Food Truck Checklists Kit Pro: Inspection, Setup & Teardown Checklist Templates for Excel

The same things the inspector checks, in the order you can prove them. Temperatures: the cooler at 41 °F or below before loading, logged in transit and checked again on arrival (cold 41 °F or below, frozen food kept frozen, 0 °F or below as the common target), cooking temperatures probed (poultry 165 °F; ground beef and other ground meats 155 °F for 17 seconds; fish and whole-muscle pork or beef 145 °F for 15 seconds), hot food held at 135 °F or above or under time as a public health control with a written procedure, and thawing never at room temperature. Handling: a handwashing sink with hot water at 100 °F or above, soap and paper towels (hand sanitizer only after washing), no bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food, sanitizer checked with test strips, raw and cooked foods apart and color-coded cutting boards. Allergens and paperwork: an allergen chart at the window with the 9 major allergens, a crew trained to answer allergy questions, the health permit posted, temperature and commissary logs in the truck, food handler cards for the crew and a Certified Food Protection Manager in charge. The "Food Safety & Inspection" checklist has those 18 checks already written, with blanks for the °F readings.

Propane first: cylinders secured upright with the valves closed in transit, the system per NFPA 58 and your fire marshal's inspection, and a soapy-water leak test at every connection after each cylinder swap (never a flame). Then the extinguishers, an ABC plus a Class K for the fryer, accessible and tagged, with a monthly visual check and an annual service tag; the hood suppression system every 6 months (NFPA 96) and the hood and ducts cleaned by a certified contractor; and the generator outside the truck, away from the window, air intakes and people because of carbon monoxide, refueled only when it is off and cool. Many events also ask for a fire marshal inspection and at least 10 ft of clearance from buildings, other vehicles and combustibles; the permits checklist reminds you to confirm both. If you smell gas, the setup checklist says it plainly: light nothing, close the cylinder, get out and call 911 from outside.

The check you run before the truck rolls, so nothing fails on the road or at the event. The "Vehicle & Mobile Ops" checklist has 18 checks, 11 of them marked pre-trip and the rest weekly, monthly or yearly: enough fuel for the round trip, tire pressure for the extra weight, lights, turn signals and brakes, registration with your state DMV and commercial auto insurance current (a vehicle safety inspection only where your state requires one, and a CDL only if the truck is 26,001 lb GVWR or more), kitchen equipment secured, extinguishers tagged; the generator fueled and test-started, extension cords in good shape; propane cylinders for the shift, secured and leak-tested; the fresh water tank filled from an approved source and the wastewater tank empty, the water pump working, and trash bags and the used-oil container on board.

One list in the order you actually work, like a restaurant opening checklist built for a truck. On arrival: park and level the truck only in a legal vending spot (or with the owner's written permission on private property), set the generator outside and away from the window, check propane pressure and cylinders, put out the awning and signage, and set up the service counter. In the kitchen: the griddle, fryer and oven on with the hood and fire suppression working first, cold equipment at 41 °F or below with the reading logged, mise en place, stock, sauces and packaging. At the window: the menu posted, the POS, card reader and starting bank, the waiting area, and the water checked (fresh tank full, wastewater tank empty, hot water at the handwashing sink). The "Setup & Teardown" checklist has those 15 setup tasks already written, each with who does it and how long it takes.

Like any closing checklist, in the order that keeps you safe on the road: cooking equipment off and propane valves closed; leftovers cooled from 135 °F to 70 °F within 2 hours and to 41 °F within 4 more, covered, date-marked and refrigerated at the commissary; the griddle, fryer and work surfaces cleaned and sanitized (checked with test strips); the water and waste tanks emptied, wastewater only at the commissary or an approved servicing area; the awning and signage packed; the cash drawer closed out with the cash count and over/short against the POS Z report and tips split per your written tip pool; the generator shut down; and the truck secured for the road with the propane cylinders strapped in. The kit has those 8 teardown tasks already written.

Yes, they run through the whole kit. Prep happens at the commissary or in the truck, never in a home kitchen. The fresh water tank is filled at the commissary with potable water from an approved source and a food-grade hose used for nothing else; the wastewater tank must be at least 15% larger than the fresh tank and is dumped only at the commissary or an approved servicing area, never in the street or down a storm drain; and the weekly list has you clean and sanitize the fresh water tank, pump and hose as your health department requires. The inspection checklist keeps your commissary log or commissary agreement in the truck, and the monthly list checks it is current.

