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Did you know that there are around 25,000 food trucks in the US?

The food truck industry has been growing quickly over the past few years, with demand for quick, convenient, and tasty food higher than ever! If you have a food truck, you could be driving a gold mine.

But, if something happens to your truck, your whole business could fall apart. This is where insurance for food trucks comes in, and you need to make sure you get the right plan for your business.

Find out everything you need to know in our guide.

Look for the Full Food Truck Insurance Package

There are different types of insurance you need to cover your mobile food truck. Here’s what you need:

• Commercial auto liability
• General liability
• Business personal property
• Workers compensation 
• Unemployment insurance
• Umbrella liability

If you can, look for a business insurance company that covers the whole package. This is much easier than setting up plans with various insurers and will make it simpler if you ever have to make a claim. Make sure the insurance company knows you’re a food truck so they can match you with the right plan.

Additional Insured Certificates

If you’re planning on taking your food truck to events, you’ll need to have an additional insured policy. Most places will ask to see your papers for this if you’re serving on their grounds. It basically makes sure that they’re covered if there are any accidents on their property.

Try and find an insurer who doesn’t charge for additional insured certificates. You may need to get a new one for each event you go to, which could end up costing you a lot! 

Know Which Questions to Ask

If you want to get the right insurance policy for your food truck business, you need to know which questions to ask. Here are just a few that can help you:

• Am I covered if I get into a car accident?
• Is my insurance suitable for mobile businesses?
• Is coverage for food poisoning claims included?
• What happens if my truck is vandalized or stolen?
• Do any items that I tow need different insurance coverage?

By asking these questions, you’ll help your insurers understand what kind of policy you’re looking for and make sure you get exactly what you need. 

Check Out Reviews

Once you’ve found a company who provides the right type of insurance for your food truck, it’s time to do some research into them. One of the best ways to do this is by checking out online reviews. Simply search the name of the insurer in Google along with reviews and see what you can find!

There should be plenty of customers discussing the company. Make sure that their feedback is mainly positive and see if there are other food truck users who are happy with their coverage. If there aren’t any reviews, this could be a red flag, unless they are a small/local insurance company who might not have a ton of exposure on the internet.

Find the Best Food Truck Insurance

Finding insurance for food trucks isn’t as hard as it was just a few decades ago. With their rising popularity, you should be able to find a good plan easily!

For more food truck tips, check out the rest of our blog. If you don’t have your food truck yet, we can help you put together a custom vehicle that suits your business perfectly. 

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post How to Find the Best Insurance for Your Food Truck appeared first on Custom Concessions.

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Remember when everyone thought food trucks were just an amusement?

Well, we do. But we know that this fad was anything but that. Now, this hard-scrabble food slinging world has some serious value. 

By 2020, the food truck industry will be worth $996 million—proof that we can’t imagine life without them.

Your food truck is an essential part of your mobile restaurant, so you have to make sure that thing is insured! But what does food truck insurance cost?

Food Truck Insurance Cost Varies like the Cost of Food Truck Lobster Rolls

The less expensive the policy is, the less likely it is to have real lobster. Somethings you just can’t fake or flake on. But even in that, you don’t need to pay out the nose to get what you need. 

Food truck insurance cost depends on the provider and plan that you buy. 

Don’t be surprised if the cost is in the thousands for an annual premium. This is, in part, good if you actually expect a payout when you file a claim and if you understand that there really is no such thing as food truck insurance. 

Wait, What? 

That’s right. It would be surprising if a state’s laws actually spelled out insurance on food trucks, even if going without coverage is out of the question.

Most of the time, insurers will package together insurance plans that include general liability coverage, commercial auto insurance, business property, and workers’ compensation insurance—all of the insurance types that a mobile food serving organization will need. If you bundle all of your insurance policies and purchase them through the same company, you may be able to get a better deal. 

Other Reasons It’s Hard to Guess

Nearly every food truck is different. This is what makes the food and the food truck scene so great. 

But the fact that all trucks are different makes insuring them a challenge. Some trucks have grills, others have friers, pizza oven or BBQ smokers. All of these things have varying levels of risk and monetary value and will be treated differently by insurers. 

Further, the kinds of food, your state’s regulations for food-serving entities, and the gear that is attached to your truck will impact the price.

You’ve Got Questions

Finding the right food truck insurance can be confusing, but you will want to know how much of your budget will need to go toward insurance. Your best bet might simply be to get some quotes or reach out to a local insurance firm for help in finding a close estimate of how much you should expect to pay.

Food truck insurance cost will be just one part of a larger plan for success. Be sure to make a business plan so you can determine the overall cost and profitability of your future food truck business.

Need a quote for your first food truck? Or need help designing an upgrade? Connect with us and make it happen!

