What Profit Margin Does a Food Truck Have?
A food truck typically earns a gross margin of 70% to 72% after food cost, but net profit for a healthy single-truck operation runs roughly 5% to 15% once staff, commissary rent, insurance and the vehicle loan are paid. Revenue Map's food-truck presets model food cost at 28 to 30% of net revenue for a default street-food truck with an average ticket of $13 to $15.
Food trucks look like high-margin businesses because the food math is strong: a $13 ticket at 30% food cost leaves $9 of gross profit per order, far better than the margins on a sit-down restaurant's $34 check at 31% food cost. But a truck is a fixed-cost business, and those fixed costs, two crew at $2,200 per month, commissary rent, insurance, and loan payments on a $110,000 vehicle, eat most of that gross profit in the early months when service days and utilization are still ramping.
Revenue Map's presets model 90 orders per day as a strong day for a single window, with utilization starting at 55% in phase one and growing to 75% by phase three. That means roughly 1,089 orders per month at launch and 1,485 at maturity. The gap between those two numbers is the entire difference between a truck that barely covers its bills and one that nets 15% after everything is paid.
Revenue Breakdown
Food truck margin ranges by format and cost layer
| Item | Typical range | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food cost (default truck) | 28% to 30% of net revenue | Preset cogs_pct across phases for a street-food truck at $13 to $15 average ticket | Revenue Map model presets |
| Food cost by format | 26% to 30% | Coffee and drinks truck 26%, dessert truck 27%, default street food 30% | Revenue Map industry presets |
| Gross margin (after food cost) | 70% to 72% | Inverse of food cost; highest for drinks trucks, lower for street food with meat | Revenue Map model presets |
| Monthly fixed costs (default format) | About $7,500 to $8,000 | Staff $5,280 with payroll tax, commissary $900, utilities $250, insurance $350, marketing $400 | Revenue Map model presets |
| Net profit margin (healthy truck) | 5% to 15% | After all fixed costs and vehicle loan service; depends heavily on utilization and service days | Revenue Map model templates |
| Annual revenue range (single truck) | $150,000 to $350,000 | One service window at roughly 90 orders per day, 22 service days per month | Revenue Map model templates |
Sources: Revenue Map model presets (default investment, pricing and funnel assumptions in our industry templates), Revenue Map model templates (vertical research in each financial model), Revenue Map benchmark tables (the thresholds behind our free calculators), and honest industry ranges where our own data is thin. Ranges are planning bands, not guarantees.
What Moves the Number
Service days are the variable most plans get wrong
Revenue Map's presets model 22 service days per month, but that assumes no rain, no breakdowns and no dead pitches. The difference between 22 and 18 service days is roughly 20% of revenue while fixed costs stay constant, so overestimating service days is the fastest way to build a plan that looks profitable on paper and loses money in practice.
Utilization drives all the downstream numbers
Revenue Map's presets start utilization at 55% and grow it to 75% by phase three. At 55% utilization the truck does about 1,089 orders per month and barely covers fixed costs and the loan. At 75% it does 1,485 orders and nets 15% after everything. The same truck, the same food cost, the same staff: the only difference is how many orders actually come through the window.
Format shifts both ticket and food cost
A coffee and drinks truck presets at a $6.50 ticket with just 26% food cost, making a higher percentage per sale but needing 140 turns per day to match the revenue of a $13 street-food window. A catering truck presets at $26 per ticket but only 45 turns across 16 service days. Each format has different gross margin math and a different volume breakpoint.
The vehicle loan is a fixed monthly obligation
Revenue Map's presets model an $80,000 loan at 11% over five years on a $110,000 vehicle. Monthly debt service runs about $1,740, paid whether the truck serves zero orders or ninety. Buying a used truck and doing the fit-out yourself can compress this line, but the loan terms tend to be higher-rate because the collateral is a depreciating vehicle, not real estate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good profit margin for a food truck?
Why do food trucks have better margins than restaurants?
Which food truck format has the best margins?
How many orders per day does a food truck need?
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