Ice cream van

An ice cream van (British) or ice cream truck (American) is a commercial vehicle which serves as a travelling retail outlet for ice cream, usually during the summer. Ice cream vans are often seen parked at public events, or near parks, beaches, or other areas where people congregate. Ice cream vans often travel near where children play — outside schools, in residential areas, or in other locations. They usually stop briefly before moving on to the next street. It is during their travel between stopping-off points that their characteristic chimes can usually be heard.

Ice cream vans are often brightly decorated and carry images of ice cream, or some other adornment, such as cartoon characters. Most (at least in Britain) have painted-on notices: "Stop me and buy one!" being perhaps the most popular, but also commonly encountered is the more cryptic "Watch that child!" written on the back of the van, serving as a warning to passing motorists that children may run out into the road at the sight of the van, or appear without warning from behind it. Along the sides, a large sliding window acts as a serving hatch, and this is often covered with small pictures of the available products, with their associated prices. The most distinctive, memorable, and evocative feature of ice cream vans is their melodic chimes, and often these take the form of a famous and recognisable tune.

Most ice cream vans tend to sell both pre-manufactured ice lollies (American English: popsicles) in wrappers, and soft ice cream from a machine, served in a cone, and often with a chocolate flake (in Britain) or a sugary syrup flavoured with, for example, strawberry. Other vans tend to be run by small businesses, selling their own variety of ice cream.

At least in Britain, the operators of ice cream vans have also diversified to fill gaps in the market for soft drinks, using their capacity for refrigerated storage to sell chilled cans and bottles.

A large proportion of ice cream vans are old vehicles, and as a consequence can be quite smelly and noisy, due to the need to keep the engine running to supply energy for refrigeration. If stationary for a long period, as might be the case at a park where there is constant demand by new customers, this can disturb the tranquility and atmosphere of the area. If moving from place to place, a van's musical accompaniment can have a similar effect, albeit temporarily, although the irritation is aggravated by the annoying and repetitive nature of the melody used. Early vans were less bothersome because of the relatively primitive techniques they used: The refrigeration was ensured by large blocks of dry ice so the motor was always turned off when the van was stopped for sales. The chimes were operated by a hand driven crank or a take-off from the motor, so they were not heard as often.

Ice cream vans in the UK

Because of the nature of the British climate, running an ice cream van profitably is not only very difficult outside of the summer months, but is also an unpredictable business. A summer heatwave can provoke a massive upturn in fortunes for a few days, but after the weather has returned to a milder character sales drop off dramatically. The need to take advantage of rare and short-lived windows of opportunity can result in fierce rivalry between ice cream vans in coterminous areas, with the main disputes being over who is entitled to sell ice cream in a particular 'patch'.

The aging vehicles, with their gaudy colours and nostalgic chimes, give ice cream vans the feeling of the British seaside resort - an atmosphere of faded grandeur and the innocent pleasures of a supposed golden age. However, despite increased affluence and wider possibilities for refreshment in Britain today, the ice cream van remains not only an icon of the British summer, but also popular enough to continue to be commercially viable.

Ice cream trucks in the United States

In the United States (where ice cream vans are most commonly called ice-cream trucks), vendors often rent the trucks from renting companies that operate on a larger scale. Many eventually buy the trucks they formerly rented, therefore breaking the business connection with the original owner. Others just buy a truck and turn it into an ice cream truck, eventually buying other trucks and running ice cream truck businesses.

Many American ice cream trucks are former United States Postal Service and United States Post Office trucks. Apart from ice cream, they may also sell snow cones, snacks, sodas and even toys. It is required by law that ice cream trucks in the United States carry a sign, in the shape of a stop sign, that warns other drivers of children crossing the street to buy food or ice cream.

Ice cream men (an ice cream van driver is often called the ice-cream man, in the United States) are sometimes seen there with suspicion because of a perception that some have been responsible for abductions, rapes and murders of children.