Food truck insurance

We usually combine an auto policy with a commercial package built for mobile food.

• Commercial auto. Covers liability if you injure someone or damage property while driving, plus collision and comprehensive for the truck itself. If you tow a trailer or concession unit, it must be listed. Personal auto policies are not built for this use.
• General liability. Responds when a customer is hurt at your service window, trips over a cable or extension cord, or gets sick from your food. Event organizers usually ask to see it. Read how liability cover for customers and event crowds works.
• Property and contents. Covers the kitchen build-out, appliances, generator, point-of-sale equipment and stock, including while parked overnight.
• Equipment breakdown. Pays when a generator, refrigeration unit, fryer or flat-top fails suddenly. A dead generator at a three-day festival can cost you the whole weekend. Learn about repairs after mechanical or electrical failure.
• Business interruption. Covers lost income and fixed costs if a covered loss takes the truck off the road.
• Spoilage. Pays for food lost when refrigeration fails between stops.

Propane and generators in a tight space

Most trucks run on propane, with a generator for power, all inside a small metal box with hot oil and open flame. Insurers will ask about propane certification and inspection, fire suppression over the cooking line, extinguishers and how the generator is mounted and vented.

Collisions with a kitchen on board

An accident in a food truck can damage the vehicle, the kitchen equipment and other people’s property at once. Loose equipment can also injure the driver. Secure everything before driving, and keep driver records clean, since they affect auto premiums.

Example: A food truck owner is driving to a weekend market in Kitchener when a car runs a stop sign and clips the rear of the truck. The impact damages the bumper and knocks the flat-top loose, cracking a propane line fitting. The auto policy handles the vehicle damage, and the commercial package covers the kitchen equipment, so the owner is back in service the following week instead of buying a new griddle out of pocket.

Events, festivals and private bookings

Each event brings a new organizer, a new site and often a new certificate request. Some will ask to be named as additional insured, set a minimum liability limit or require coverage for a specific date range. During festival season, send the request to us and we turn certificates around quickly.

Parking, permits and theft

Trucks are often parked overnight in commissary lots, on the street or at home. Insurers want to know where, and whether the truck is locked and alarmed. Municipal vending permits, such as those in Toronto and other Ontario cities, and health inspections can also ask for proof of coverage.

Seasonal operation

Most Ontario trucks run hard from spring through fall and slow down or stop for the winter. We can set up seasonal operation, storage and lay-up periods so you are not paying for road exposure you do not have, and are not left without cover for the truck while it is stored.

Commissary kitchens

Many municipalities expect food trucks to prep, store and clean at a licensed commissary. That means some of your stock and equipment lives in someone else’s building. We check whether your property cover extends to that location, and the commissary agreement may have its own insurance or additional insured requirements. If a fire at the commissary takes out your walk-in space, business interruption may also come into play.

Setup	What tends to matter most
Self-driven food truck	Commercial auto, kitchen fire, event liability
Towed concession trailer	Trailer listed on auto policy, theft while unhitched, equipment breakdown
Food cart or kiosk	Pedestrian liability, permits, stock and equipment theft
Truck plus private catering	Off-site event liability, staff injuries, possibly liquor liability

If you take on weddings or corporate functions as well as street service, read about insuring off-site event food service. And if you are thinking about opening a fixed counter, see how takeout and counter-service locations are covered.

Fill in the form on this page with details about your truck or trailer, what you cook and where you operate, or call us at (416) 346-6886. One of our brokers will ask about your setup, then take your application to insurers that suit mobile food businesses, for both the vehicle and the kitchen. We walk you through the options, set up the policies you choose and stay with you for event certificates, seasonal changes, renewals and claims. The quote is free and there is no obligation.