All the truck drivers start with the same prepackaged cartons of liquid mix, but the quality of their ice cream isn’t uniform. If Mr. Vasquez has a feel for the work, it’s because he’s been driving a Mister Softee truck for 31 years. Like most drivers, including those for Mister Softee’s local rival, New York Ice Cream (formerly Master Softee), Mr. Vasquez is a self-employed franchisee. He drives seven days a week in ice cream season, from late March to mid-October. They vacation, often visiting El Guabo in southwestern Ecuador, where Mr. Vasquez was born.

Source: New York Times May 22, 2018 17:48 UTC