Yes. Before each trip, the fuel level (gasoline, diesel or propane, per the unit; refuel only with it off and cool), a test start and the extension cords; at the event, the generator outside the truck, away from the window, air intakes and people (carbon monoxide), where the organizer and fire marshal allow, with cords routed so no one trips; at teardown, shut down or power disconnected; and monthly maintenance (oil, filter, spark plugs per the manufacturer's service hours). The driver / tech duties include running it, and the annual calendar has the generator check in February and a full-load check in July.

Yes, US-style. The "Permits & Events" checklist lists the mobile vending license from your city or county (one per truck, non-transferable), the mobile food unit health permit (plan review and inspection) with your commissary agreement, general liability insurance (events often ask for $1M per occurrence and a certificate of insurance naming them), commercial auto insurance, a business license, your state seller's permit and a free EIN from the IRS, and a POS that collects sales tax by vending location. Before each event it has you confirm the temporary food event permit if your health department requires one and the organizer's requirements. The monthly list checks that every permit, license, the fire marshal inspection, DMV registration and insurance are current. Rules vary by city and county, so the kit tells you what to check, not your local fees.

Yes. The permits checklist covers 6 event types (food truck parks, farmers markets and night markets; music festivals, county fairs and street fairs; corporate events and private catering; weddings and celebrations; races and sporting events; and a regular daily spot where your city allows it), plus 6 pre-event tasks to run before any of them: location, access and setup time, power, expected sales, an event menu and the permits. The pre-event briefing bonus puts it all on one sheet, and the seasonal checklist and annual calendar plan the festivals, fairs, wedding season and holiday markets ahead.

Daily cleaning goes in the teardown: the griddle, fryer and work surfaces cleaned and sanitized, and the tanks emptied. On top of that, the kit schedules a weekly deep clean inside the truck, the hood filters degreased by the crew (with the hood and ducts cleaned by a certified contractor as often as NFPA 96 requires), the fryer oil changed and used oil sent to a licensed recycler, and the fresh water tank, pump and hose cleaned and sanitized; and monthly upkeep: generator service, brakes, tires and lights, a review of your temperature, cleaning and commissary logs, and packaging restocked.

Yes, you will find free checklist templates online, and many county health departments and fire marshals publish the checklist they inspect with. That is a good place to start. This kit is something else: 11 Excel workbooks with 141 food truck tasks already written and sorted by phase, area and role, from the pre-trip check to the teardown, °F temperatures under the FDA Food Code, and a ✓ / — / N/A drop-down on the checklists. Print it on US Letter, or save any sheet as a PDF from Excel.

Yes. Every checklist comes with the real tasks of a food truck already written. You'll want to make it yours: every cell can be edited, so adjust tasks to your truck and your menu, delete the ones that don't apply and add your own. The blank template has the same columns for anything extra.

Each checklist has columns for the phase or area, the task, who does it, when (how long it takes in the setup and teardown list, a frequency, a day or a lead time in the others), OK and notes. In 7 of the checklists the OK column has a ✓ / — / N/A drop-down, and the row turns green when you pick ✓; the manager checklist has a status column you fill in yourself. Print the list and hand it to the crew, or keep it open on a tablet in the truck.

Checklist apps charge a monthly fee per location and need connected tablets or phones. This kit gives you the same kind of task lists in Excel for $15, a one-time payment. What it is not: there are no reminders, photos or notifications on your crew's phones.

Yes. One purchase covers one business with all of its trucks, which makes it a good fit for fleets. If you are a consultant, you can use the checklists with your clients, but you can't hand them copies: each business buys its own.

The cash close-out is part of the day: the teardown checklist and the manager's daily reconciliation have you count the cash, note any over/short against the POS Z report and split tips per your written tip pool policy (managers and supervisors don't keep tips). This kit has no separate cash count sheet by bill and coin; if you want one that works out the starting bank and the over/short for you, the Restaurant Checklists Kit Pro includes it.

Yes, with a few edits, all in cells you can change. The kit is set up for the US: temperatures in °F under the FDA Food Code (41 °F cold holding, 135 °F hot holding), the 9 major allergens and US permits. In the UK, register your food business with your local council at least 28 days before you start trading, ask the council for a street trading licence, expect a food hygiene rating (0 to 5 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland), keep cold food at 8 °C or below and hot food at 63 °C or above, and give allergen information for 14 allergens. In Canada and Australia, check your provincial or state food safety rules, mobile vending permits and allergen list, and type them into the tasks. Every English edition also includes the US · UK · Canada · Australia Equivalents Guide, a bonus with the local terms, taxes, food safety, staff rules and alcohol side by side.

The price is $15 USD, a one-time payment. At checkout, Stripe can show the amount in your local currency (for example GBP, EUR, CAD or AUD) and converts it for you.

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