Prestige Food Trucks, a premier central Florida food truck builder reports significant demand for mobile food venders as small to large restaurant chains/franchises consider expanding into mobile catering.

“Over the past two years, many small to large restaurant chains/franchises have shown significant interest in taking their brand/restaurant to the food truck industry,” stated Tracy Stein, CEO and president of Prime Pinnacle, a private investment firm that provides financial capital for Prestige Food Trucks, in a prepared statement.

Stein further stated that the rise in popularity is because restaurant chains/franchises have begun to see the big picture in getting into the food truck business by studying, researching and recognizing the opportunities.

Prime Pinnacle’s research/data have shown that more than 15 percent of the top 200 restaurant chains have a mobile café / food truck presence. These include Cousins Submarines, Inc; Tasti D-Lite Frozen Yogart; Toppers Pizza; Jack in The Box; Sizzler; Red Robin; Chick-fil-A, Star Diner;The Gap; The Habit Burger & Grill; Taco Bell; Applebee’s; Dairy Queen, Subway, Qdoba, California Pizza Kitchen, Carl’s Jr.; In-N-Out Burger, Fatburger; Grandolfo’s New York Delicatessen; Banna-Stow’s Crepes & Coffee; and more.

Stein stated, “Food trucks serve as mobile billboards as well which is very enticing to the franchise/chain owners as they can spend between $50,000 to $200,000 plus per month on advertising alone. With a mobile food truck their visibility increases exponentially.”

The whirs and hisses of drills and welding torches carry outside a warehouse tucked away in aFort Lauderdale office park. Inside, rows of step vans and delivery trucks are being reborn as food trucks.

As mobile eateries have flourished in South Florida in recent years, food truck builders have also shifted into high gear.

These mobile food truck factories — including Concession Nation in Fort Lauderdale, AAAConcession Trucks and Trailers in Davie, and FoodCart USA in Miami — scour the state for new and late-model Chevy, Ford and GMC step vans as well as used flower, fire and delivery trucks (and in one case, a shuttle van from NASA). They add fryers, refrigerators and stainless steel surfaces and turn them into rolling restaurants.

Bruce Hicks, owner of AAA Concession Trucks and Trailers in Davie, buys used bread and delivery trucks and converts them into rolling restaurants for clients locally and out of state.

“Everybody wants one,” said Alexander Alvarez, owner of Concession Nation, which completed 126 jobs in 2012, a 34 percent increase from 2011.

The weakened economy and high unemployment of the past few years have helped drive the local food truck boom. As people were laid off or considering job changes, some decided to become their own boss and invest in mobile units. Meanwhile, TV programs such as Food Network‘s “The Great Food Truck Race” and the Cooking Channel‘s “Eat Street” were showing contestants making thousands of dollars a day with a customized food truck

Yes, food truck operators have costs such as gas, food inventory and permits. But these are “less expensive than brick-and-mortar facilities, making it easier to enter the food service business,” said Ron Grimes, manager of environmental health programs at NSF International, a nonprofit that develops standards for equipment used in food service establishments such as food trucks.

“People don’t have to pay rent [with a food truck], and they are not committed to one place,” said Bruce Hicks, owner of AAA Concession Trucks and Trailers, adding that his business doubled to 30 trucks in 2012 from the previous year, from a mix of local and national clients.

He began to shift his business toward food truck building in the past two years after noticing a decline in RV-related jobs.

“I saw that [business] going away. People were in foreclosures and losing their homes,” Hicks said.

These days, he’s getting requests to create food trucks for freestanding businesses such as Popeye’s fast-food chicken and Donna’s Restaurant and Lounge, which has locations throughout Broward County.

He was also hired to outfit an all-white, 8-foot GMC step van for Gozen Yogurt, a self-service frozen yogurt company based in Philadelphia. It will be painted in orange, yellow and blue swirls and have a flat-screen TV, freezer and four self-serve yogurt machines. Once completed later this month, the truck will be ready to dispense sorbet, dulce de leche and caramel-flavored treats at corporate parties and festivals from Jupiter to Miami.

“The real advantage to having a food truck is that you will be able bring the entire frozen yogurt store experience to someone’s home,” said Adam Zell, the Florida partner for Gozen Yogurt.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the ever-growing popularity of food truck fare and events. The National Restaurant Association doesn’t track the number of food trucks in the United States, but the group has found that consumers have been increasingly flocking to mobile eateries.

In a 2012 association survey, 43 percent of adults said they had bought items from a food truck.

