The demand for ice cream trucks for sale has been steady growing for the last couple of years. This is due to the fact that vending business is back on track with the healthy growth written all over it. This guide is designed to deliver an ultimate outlook of the vending trucks market. Let’s check out the best places to look for your next purchase first, and have a glance at a number of the best truck models later on.
Locations
You can try renting or leasing a truck, but if you plan on a long-term involvement in the business, this is not the best idea. Reason: it’s way too expensive! Buying a ready-to-use truck instead is possibly the best option in most cases. That is especially true if you can (and most often you can!) get your truck financed.
What kind of truck to choose: new or used? If you get yourself a used ice cream van in a very good condition, it may turn out to be a great deal. However, in reality steal deals are quite rare. So more often than not, it’s better to get a new ice cream cart instead of a wasted used truck. Also, most used trucks sold are from individual sellers, so there’s no way you can agree on a financing plan with them.
Fortunately, there are many companies out there with tons of experience in new truck sales. It’s these sellers where you can buy finest equipment all stacked in the state-of-the-art trucks.
Ice Cream Trucks Super Store is one of the dealers with the most experience in the business. Their prices start at 50+ thousands, which may sound like hell lot of money first. But if you compare with around 8,000 for a one month rent… Well, you understand. Surely, soft serve trucks will cost a lot more than $50,000 due to the more sophisticated gear they carry.
IceCreamTrucks.com have a big nationwide operation. They deal new and used trucks both novelty and soft serve for over two decades. If you’re in for a better selection, these guys have several different models to meet most buyers’ needs. Financing plans are also possible.
If you still want to check on used trucks listings, there are many online offers at your discretion. For instance, try icecreamtruck4sale.com or yellow page resources.
Used trucks are also available at the mass ice cream vendors. Captain Kool is an obvious choice, but there are others, too.
Top Ice Cream Trucks for Sale
Before you shop for a truck, it is best you decide what kind of ice cream treats you are going to sell. This is of key importance, as this one decision will determine the type (and cost) of the truck you need.
There are many vans that are built (or re-built) to carry ice cream vending equipment. Some of popular manufacturers are Chevy, Aeromate, Dodge, and Ford. European models, e.g. Mercedes Sprinter, are a new hit on the market, thanks to their reliability and style. Let’s have a look at a few top trucks for ice cream business.
Chevrolet P30 is among the top ice cream trucks for sale out there. No wonder either their old-fashioned exterior is probably the best design you can find to reflect the true nature of the business. The only drawback the model has is its age. They’ve been out of production for quite some time already, so finding one produced after 1990 is a real fortune.
At the same time, these trucks are really low-cost. Plus, they are big enough to accommodate nearly any gear you want; will be perfect for novelties and soft serve vending alike. There is a bigger version of this model. It is built to carry as much stuff as you need, so next to ice cream vending equipment you can stack shaved ice, hot dog, or whatever else you like. It’s not as popular as P30 because it’s much more expensive.
Since long ago Dodge and Chevy vans have dominated the American ice cream trucks market, but it seems Ford Transit-based models are closing the gap. They are extremely popular in European countries, especially in the UK. Whether a newer model or the one produced before 2000, Transit is a great reliable truck. Most ice-cream sellers prefer smaller versions because they are greatly positioned to vend novelties.
Hi-top Transits usually carry 2.0 or 2.4 diesel engines, require little maintenance and are a great value for money. Used ones can be easy found at below $10,000 price.
Bottom Line
There are several things to consider when looking for ice cream trucks. As it is always the case, it’s all down to the budget you have. If you have about $6,000 to spend, finding a cheap used truck is probably the only option you really have. Seriously, renting one for a month will be even more expensive.
However, when you got like $20,000 there’s more room for maneuver. For this cash, you can find a used truck in a very good condition. You can also opt for a new custom-made one, and use the money as a downpayment of the financing plan.