Seven teams gather at a cattle ranch outside of Los Angeles to take on the first challenge: each team must squeeze a pitcher of orange juice to receive the seed money and keys to the truck.

Tyler Florence welcomes the teams to Las Vegas and gives them a challenge using one of the most popular items on Vegas menus: shrimp. Each truck must create their own ultimate shrimp dish to sell on Fremont Street, and the team that makes the most money wins a prime parking spot for selling the next day. Then, Tyler and Las Vegas restaurateur Elizabeth Blau visit the teams to offer business and culinary advice, and the teams sell their signature dishes on the streets of Vegas, with the least successful truck being eliminated.

The trucks meet Tyler at a Sonic Drive-In in Phoenix, Ariz., for a blind taste test and original savory dish challenge inspired by Sonic's signature drinks; the truck that made the least money is sent home, and the four remaining teams move forward.

The trucks roll into Yuma, Ariz., and head to the historic Yuma Territorial Prison; the teams complete a relay challenge involving artichokes and bacon, then the chefs must add an original dish using those ingredients to their food truck menus.

The final three teams head to the Coachella Valley in Southern California ahead of a massive country music festival; Tyler Florence educates the teams on locally grown Medjool dates; each truck must create and sell an original date dish.

The final two teams head back to Los Angeles, where Tyler Florence welcomes them to the historic Pueblo de Los Angeles, the epicenter of LA's Mexican heritage and culture.