Food Truck Insurance: What Insurance do I need?

Food Trucks have become the hot wave hitting the streets (literally) over the past few years.

All different kinds and styles have been seen traveling around Upstate New York and surrounding areas with new ones popping up weekly.

For all food truck owners to best protect themselves and their business they will need a few specific insurance policies.

Commercial Auto Insurance
Commercial Auto insurance helps cover the cost of potential lawsuits, property damage, medical bills and other expenses arising from an accident.

A commercial auto policy that is written correctly will also provide physical damage to the truck or trailer as well, this includes the permanently attached cooking equipment that you have.

Most food trucks are equipped with thousands of dollar’s worth of cooking equipment and with the grills and fryers exposure, your business could be at a higher risk for a claim.

Commercial auto policies for food trucks are generally higher for two reasons:
1. Commercial auto rates in New York are high in general
2. There are a limited number of insurance companies that insure Food Trucks as a standalone business.

General Liability Insurance
General Liability Insurance for a food truck can be written standalone or on a business owners or a package insurance policy.

At Crowley Insurance, our agents recommend a business owners or package policy.

A business owners or package policy will include the general liability along with the business personal property coverage.

General Liability coverage will protect the business in the event you are responsible for bodily injury, illness, or property damage not caused by the auto related incident.

A business owner policy is made up of both general liability and business personal property coverage.

Any food truck will be carrying inventory, cooking utensils, and cooking equipment that is not permanently attached which will need to be covered. This is what can be included on your business owner’s policy under your property coverage.

Workers Compensation
Any food truck owner in the State of New York, is required to carry Worker’s Compensation when you have employees.

Worker’s compensation coverage protects if your employees are injured while on the job. It will cover the medical expense and partial lost wages.

Employers are required to carry and pay for workers compensation on behalf of their employees.

Short-Term Disability
New York is one of a handful of states that require employers to cover employees for injuries or illnesses that happen off duty with what is called a short-term disability policy.

A disability policy is required just as a workers compensation policy is the moment you have your first employee.

Disability benefits are temporary cash benefits paid to an eligible wage earner when they have been deemed unable to work by an off-duty injury or illness.

Short term disability policies now include a separate part called Paid Family Medical Leave (PFL Coverage) that was introduced to New York in 2018.

_


202 N Center St, East Syracuse, NY 13057

[MrOldskoolgamez]

Remember, if you are a business owner with no employees, you are not legally required to purchase workers compensation coverage, but you should still buy coverage for yourself and any other corporate officers. Your health insurance may not cover work related injuries and illnesses. If you are in a major accident with your food truck, you will be glad you purchased work comp coverage.

[Dtag]

My trailer is for graphic design. Stickers, signs and license plates. So what in the heck would I need?