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post How Much Does Food Truck Insurance Cost? appeared first on Custom Concessions.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were over 2.5 million US worksite injuries in a single year in 2017. That translates into three employees injured at work per every 100 full-time workers in this country. As a food truck or food trailer employer, you too are legally required to compensate for medical expenses if an employee is injured while working in one of your vehicles.

In this post, you can learn about your responsibilities as an employer if there is an injury on your truck during work hours.

Workers’ Compensation Defined

Workers’ compensation guarantees that workers hurt on the job will receive payment to help cover their medical expenses. These laws exist in every US state so that employees won’t need to sue their company to help with medical reimbursements.

There are currently more than 140 million US workers covered by workers’ compensation insurance. The total cost for workers’ comp insurance to US businesses is well over $90 billion.

Workers’ compensation only concerns injuries that happen within the employer’s property. This property includes your food truck. In most states, under workers’ compensation statutes, businesses must secure a workers’ compensation insurance policy before they can start doing business.

These type of state regulations were first passed in 1902. By 1949, every US state had approved their own versions of workers’ compensation laws to protect their own employees.

Each state has their own version of workers’ compensation laws. That’s why you’ll find that these laws vary from state to state. There are also special compensation laws for employees in specific industries such as the railway industry or federal government workers.

Workers’ Comp Process Explained

Although all US states have their own individual workers’ compensation regulations, most workers’ comp claim procedures contain include some of these common steps:

Prevention

Prevention will be your best way to protect workers from injuries ever occurring in the first place. Create your own emergency response plan that spells out the importance of workplace safety and how to reduce risks.

These response plans can address various accident types that might occur and how to respond to them. You should also keep emergency contact information on file for each of your workers.

Coach your workers and supervisors on how to identify worksite hazards. Post 911 emergency contact information inside your vehicles for your employees to use if the need arises.

Act Immediately

Once you know there is an injured employee on your food truck, transfer the injured worker to a safe place. Direct your other workers to evacuate the dangerous area as well.

A fast response will reduce the severity of your worker’s injury. Your swift movement might also reduce how much the injury ends up costing your company.

Administer first aid to the injured worker. Always keep first aid supplies accessible on the vehicle at all times, and make sure your workers know where they are. If the injured food truck employee needs attention beyond any basic first aid, call an emergency medical crew to the site immediately.

Collect the Facts and Other Evidence

Evidence will play a central role in how the workers’ comp claim process evolves. Write down the important details about the injury incident that occurred. Take your own pictures of the equipment or area where the injury took place.

If there was a witness that saw the accident, collect their testimony as well. Collected updates periodically after the injury and keep them filed. These updates might be useful if your worker later notes delayed onset injuries.

All injuries should be documented even if your workers say that they feel fine. They may feel fine in the present moment, but later on, they might get medical attention if their condition changes. This documentation will also be important if they decide to file a workers’ compensation insurance claim at a later date.

Receive Your Employee’s Notification

If your employee was injured while you were away, ask them to submit a description of their sustained injury in writing. Some state workers’ comp statutes will have statutory deadlines for injured workers to inform their employer that they were injured.

When your employee notifies you about their accident, be sure the notification includes these following details:

1. Accident time, date, and location
2. How the accident took place
3. Any other individual or witness involved at the accident site
4. The extent of their injuries
5. Status of any medical care they’ve received to date for their injuries

They will also need to have these details if they eventually decide to file a workers’ compensation claim.

Submitting a Workers’ Comp Claim

You can work together with your injured employee to file their workers’ comp claim with your business’s insurance provider. Your insurance provider might ask their own workers’ compensation physician to exam the injured worker. Another workers’ comp procedure includes mailing copies of the claim to workers’ compensation board of the state where the accident occurred.

When your insurance company and the workers’ compensation board are done reviewing the claim, they’ll contact the injured worker. They let the worker know if their claim is approved and what amount of reimbursement they will receive.

It will be in your own best interest to keep an open channel of communication between you and your injured worker. You should also be sure to maintain contact with the injured worker’s physician, claims adjuster, and insurance agent. This constant contact can help speed up the claims process, and allow the injured worker to receive the funds they need to pay for their treatments.

What Happens Next: Possible Outcomes

A worker can reopen their workers’ comp claim after it has been finalized if they believe they have good reason to request more compensation. If additional compensation is denied and your worker decides to sue, be helpful and transmit any pertinent information you might have to their attorneys or claims adjuster.

Being Prepared for an Injured Food Truck Employee

The ideal way to protect your workers and your business is to draft written documentation in advance that spells out your workers’ comp claim protocols. This documentation might also provide helpful guidance to your workers on your return-to-work policy. Give this information to all existing and new workers.

Keep your vehicles stocked with current first aid supplies in case someone is injured at work. If a workers’ comp claim is filed, stay helpful and cooperative as you and your employee navigate the process. Keep your cool and you can help protect your company from additional liability.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post What to Do When an Employee is Injured at Work: A Guide for Food Truck Owners appeared first on Custom Concessions.