Sandwich Trucks

Sandwich trucks are a type of catering truck, or mobile food unit, and are referred to in the industry as mobile industrial caterers. They are designed to cover a route and sell lunch to people working at construction sites, industrial parks, or other areas without many food options nearby.

The idea of taking lunches to where the workers were employed arose in the early twentieth century, when people began to travel to work in centralized locations, such as factories, and were unable to go back to their homes to eat lunch. Local food companies began packing box lunches in commissary kitchens. These boxes contained all-inclusive meals that typically included a sandwich, piece of fruit, cold beverage, dessert, and stick of gum. The food companies would send workers out to take these lunches to factories and work sites and have them wait outside for the noon bell to ring. The factory hands would come out and purchase box lunches from them.