Run the Window, Track the Numbers

How to track food truck inventory

Count by service, not by week. A truck carries only what fits, so the useful unit is one shift: count the key ingredients when you load, record anything restocked mid-shift, and count again when you close the window.

Usage for the shift is opening count + stock added − closing count. Compare that with what your sales say you should have used — 60 burgers sold at 150 g of beef each is 9 kg. A gap of more than a few percent is waste, over-portioning or unrecorded comps, and it shows up the same day instead of at month end.

Set a par level for every item you load

A par level is the quantity you want on board at the start of a service. Base it on your busiest comparable shift plus a small buffer, then load up to par each morning rather than guessing. Items that hit zero before close need a higher par; items you throw away at the end of most days need a lower one.

Keep the count list short. Track the 15–25 ingredients that drive cost or can stop service — proteins, buns or tortillas, cheese, fry oil, cups and lids — and ignore pinches of spice.

Log waste separately

Write down what is binned and why: expired, dropped, over-prepped, or temperature. Waste that is logged can be cut; waste that is blended into usage just looks like a busy day.