How Much Money Can a Food Truck Make in One Day?

Let's cut straight to it: how much can you actually make in a day?

The honest answer is: it depends. But we've got real numbers from industry data, and understanding what actually moves the needle on your daily revenue is essential.

The Numbers You're Probably Wondering About

Here's what the data shows for 2025: the average food truck generates $346,000 in gross revenue per year based on industry data. That breaks down to roughly $950 in gross revenue per day if you're operating year-round, which translates to around $28,833 in gross revenue** per month.

But here's the thing—these are averages. Daily revenue can vary dramatically based on location, timing, and market conditions. The difference between a slow day and a great day can be substantial.

What About Profit?

Revenue is one thing, but profit is what actually matters. Net profit margins for food trucks (after all operating expenses, taxes, and depreciation) typically range from 6% to 9%, with some well-managed operations achieving up to 15%.

For owner-operated food trucks (where the owner works the truck themselves without employees), net profit margins are typically higher, ranging from 7% to 15%, with exceptional operations reaching 20% or more. This is because owner-operators avoid labor costs, which typically account for 20-30% of revenue.

Based on the average $346,000 annual revenue, food trucks with employees typically see $20,760 to $31,140 in net profit per year at 6-9% net margins. Owner-operated trucks at 7-15% margins generate $24,220 to $51,900 in net profit per year, while top-performing owner-operated operations reaching 20%+ margins can net $69,200+ annually.

Food truck owners' annual take-home earnings typically range from $30,000 to $70,000 for owner-operators, or $24,000 to $153,000 depending on whether they have employees, revenue, expenses, and operational efficiency.

Note: These net profit margins account for all operating expenses including food costs (25-35% of revenue), labor (20-30% if you have employees), permits, fuel, maintenance, insurance, and taxes.

Why the Gap Between Gross and Net Profit Margins?

If you've used our profit calculators, you've probably seen that individual food items can have 60-75% gross profit margins. But the overall business only nets 6-9% after everything. What gives?

Gross profit margin is just: selling price minus ingredient costs (including bulk pricing) and packaging. That's it. Everything else comes out of that margin.

Here's what actually eats into that 60-75% gross margin:

Labor is the biggest one if you have employees — 20-30% of revenue. Owner-operators skip this, which is why their margins are higher.

Storage and commissary fees run $250-$3,000 per month. You need somewhere to store bulk ingredients and prep food.

Fuel and maintenance costs $600-$1,500 per month. This includes diesel for driving, plus propane or natural gas for generators and cooking equipment. The more you operate, the more fuel you burn.

Event fees can take 10-50% of your daily earnings at festivals and events. Prime spots aren't free. Operators frequently discuss percentage-based fees for events, with many noting that 10% of sales over a minimum (often $500-$1,000) is common for events asking for donations or fees. Some operators prefer flat fees ($125-$500) instead of percentages to avoid sharing sales data. The key is understanding that you're taking all the risk, so the percentage should reflect that. Operators warn against events asking for 25% or more, as these can result in zero profit after expenses.

Insurance costs $2,500-$5,500 per year. You need commercial auto, liability, and property coverage.

Permits and licenses vary by city but typically run $500-$3,000 annually.

Marketing can cost $200-$1,000 per month. Social media, events, promotions.

Waste and spoilage happens. Food goes bad. Typically 2-5% of your food costs.

Taxes and depreciation depend on your location and business structure.

So that taco with a 65% gross margin? After all these expenses, you're left with 6-9% net. That's why volume matters — you need to sell a lot of those high-margin items to cover all the fixed costs.

What Actually Drives Daily Revenue

Location Is Everything

Location significantly impacts daily revenue. Food trucks typically earn between $500 and $2,000 per day depending on location, menu, and operational efficiency.

Downtown spots during lunch can be some of your highest-earning locations. Office workers need fast, good food, and high foot traffic during peak hours drives revenue.

Events and festivals offer opportunities for premium pricing with captive audiences, which can mean significantly higher daily revenue. Operators discuss their most profitable locations, with many noting that the best bet is to try all location types—breweries, grocery stores, outdoor events, neighborhood pop-ups, catering, parks, and large business lunches. Weather and foot traffic are the number one and two success-defining factors that operators can quantify. The location with the lowest expenses and highest sales is typically the most profitable, and product mix matters too—selling a lot of fountain soda at a location increases the bottom line.

Office parks are solid for lunch, but traffic typically drops significantly after the lunch rush.

College campuses offer high volume, but students are often price-sensitive, requiring tight margins.

Residential areas provide steady but typically slower traffic compared to downtown locations.

Timing Matters More Than You Think

Here's what the data shows: most of your revenue happens in two windows.

Lunch (11am-2pm) brings in about 40% of daily revenue. Dinner (5pm-8pm) is when many operators report their peak period. The hours outside these windows typically generate much less revenue.

Focusing operations during peak hours can be more effective than staying open longer during slower periods.

Weekday vs Weekend

Weekdays typically offer predictable patterns with office crowds and lunch rushes.

Weekends present opportunities for higher revenue through events, festivals, and concerts. Booking these spots early is essential.

Your Menu Makes a Difference

The data shows what sells: French fries and potatoes appear on 21% of food truck menus, making them the most popular item. Burgers come in at 19.2%, followed by BBQ at 15.3%, fried chicken at 11.7%, and tacos at 10.2%.

But here's what matters more: your average order value. Customers typically spend between $8 and $16.50 per visit, depending on location and menu offerings. At events or premium spots, higher pricing is often possible.

Customer volume varies based on weather, location, competition, and day of the week. The key is understanding your market and positioning yourself where the customers are.

Key Takeaways

Peak hours are critical because lunch and dinner periods drive the majority of daily revenue, so focusing operations during these windows is essential. Location scouting matters because different locations can significantly impact daily revenue, which means researching foot traffic, testing different spots, and understanding your market is crucial for success.

Menu optimization matters because popular items drive volume, but your margins matter too, so balancing customer demand with profitability is key. Events offer opportunities for higher revenue potential, but they require early booking and preparation for high volume. Efficiency pays because faster service means you can serve more people, so streamlining operations to reduce wait times and increase throughput directly impacts revenue.

Pricing strategy matters because at events or high-traffic spots, premium pricing is often possible, but understanding what the market will bear is essential. Consistency has value because having a consistent spot with regular customers can provide predictable revenue that helps with planning and stability.

Try the Calculator

Plug in your numbers below. See how location, hours, and menu affect your potential daily revenue. Compare it to the industry average and figure out what you need to hit your goals.

The calculator uses industry data to provide realistic estimates based on location, menu, and operating parameters.

Once you've got your numbers, check out available spots on FoodTruckLease to find locations that match your revenue goals.