Sending a broadcast to your followers
A broadcast is a push notification you send to customers who've favorited your truck on Trucked Up. It's the right tool for "we just opened, come grab some carnitas" or "tonight only — chocolate tres leches". It's the wrong tool for "we exist, please buy from us" or anything you'd consider routine marketing.
This article covers how to send one, what to write, and the limits. For why those limits exist, see Why broadcasts are rate-limited and how mute works.
What you'll need
- Your truck connected to your account.
- A specific reason to ping customers right now (they're going to feel it on their phone — make it worth it).
- 30 seconds and a clear sentence.
On the web
Go to truckedup.food/owner → Announcements (or directly to truckedup.food/owner/trucks/[your-truck]/announcements).
In the text area, type your message — up to 140 characters. The character counter shows under the field; it'll go red if you go over.
Click Send. Your broadcast goes out within seconds.
The page also shows a history of your past broadcasts with the timestamp and how many devices each one reached.
On iOS
Open the app → My Truck → Announcements.
Tap into the text field and type up to 140 characters.
Tap Send.
Same history list shows below.
What customers see
When you send a broadcast, every customer who's favorited your truck (and hasn't muted truck announcements globally — see Why broadcasts are rate-limited) gets a push notification on their phone:
- Title: Your truck's name.
- Body: The exact text you typed.
When they tap the notification, they're taken to your truck page on Trucked Up — where they can see your current schedule, today's stops, and your menu. They can order or book from there.
It looks something like this on their lock screen:
Carnitas CaribeTres leches all day today — first come, first served. We're at City Hall till 3pm.
So write the body as a complete sentence. Customers won't see your truck name twice — that's the title.
The limits
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Character limit | 140 |
| Max broadcasts | 1 per truck per 24 hours (rolling window from your last send) |
| Max followers per send | 2000 (we'll let you know if you ever hit this) |
| Media | None — text only, no images or links |
If you try to send a 2nd broadcast within 24 hours of your last one, the Send button stays disabled and shows the time you'll be allowed to send again (e.g., Available 2:34 PM). The 24-hour window resets from the moment of your last send, not at midnight.
If you exceed 140 characters, the counter goes red and Send won't fire — trim your message.
What to write (and what not to)
Write broadcasts for moments
The best broadcasts are time-sensitive nudges that are useful right now. A customer who follows you wants to know:
- You're open at an unexpected spot or time. "Surprise pop-up at Grandview Public Market till 9pm tonight."
- You have something special today. "Brisket tacos are back this Friday — limited run."
- Plans changed. "Closed early today due to weather — see you tomorrow."
- A one-shot drop. "50 pulled-pork sandwiches at lunch only — first come."
Don't waste broadcasts on these
- Routine "we're open today" pings (your schedule does this passively; broadcasts are for the unusual).
- Generic marketing or "follow us on Instagram" cross-promo.
- Holiday greetings that aren't tied to a specific opportunity.
- Anything you'd be embarrassed to text a friend at 11am.
The 24-hour rate limit is your safety rail here — you literally can't spam — but the right discipline is even tighter: maybe 2-3 broadcasts a week, max, and only when there's a reason.
A few practical tips
- Lead with the news. Customers see the first ~50 characters in the lock-screen preview. Front-load the specific item, time, or location.
- End with a verb. "Come grab one", "see you tonight", "order ahead at the link" — give the customer something to do.
- Match the tone. Your customers chose to follow you because they like your vibe. Sound like yourself.
- Skip emojis unless they're really part of your brand voice. iOS lock-screen previews often clip emoji rendering and they can look off.
Common questions
Who counts as a "follower"? Customers who tap the heart/favorite button on your truck page (web or iOS). They're opting in to your future updates. There's no "everyone in WPB" broadcast — only your followers.
Can I see how many followers I have? Not directly today — you'll see "Reached X devices" on each broadcast you send, which is a close approximation. (A customer can have multiple devices, and muted customers don't count, so the "devices reached" number is the most actionable signal.)
Can I send a different message to different segments? Not today. One broadcast per truck per 24 hours, sent to all eligible followers. Segmentation (by region, by past order, etc.) is on the roadmap.
A customer told me they didn't get my broadcast. Possible causes: they muted truck announcements globally (see Why broadcasts are rate-limited and how mute works); they haven't actually favorited your truck (only a tap on the heart icon counts); or their iOS notifications are disabled for Trucked Up. Ask them to check Settings → Trucked Up → Notifications.
Can I attach an image or link? Not today. Broadcasts are text only. The customer's tap takes them to your truck page, where you control everything (photos, menu, schedule, links).
Can I delete or edit a broadcast after sending? No. Once sent, it's on customers' phones. Make sure you read it twice before tapping Send.
Can I send a "test broadcast" only to myself? Not today. The closest thing is to draft and re-read carefully before sending. Tip: read it out loud — typos and weird phrasing jump out.
What happens if my Send fails (network down, server hiccup)? You'll see an error toast. The broadcast didn't go out — you can try again. (Your 24-hour rate limit is only counted on successful sends, so a failed send doesn't block you.)
Still stuck?
Email info@truckedup.food.