maintaining an appropriate ambient room temperature is imperative for your equipment’s health.

In an ideal situation, you will keep your food truck in a heated garage during winter, although for many operators this is not a realistic option.  If your truck runs on diesel and you do not have a heated space to store it you will need to keep your block heater plugged in whenever it is not running.  You may also need to use a food grade antifreeze to keep your plumbing lines supple and follow the specifications of your generator’s maintenance guide to make sure you are using a motor oil that is appropriate for winter temperatures.

Choosing to operate: Taking Care of Your Bottom Line

Now that you have a better understanding of how to operate in winter, you may be asking yourself, “Do food trucks actually make money in winter?”  They can, but the opposite is also often true.  Just as in any season, if you are operating in winter you have to take a thoughtful, measured, and intelligent approach. In places where people typically do not spend recreational time outside in winter it is advisable to stick to gigs where people are either required to be outside or eat outside.  Visiting construction sites and stationing yourself near a convention center without a cafeteria are good examples of the right kind of opportunities to explore.

Another tactic to consider is sliding into a popular spot during a slower season, when other food trucks may not be operating.  For example, if there is a bar or brewery with a reputation for being great for food trucks and its schedule is typically full you may be able to find an opening in the dead of winter.  Even if you don’t make money at this specific appearance you can take the opportunity to build a relationship with your event host, making it more likely that you will be invited back during peak season.

If you can book an event with a sufficiently high minimum and you are confident you are able to meet your client’s expectations it makes sense to book a gig, regardless of the season.  Just be sure to have appropriate contingencies in place so you can manage expectations in the event of inclement weather or other compromising circumstances.  There is a fine line between taking on a gig that is more than you can handle and passing up gigs because they are intimidating and you are afraid to grow.  When you are on either side of that line things can quickly become disastrous to your bottom line.  Get used to balancing on that line and eventually it will widen into a broad base of reliably profitable appearances that support your business.

It is also wise to schedule several anchor events throughout the winter even if your truck is otherwise largely dormant.  Anchor events makes sense because even if you don’t plan on regularly operating in the winter, you should still run your truck every few weeks to make sure all systems continue to function properly functioning.  While you are doing this, you might as well bring in revenue.  Holiday events like a New Year’s Eve celebration can be ideal for this since a large congregation of potential customers is all but guaranteed.

The lessons of maintaining an above freezing ambient temperature for the sake of your equipment also applies to your bottomline.  In a freezing environment traditional restaurant heat lamps will do little or nothing to keep your food warm.  Items being prepared on a flat top grill will be difficult to keep heated all the way through.  Without a comfortable ambient temperature, you risk serving food at a temperature that will turn your customers off and result in lost future sales.

Choosing to Operate: Taking Care of Yourself

It can be easy to overlook self care as you strive to take care of your business. If you find yourself falling into this trap, remind yourself that you are your business and if you don’t take care of yourself your business will not be sustainable.  I am someone who has never minded being outside in cold weather when I am able to stay active, but sitting in a food truck where customer flow can be intermittent is a different animal.  Make sure to close your serving windows whenever customers are not present.  If you do not have a diesel heater or other heating source you can also turn off your exhaust system for a few seconds at a time to generate warmth.  However, if you do this too often breathing may become difficult, so I cannot expressly recommend this practice.

Prepare yourself by wearing appropriate base layers as if you were sitting outside without any shelter whatsoever.  If you become too warm you can always remove layers, but you cannot add layers you failed to bring with you.  Invest in a good pair of gloves that allows you to operate touch screens and electronic devices without their removal.

Prior to the start of your shift, spend time in warm comfortable conditions and have a plan to return to them promptly after your shift ends.  If you find yourself becoming intolerably cold take a break and move around.  If going indoors is an option, take advantage of that. If you or your crew is in danger of experiencing a medical event take necessary steps to close early or operate shorthanded.  Do not continue operation without first assuring that the person in need of medical assistance is safe and cared for.  Bring a hot beverage to your shift as well as water to stay hydrated. Consider carrying hand warmers and small electric space heaters on board if you find them comforting.

As you drive to and from your shift be aware of icy conditions as well as the fact that you are driving a vehicle considerably heavier than most personal vehicles.  Take as much time as you need and plan to leave enough time to be able to start your shift serving as scheduled.

Alternatives to Winter Operation

If your business is in a place to do it, one of the best strategies for winter is to sit it out.  If you have relatively short winters of three to four months and you budget accordingly during the rest of the year you can absolutely choose not to operate during the coldest months of the year.

If your revenue is not in a place where you can afford to take months off, you can consider working a different winter job.  Many companies require extra help during the holiday season, which perfectly dovetails with the months that make the most sense for food truckers to take off. Among other things, you can pursue a driving job with UPS or FedEx, which, from a driving standpoint, happens to be similar to operating a food truck.

If you do choose to keep your truck dormant in winter you will still want to start and run it and all its systems every two to three weeks to ensure continued proper operation.  If you cannot keep your truck in a heated garage this is especially important, but it should be done regardless.

Stay open to the possibility of booking an occasional event if the minimum is high enough to justify it.

If you do not have a garage it is important to drain and winterize your water lines.  If you turn off your refrigerators, be sure to leave them cracked so mold does not form inside.  If you are in a position to do so, enjoy some well deserved time off!