Pros and Cons of Selling Your Food Truck on Craigslist

food truck server holding a medium sized hamburger

Have you ever heard about Craigslist? It started as a community electronic newsletter, originating in San Francisco in 1995. It didn’t take long before it became popular as more and more people began to subscribe, and posts multiplied over time. And because posting, browsing, and responding to ads are all free, it poses an effective way for buyers and sellers to communicate regarding their transactions.

Today, Craigslist continues to offer its services to all its subscribers, and everyone who buys and sells may trade only a click away. However, since you have plans to sell your food truck on this platform, what can you expect from it? Is there a wide array of pros and cons you have to weigh on? How does Craigslist function so that members do not have to worry about their data becoming accessible online?

Interested to find out the truth on what a platform like this has to offer a seller like you? Read all the details below.

The Pros:

Locals are your primary target market.


That is true, as you want to reach customers who want to buy a food truck. Through Craigslist, you do not have to exert too much effort releasing ads everywhere since many buyers are lurking over the latest food truck for sale on the site. 

True enough, these buyers also do not waste any of their precious time dealing with sellers from another location. They’d prefer a reachable food truck seller and easily transact with them when they need to meet and see the truck first-hand.

Craigslist has local channels that buyers access and get details on the newest added food trucks for sale nearest their area. So, as a seller, since the business transaction is more localized, you don’t have to worry much about additional expenses or raise unwanted issues when setting up a meet-up.

Since it is all local, customers and sellers alike gain more advantages.

It is free!


Come on, admit it, among the many struggles any seller has to face is paying for their ads. Of course, when you pay for ads, there’s a big chance a buyer will see your product and purchase it.

Nonetheless, in Craigslist, the opportunity to trade with buyers is available for you anytime, anywhere, and any day. What’s more, it is entirely free! You won’t be plagued with fees upon setting up your ads or worrying about monthly costs.

Selling is a lot safer for sellers.


The position you will find yourself in is that you’ll be a storefront. It is safer as a storefront on a platform like this to sell the food truck under your possession. 

In addition to that, as it is safe for sellers, it is a secure place for buyers too. There’s an immense comfort knowing that every transaction handled over the platform is legit.

30-days guaranteed to list


Ads are without any doubt expensive, and the listing for it only lasts for a few days. If you want to extend it, it will cost you as a seller. The goal is to sell the food truck without being bombarded with additional fees.

Craigslist offers a fantastic deal for all its sellers. Why? Because all of your listings will persist for 30 days!

The Cons:

It does not have automated posting.


Yes, you know what that means. You have to do every listing manually. It is also highly encouraged for sellers to save in the fees if there are any; you may have spent hours managing all of your listings.

It is a genuine con for someone who isn’t too keen on doing the whole process manually.

Is it truly free?


Initially, the thought of all postings on the platform is supposedly free. Was it all a lie?

The truth is there are a specific number of categories that do require some payment. The fees are not that massive, but; you still have to pay from $3 to $5 posting charges.

Is the listing active for 30 days?


Yes, that is 100% true. However, even though the listing you have posted is indeed active for 30 days, the competition on the platform is quite gruesome. 

If you want to make sure that you will sell the food truck the soonest time possible, you may have to repost your ad every two days. It is common for many sellers on Craigslist because the action motivates the higher chances for the ad to be seen. 

Since you have to do this every couple of days, it means you’ve added some more hours spent on the ad. 

Scammers are still a threat.


It does not matter where you are selling your product, and it appears that scammers are sprouting all over the internet and are still a threat to every business transaction. Bogus offers are exceptionally rampant, and it could dishearten you a bit before an earnest buyer comes your way.

If you have a team who monitors the account or even when you do it by yourself, vigilance is highly encouraged at all times. It’s best to filter out unqualified prospects and see patterns executed by bogus buyers to know the red flags and avoid issues further.

Now you have read through the pros and cons of selling the food truck through Craigslist, do you think it is still a choice you should pursue or pause? 

Anyway, you can read this article to know other places where you can sell your mobile food truck.

Or if you need to sell a food truck right now without any problems, you can try listing your truck on our platform here. It’s easy and absolutely free!