When you get into the food truck business, you might think that you can do it all on your own. While some food truck owners are able to do everything from book events to cooking, customer support, and accounting, some vendors decide to hire out some of the tasks to full or part-time staff. This makes a lot of sense since there are only 24 hours that we all have in a day to get thing done.

Roles You May Need to Hire on a Food Truck

Here are some of the roles you may need to hire for with a food truck depending on the size and complexity of your operation. Again, not all of these would be full-time hires. These roles also reflect some of the overlooked tasks that first-time food truck operators but some common roles include:

Food truck manager: The food truck manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the food truck, including hiring and managing staff, ordering supplies, and scheduling events. The food truck owner is usually the person in charge of this role during the early days.

prevent food trailer theft

It takes a team to run a food truck business. 

Chef: The chef is responsible for creating and preparing the food menu, as well as ensuring that it is cooked to food safety standards. Again, the owner / operator is heavily involved in this step.

Kitchen staff and Cook: The kitchen staff is responsible for cleaning and maintaining the kitchen, as well as stocking and organizing supplies. These individuals must be able to work in a small space and be able to plate food quickly.

Cashier: The cashier is responsible for taking orders and payments from customers. This person will also take orders from a window, provide customer service, and be the face of the food truck. You want someone personable in this role, but also someone that can think on their feet and provide accurate change to customers if you accept cash.

Driver: The driver is responsible for transporting the food truck to and from events and locations. In this industry, the food truck is the biggest investment in a business. Even if you have insurance, you need someone who you trust driving the unit from point A to point B. In some instances, you may want to hire someone with experience driving a truck to make sure the unit is safely transported to a catering gig or other event.

Cleaning crew: The cleaning crew is responsible for cleaning the food truck and its equipment. Food trucks often conduct a deep clean after each service. Certain concepts like smoothie trucks can get messy quickly and need to be scrubbed from top to bottom after service each day.

Here are some details about cleaning a food truck that people might not think about or consider:

  • Cleaning the exhaust hoods: The exhaust hoods in a food truck can collect a lot of grease and grime over time. It is important to clean them regularly to prevent a fire hazard.
  • Cleaning the floors: The floors of a food truck can get dirty and greasy very quickly. It’s important to sweep and mop floors daily and to deep clean them weekly.
  • Cleaning under and behind equipment: It is easy to forget about cleaning under and behind equipment in a food truck. However, this area can quickly become cluttered and dirty.
  • Cleaning the walls and ceiling: The walls and ceiling of a food truck can also get dirty and greasy. Be sure to clean them regularly to prevent the growth of mold and mildew.

Accounting and Payroll: This is typically an outsourced role. You may only meet with this person or company a few times per year.Your accountant can help you create a budget, track your expenses, and make financial projections. A experienced accountant can provide guidance on a variety of financial matters, such as pricing your food, negotiating leases, and expanding your business.

Marketing and Social Media Support: This person can help you post organic videos and food photos to websites like Instagram or TikTok. Creating this type of content, while extremely valuable, is also time consuming. As a result, many food truck owners decide to outsource the work.

Someone hired for social media marketing should be comfortable tracking your results. This involves measuring the success of your marketing campaigns and making adjustments as needed. This person should also improve your presence by posting regularly, engaging with customers, and running social media ads.

Repair Person / Shop: A repair person for a food truck is responsible for maintaining and repairing the food truck’s equipment, including the kitchen appliances, electrical system, plumbing system, and mechanical systems. They may also be responsible for performing routine maintenance tasks, such as oil changes and tire rotations. This would also be a part-time person or repair shop you could hire on a project basis.

Before You Hire

Here are some tips for hiring for any role on a food truck:

  • Be clear about the job requirements and expectations.
  • Get references from previous employers, especially those within the food industry.
  • Create a competitive salary and benefits package.
  • Look for candidates with experience in the foodservice industry.
  • Conduct thorough interviews and background checks.
  • Provide training and support to new employees.

By following these tips, you can hire the right people to help you make your food truck a success and take some of the work off your busy plate.