People are drawn to food trucks for good reasons.

They offer independence. They lower the barrier to entry. They allow you to test an idea without committing to a permanent space. For many people, a food truck represents a chance to work for themselves, build something tangible, and turn a passion for food into a business.

But food trucks are also widely misunderstood.

They are often seen as simpler than restaurants, easier to run, or less risky. In reality, food trucks concentrate many of the hardest parts of the food business into a very small, very unforgiving space. Regulations are layered. Margins are tight. Decisions compound quickly. Mistakes become expensive fast.

I wrote Wheels of Fortune because too many people enter the food truck business without a clear picture of what they’re really stepping into.

This book isn’t meant to discourage you. 

It’s meant to prepare you.

Inside these pages, you’ll find an honest look at what it takes to start a food truck, operate it day to day, and turn it into a sustainable business. It focuses on the decisions that matter early—before money is spent, before trucks are built, and before enthusiasm turns into pressure.

This is not a step-by-step instruction manual. It’s a guide to thinking clearly about the opportunity, the risks, and the tradeoffs involved. Some readers will finish this book more confident than when they started. Others may decide a different path makes more sense. Both outcomes are wins.

If this book helps you ask better questions, avoid common mistakes, and move forward with clearer expectations, it has done its job.

— Eric Faber

Starting a food truck is one of the most accessible ways to enter the food business—but it’s also one of the most misunderstood.

Food trucks promise flexibility, independence, and lower startup costs than traditional restaurants. But behind the excitement are tight margins, layered regulations, physical demands, and decisions that compound quickly—often before first-time operators realize what’s at stake.

Wheels of Fortune is a clear-eyed guide for anyone considering starting a food truck.

Written for aspiring entrepreneurs and first-time founders, this book explores what the food truck business actually looks like—from choosing the right concept and understanding the economics, to navigating regulations, designing a functional truck, and operating under real-world conditions.

Rather than offering hype or shortcuts, Wheels of Fortune focuses on helping readers make better decisions early—before money is spent and mistakes are made. It’s not a technical manual or a consultant’s playbook. It’s a practical, readable guide to understanding the opportunity, the risks, and the tradeoffs involved in mobile food.

Some readers will finish this book more confident than when they started. Others may decide a different path makes more sense. Both outcomes are successes.

If you’re thinking about starting a food truck—or wondering whether it’s the right move—this book will help you see the business more clearly.

You don’t need to read this book from start to finish in order to get value from it.

Some readers will pick it up because they’re seriously considering starting a food truck. Others already have an idea and want to understand the risks. Some are looking for clarity before spending money. All of those approaches are valid.

This book is designed to work in a few different ways.

If you’re just exploring the idea, start with Part I. Those chapters will help you decide whether a food truck fits your goals, lifestyle, and expectations.

If you’re already committed, Part II and Part III will help you avoid costly mistakes around regulations, setup, truck design, and menus—areas where early decisions are difficult to undo later.

If you’re already operating or close to launch, Part IV focuses on day-to-day execution: sourcing, staffing, locations, and operations under real-world conditions.

If you’re thinking longer term, Part V and Part VI explore branding, systems, growth, and how food trucks can evolve into larger opportunities—or remain intentionally small and profitable.

Throughout the book, you’ll notice that the focus is less on tactics and more on decision-making. That’s intentional. The food truck business rewards people who think clearly early and stay disciplined as conditions change.

Use this book as a guide, a reference, and a checkpoint. Skip ahead. Go back. Reread sections as your situation changes.

If it helps you make better decisions before money is spent and pressure sets in, it’s doing what it was written to do.

Eric Faber has spent his life working around food—how it’s made, how it’s served, and how food businesses succeed or fail in the real world.

He began his career early, growing up around the packaging and manufacturing side of the restaurant industry, where his family helped develop products used by national restaurant brands. From trade shows to production floors, Eric was exposed at a young age to the behind-the-scenes systems that support restaurants long before most people ever see the front of the house.

Over the decades that followed, he worked hands-on across restaurants, bars, mobile food operations, distribution, and foodservice logistics. That experience gave him a clear view of what separates food businesses that last from those that struggle—not passion or creativity alone, but preparation, discipline, and execution under pressure.

Eric has spent years advising food truck operators and first-time founders as they navigate the realities of mobile food: regulations, equipment decisions, menu constraints, tight margins, and unpredictable conditions. He is known for helping people simplify their ideas, avoid costly mistakes, and build businesses that fit their goals and lifestyle.

He wrote Wheels of Fortune to give aspiring food truck owners a clear-eyed, practical look at what it really takes to get started—before money is spent and mistakes are made.

Eric lives in Eagle, Idaho with his wife, Debra.

Why I Wrote This Book

Why Food Trucks Are One of the Smartest Ways to Enter the Food Business

• The rise of food trucks—and why they’re still growing
• Food trucks vs. brick-and-mortar restaurants
• Who this book is for (and who it’s not)
• What success really looks like: profit, freedom, and scalability

• Myths vs. reality
• What day-to-day life actually looks like
• Lifestyle realities: hours, stress, weather, and mobility
• Who thrives—and who struggles

• Cuisine vs. concept
• Why simplicity wins
• Trendy vs. timeless ideas
• Differentiation without overcomplication
• Testing demand before you commit

• Revenue potential
• Cost structure: food, labor, fuel, commissary, repairs
• Break-even thinking
• What “profitable” really means
• One truck vs. multiple trucks

• Federal, state, county, and city layers
• Health department requirements
• Fire and safety inspections
• Mobile vending permits
• Parking, zoning, and event restrictions
• Why regulations stop more food trucks than bad food

• Choosing a legal structure
• Insurance you need (and why it matters)
• Commissary, event, and operating agreements
• Basic accounting and financial organization

• Buying new vs. used vs. custom builds
• Truck size and layout considerations
• Equipment selection: what you need vs. what you don’t
• Power, plumbing, and ventilation
• Designing for speed and safety
• Common (and expensive) build mistakes

• Designing menus for speed, margin, and consistency
• Ingredient cross-utilization
• Prep vs. service balance
• Pricing strategy
• Seasonal and limited-time menus
• Why most food truck menus are too big

• Finding and managing a commissary
• Prep workflows that work on wheels
• Storage and inventory challenges
• Food safety on the move
• Waste control in tight spaces

• Solo operator vs. team
• Hiring for reliability, not resumes
• Training for speed and consistency
• Labor laws and scheduling realities
• Avoiding burnout

• Choosing profitable locations
• Lunch vs. dinner economics
• Events, festivals, breweries, and private catering
• Negotiating fees and revenue splits
• Weather, seasonality, and contingency planning

• Name, logo, truck wrap, and visual identity
• Social media as your primary marketing engine
• Building a following
• Loyalty and repeat customers
• Partnerships with venues and local businesses

• POS systems for food trucks
• Online ordering and pre-orders
• Payment processing
• Scheduling, inventory, and reporting tools
• Using data to make better decisions

• Adding trucks vs. adding locations
• Fleet management challenges
• Brand consistency across trucks
• Staffing at scale

• When expansion makes sense
• Ghost kitchens, pop-ups, and permanent locations
• Using a food truck as a test lab
• Avoiding expansion mistakes

• Selling a food truck business
• Licensing and franchising concepts
• Building a brand, not just a job
• Turning mobile food into a long-term asset

Turning Wheels Into Opportunity

• What success really looks like
• Final advice from the trenches
• Next steps for readers

• Startup checklist
• Sample budgets
• Permit and compliance checklist
• Menu pricing worksheet
• Event profitability calculator
• Weekly operating checklist