The Newest Thing in Mobile Commerce: The Book Truck

The pushcart fits inside the truck, and is based on an urban hot dog cart, complete with pop-up umbrella. The truck was inspired by food trucks, and has 96 linear feet of display space on both sides, plus awnings, LED lighting, and cafe tables and chairs. “Thinking back to the popularity of bookmobiles, and the popularity now of food trucks, it sort of all came together,” Penguin Group (USA) publicist Erica Glass explains.

The truck and pushcart have already appeared at various book-themed events, and the company plans a trip along Route 66 this October. The truck’s journey from Sallisaw, Oklahama to Bakersfield, California will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the publication of John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath.”

Penguin can sell books off the truck and cart directly, Larry Edsall explains, but prefers to partner with local bookstores and book festivals.