When you operate out of a trailer or van, it is not just car insurance that you need — mobile food trucks also require the same protection as an ordinary cafe or hospitality business.
Food truck insurance can cover you in case someone gets food poisoning because of what you serve them and they sue you.
It can cover you for fire and theft — a must for many operating a mobile food service.
What are some risks that food truck businesses face?
When you worry about the pricing of food truck and food van insurance, remember that any type of food service business interacts with the public in an intimate way. The public has to trust that your food is safe and won’t cause them any problems. That’s why there’s an inherent risk in running a food service business: you’re feeding the public!
For example, consider what might happen if you were to serve someone shellfish in a dish when they didn’t disclose that they had a shellfish allergy. This kind of situation is rife with liability issues, and the only way to help protect your business is to start off covered in the first place.
What types of insurance do food truck businesses need?
Before you move forward, it’s important to recognise the various types of food truck insurance you might want to acquire for proper coverage. You need more than just one type to ensure that every aspect of your business has the proper coverage it needs, including:
Public liability insurance. Public liability insurance can cover everything from injuries and damages to food poisoning that occurred through no inherent fault of your own. These issues can come up no matter how thorough you are in the safety of your van and the preparation of your food, so it’s essential that you look into public liability insurance before opening service.
Business insurance. Just as businesses take out insurance to cover their assets and even their buildings, you’ll want business insurance that covers the physical aspects of your business. For example, theft and fire can occur at any time and this could obliterate your business if you weren’t properly covered.
Did you know?
If your food van was to get into an accident, you could have a $2,000 repair approved within three days. Read more statistics here.
What details will you need to provide when you apply?
The information you need when applying for insurance varies from product to product. For your food van insurance, you’ll be expected to include vehicle identification numbers, whether or not you use deep fry appliances, who will be driving the food van, etc. For other types of insurance on this list, you’ll have to provide business details and financial details in order to ensure that the insurance company has an accurate picture of what your business might require in coverage.
What types of claims could a food truck business make?
The claims can vary as much as the insurance cover itself. You may have to make claims on public liability insurance if someone finds themselves with food poisoning after visiting your food truck, for example. Or you may need to file a claim on food van insurance if your van is physically damaged.
This is why it’s so important to make sure you have the proper coverage in place. We recommend you check out the relevant insurance providers that can provide food truck insurance and food van insurance to businesses like yours.
Talk to a broker about food truck insurance
Frequently asked questions
Food van insurance may refer to the specific insuring of your food van, which needs its own coverage if you’re going to stay in business. When you operate your own mobile food service, you have to ensure that the food van you operate continues to run and that you have the resources at your disposal to ensure that happens.
The claims can vary as much as the insurance cover itself. You may have to make claims on public liability insurance if someone finds themselves with food poisoning after visiting your food truck, for example. Or you may need to file a claim on food van insurance if your van is physically damaged.
This is why it’s so important to make sure you have the proper coverage in place. We recommend you check out the relevant insurance providers that can provide food truck insurance and food van insurance to businesses like yours.
Alex Reid is Finder’s business insurance cadet. He has a Master of Marketing from the University of Technology Sydney, with a background in business and sales. When not writing about business insurance for Finder he's a keen scuba diver, recently completed his 200th hour underwater and his PADI Divemaster certification. Before working at Finder he lived in Hangzhou China, where he studied Mandarin and Chinese culture. See full bio
When faulty products cause injury or loss, your business needs to protect itself with product liability insurance. Learn how product liability cover works and get quotes.
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