In short
- Break-even sales = fixed costs / (1 - variable cost share). Divide by your average ticket and operating days to get tickets per day.
- Truck payment, commissary, insurance, permits, subscriptions and event fees are fixed. Food, packaging and card fees move with sales.
- You also get monthly profit at your expected pace, and a table for 10 more or fewer tickets a day.
- Every number is yours to type. Nothing is assumed, saved or sent.
This food truck break-even calculator answers one question: how many customers a day do you need before the truck stops losing money? Use real numbers from your loan, commissary agreement, insurance policy and POS reports.
Your pace, and 10 tickets either way
| Tickets a day | Monthly sales | Monthly profit |
|---|
How to read the result
- Compare to your real tickets
Look at your POS for tickets per day by location. A spot that sits under break-even most days needs a change.
- Find the lever
You can raise the ticket, cut fixed costs, trim food cost or drop a weak event. Change one input and re-run.
- Use the table
The rows show what ten more, or ten fewer, tickets a day does to your month.
This leaves out your pay. Break-even means the truck covers its costs, not that you earned a wage. Add a monthly owner draw to the last fixed box if you want to see that target.
What the calculator assumes
| Assumption | What it means |
|---|---|
| Costs that scale | Food, packaging and card fees are a fixed % of sales |
| Costs that do not | Fixed costs and event fees are flat for the month |
| Same ticket | Every day has the same average ticket and days operated |
| Your numbers | Nothing comes from us; every amount is yours |
Licensing changed in Texas. Since July 1, 2026 Texas DSHS licenses mobile food vendors statewide, so you no longer need a separate licence from each local health department. Enter the cost as a monthly amount in the licences box. See the Texas food truck permits checklist for what to look up.
Opening or growing in Texas? TX Openings tracks new Texas restaurant and bar filings from public records. Running a restaurant too? Try the restaurant break-even calculator. To let regulars order ahead, read about your own ordering page.
We're also finishing a Food Truck Launch Planner spreadsheet; it isn't on sale yet.
Frequently asked questions
What is a ticket?
A ticket is one order, the amount one customer pays at the window. Your point-of-sale report shows the average ticket. Use the same unit for the ticket and the result.
What goes in fixed costs?
Costs you pay whether you serve one customer or a hundred: truck payment or lease, commissary, insurance, permits and licences (enter the yearly cost divided by 12), phone and POS subscriptions, and event or spot fees. Anything else goes in the last box.
How should I enter event fees?
Add up what you expect to pay in a month for festival entry, market stalls and similar spots. If a fee is a percentage of sales instead, add it to the food and packaging percentage.
Does the calculator know my real fees or costs?
No. Every number is typed by you, and the starting values are placeholders, not typical costs. Check your processor statement, commissary agreement and insurance policy.
Is this a forecast?
No. It is arithmetic on your inputs, assuming food and card costs scale with sales and fixed costs stay flat. It leaves out your own pay, labor you hire, and seasonal swings unless you enter them as a fixed cost.