It is a commercial kitchen and a commercial vehicle, and it needs to be insured as both.

Commercial auto

The truck or the tow vehicle and trailer, on the road.

Without it — A personal auto policy excludes business use, and this is unambiguously business use.

General liability

Customer injury, and foodborne illness claims.

Without it — No event, festival or commissary will let you operate without it.

Equipment and contents

Griddles, fryers, refrigeration, generator and the build-out itself.

Without it — The fit-out is often worth more than the vehicle it sits in.

Spoilage and breakdown

Stock lost when refrigeration or the generator fails.

Without it — A failed fridge overnight is a write-off and a lost trading day.

Business interruption

Income while the truck is off the road after a covered loss.

Without it — One vehicle is the whole business; there is no second location.

Why do I need two kinds of liability?

Because the truck causes two different kinds of harm. Commercial auto answers what happens while it is being DRIVEN — a collision on the way to a pitch. General liability answers what happens while it is being OPERATED as a food business — a customer burned at the window, an illness from the food, someone tripping on your generator lead. Insurers treat parked-and-serving and driving as separate exposures, and a policy covering only one leaves an obvious hole.

What do events and commissaries actually require?

Usually a $1,000,000 general liability limit, the event or commissary named as an additional insured, and sometimes a waiver of subrogation and proof of workers comp. Large festivals and municipalities can ask for more, and city permit offices frequently require to be named too. Ask for the exact wording weeks ahead — the common failure is a vendor who has cover but cannot produce a certificate in the right form by the deadline and loses the pitch.

Getting the certificate right

Is the build-out covered by the auto policy?

Only partly, and this is where trucks are badly underinsured. Auto physical damage covers the vehicle, generally at its value as a vehicle. The kitchen inside it — the hood, suppression system, fryers, refrigeration, custom fabrication — is often worth as much again and needs scheduling specifically. Get the build-out valued and listed rather than assuming the truck limit stretches over it.

What auto physical damage covers

What do underwriters ask about fire?

The suppression system and the propane. Deep frying in a confined space with LPG on board is a serious fire load, so expect questions about the hood suppression system, when it was last serviced and certified, how many propane cylinders you carry and how they are secured, and whether you have current fire extinguisher inspections. A current suppression certificate is often a condition of cover rather than a discount.