Is public liability mandatory to operate a food truck in Australia?

Yes. Local councils and private market event organizers across Australia universally mandate active public and products liability insurance (typically with a minimum cover limit of $10 million or $20 million) before issuing trading permits.

Does standard commercial vehicle insurance cover the kitchen fit-out?

Standard commercial vehicle policies usually cover only the base vehicle chassis and cab. You must specifically declare modifications, commercial cooking equipment, deep fryers, and custom fit-outs to ensure they are insured in the event of fire, theft, or a road accident.

What happens if a customer gets sick from my food truck food?

Food poisoning claims are covered under product liability insurance, which is almost always bundled into a comprehensive public liability policy for mobile caterers and food trucks.

Do I need workers compensation insurance for casual food truck staff?

Yes. If you employ workers (including casual cashiers, kitchen hands, or servers), workers' compensation insurance is legally compulsory in all Australian states and territories.

Food Truck Insurance

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Food trucks require specialized insurance packaging public and product liability with commercial vehicle cover.
Product liability is essential to protect your food business from customer food poisoning claims and allergic reactions.
Coverage can also protect your fit-out, portable cooking equipment, and loss of business income from vehicle breakdowns.

Are you thinking about taking your food service directly to the public through the mobile food industry? A food van can be a very lucrative venture, but you must ensure you are properly covered before serving your first customer.

Accidents happen every day, but proper food truck insurance can mean the difference between a minor hiccup and closing your business for good.

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 and products liability insurance. Public liability covers you if a customer slips or is injured near your food truck. Product liability (typically bundled together) is essential for food trucks, covering claims of food poisoning or adverse reactions to meals and beverages you serve.
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?

Commercial vehicle and food truck insurance can cover towing, repairs, and fit-out replacement costs to help get your mobile kitchen back on the road quickly after an accident.

What details will you need to provide when you apply?

When you are applying for food truck insurance, you'll need to provide several key details about your business and operations to the broker or insurer, such as:

The exact make, model and value of the vehicle
The value of kitchen equipment and cooking fit-outs inside the van
Your estimated annual turnover and revenue
How many staff members or contractors you employ
Where the food truck is garaged and stored when not trading
The types of food and beverages you serve and how they are cooked (e.g. deep fryers, gas burners, open flames)

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Written by

Alex Reid

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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

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Food truck insurance Australia

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Key takeaways

What types of insurance do food truck businesses need?

What details will you need to provide when you apply?