Vending Truck For Smaller Operators

I’m going to cover the way many smaller vending companies set their truck up. We will talk about the rack you put in the van, keeping it warm in the winter months and cool in the summer months. Let’s get started.

Smaller Account Truck

When starting out in the business as a sole proprietor we will normally be looking at accounts in the 75 to 250-employee range. You can set your truck up to be your warehouse on wheels.

Most venders in this category will use a system were they will go into the account and write an order then come back to their truck to pull the order.

By using this system when you are done you will have empty totes going back to your truck.

Safe Keeping Of Your Money

It is a wise idea to either buy a safe that can be bolted to the floor or making one. The nicest safe is a roll top truck safe you drop your money in and roll the top, your money drops into a locked compartment and the top rolls back for the next deposit.

Coolers For Chocolate And Cold Food

Transporting cold food can be accomplished by investing in a cooler that is built specifically for vendors. The Omni coolers pictured below are set up to carry all the refrigerated items you will need to become a full service vendor.

The unit is plugged in over night and it cools a large freezer plate on the inside of the unit that will keep your cold food cold the entire next day.

You can also buy chocolate coolers that have removable freezer plates. You remove the plates each night and drop them in a freezer to freeze them down then put them back in the cooler before leaving in the morning.

Building A Rack

If you are handy with wood it is not a difficult task building a rack to carry your dry goods. I always used ¼” plywood and 2 x 2’s for the frame.

By making the bottom shelves tall enough to carry a 20 oz case of pop you are able to keep the weight down low in your vehicle. The top shelf should have enough room that you can put cases of chips on it.

Pop will take up a good portion of the rack, as it is one of the most popular items you sell.

Keeping The Van Cool

I bought an AC/DC exhaust fan from an RV store and installed it on top of my van. I wired it with a toggle switch-one way it was wired into my battery on the van. Toggle it the other way and it could be plugged in at night to 110 volt with a converter that changed the 110-volt to 12 volt.

This helped with excess heat as my truck set out overnight and on the weekends.

Keeping The Van Warm In The Winter

If you live in a cold climate and the truck will be left outside you can run an electric heater to keep soda from freezing. It will keep the vans box warm over night.

If you are driving a Ford E350 van with a door going between the cab and the box you can keep the box warm enough to be comfortable while pulling an order.

Summary

The van I have just described to you is set up for the vender who goes in the account writes an order and comes back to the van to pull the order.

This system will require a two-wheeler and two or three plastic tubs to carry your product in.