Food Truck Insurance

What You Need to Know

Core coverage components in a complete food truck package:

• Commercial auto insurance – liability and physical damage coverage for the vehicle itself
• Commercial general liability – coverage for customer injuries and property damage
• Inland marine or equipment coverage – protection for cooking equipment, generators, and specialized equipment installed in the truck
• Products liability – coverage for foodborne illness claims
• Spoilage coverage – protection for food inventory lost to equipment failure or power loss
• Business property coverage – coverage for supplies and inventory
• Workers' compensation – required if you have employees

Standard commercial auto policies don't automatically cover the specialized cooking equipment installed in your truck – you need inland marine or equipment coverage to protect ovens, grills, refrigeration units, and generators.

Why It Matters for Restaurant Owners

Food trucks face all the same liability risks as traditional restaurants – foodborne illness, customer injuries, fire hazards, employee injuries – plus additional risks related to operating a commercial vehicle and mobile cooking equipment.

Your commercial auto liability is crucial because you're driving a large, heavy vehicle through city streets and parking in tight spaces at events, creating significant accident exposure. Your vehicle also contains expensive commercial cooking equipment that could be damaged in an accident or breakdown; without proper inland marine coverage, you could lose tens of thousands of dollars with no recovery.

The mobility of food trucks creates its own complications: you're operating at different locations with different hazards, you may need to add event organizers or property owners as additional insureds regularly, and you face higher theft risk because your entire business is in a vehicle that could be stolen. Event organizers typically require proof of insurance before allowing you to participate, so maintaining proper coverage is essential for accessing revenue opportunities.