The demand for food trucks, Concession Nation’s Alvarez said, comes from a base of customers hungry for “fast-food but better quality. You get a homemade plate served to you in 10 minutes.”

At Concession Nation’s offices and warehouse in Fort Lauderdale, calls pour in from throughout the country. The San Francisco 49ers football team, for example, had the company create a team-themed concession trailer.

And the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach recently hired Concession Nation to build an 18-foot food truck to sell some of the dishes found at the resorts’ restaurants such as Gotham Steak and Scarpetta. The truck will roam the property, complete with three flatscreen monitors showing video of the hotel’s amenities.

“It’s a truck that we are going to use to feature lots of different venues in the resort,” said Thomas Connell, the resort’s executive chef. “We are going to use it for special events, barbecues, LIV [nightclub] after-hours … wherever our customers need it really.”

Costs range per builder, but a used food truck can cost $3,000 to $20,000, depending on the mileage, year, condition and size, which can be 16 or 18 feet long. Fully-loaded new trucks can run as much as $100,000. Generally, vendors find the trucks for the client, but a customer can bring a truck to a contractor and have it outfitted with equipment.

Workers strip the rear (or the box) of the truck, install aluminum walls and diamond-plated flooring. They add stainless-steel counters, refrigerators, sinks and deep fryers, or whatever the client requests. Some owners add LED lights on their roofs and flat screens to promote their menus to potential passers-by.

Concession Nation, which features its work on fastfoodtruck.com, also wraps the exterior of the vehicle to brand the food and services.

“You have a brand-new truck inside and, plus, you have free advertising whenever you hit the road,” said Monica Gonzalez, chief financial officer at Concession Nation. A typical job there lasts about five days.

Craig Larson, owner of Lucille’s Bad to the Bone BBQ in Boca Raton and Boynton Beach, wanted a food truck as a side catering business to bring his culinary fare to office workers daily.

“We realized there was as significant truck scene going on down in [Miami-Dade] but didn’t see a lot of it in Palm Beach,” he said.

So last year he sought the services of Concession Nation, which transformed a 2001 GMC 28-foot-long step van used for flower deliveries in Disney World into Lucille’s on Wheels, a black food truck bedecked with the image of a smiling red-headed woman carrying a tray of food.

“We wanted to do something whimsical, slightly southern, slightly risque. The whole deal with the truck was to have fun,” said Larson, whose mobile unit houses a three-compartment sink, two fryers and a 4-foot grill that makes barbecue chicken nachos and fries slicked in gravy. “It’s a whole rebirth for that truck from what it did originally.”

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-food-truck-builders-20130306,0,5442847.story

Your Food Truck generator has served you well in helping you “find your away” this year. Now it’s time to return the favor with a winterization service. Cummins Onan wants to help with a 10% discount on orders for maintenance items purchased online from our Cummins Onan store.

This special offer runs from October 2 – November 30, 2012. Our Cummins Onan online store is stocked with oil, oil filters, fuel filters, air filters, spark plugs, points or condensers. If you have a gasoline-fueled generator, this would be a good time to get our Onan premium fuel system cleaner and OnaFresh fuel stabilizer.

Take good care of your Food Truck generator, so it will be ready to give you another season of adventure and fun next year. To take advantage of this special offer, just visit CumminsOnanStore.com, enter promotion code winter10 and receive a 10% discount on your order.

Related posts:

1. Don’t miss the limited-time offer for 10% off on Food Truck generator parts from Cummins Onan Elkhart!
2. Time running out for $100 discount on EnergyCommand EC-30W autostart controls from Cummins Onan
3. $100 discount during July and August on EnergyCommand® EC-30W autostart controls from Cummins Onan online store
4. Keep your Cummins Onan Food Truck generator in top condition with regular service and genuine Green Label Parts.
5. Tips from Cummins Onan for a top-quality spring Food Truck tune-up

Many restaurants have a commercial fryer in their kitchen and one cannot sit around waiting for a slow fryer to properly cook food and when a commercial fryer breaks down, it can damage the efficiency of the restaurant’s operation. That’s why it’s important to perform regular maintenance on your fryers.

Regularly filter the oil.

All fryers have a cold zone where the oil is not heated and the loose debris is allowed to settle. When the commercial fryer’s cold zone is filled with debris, the particles float up into the hot zone of the fryer and are re-fried, most of the time resulting in small burnt pieces. This causes your oil to become contaminated and it is also the reason that product taste transfer occurs.

Maintaining your oil properly requires diligence, but your efforts will be rewarded with reduced costs in replacing oil. When cleaned twice a day, oil will last approximately three weeks, while oil that is not filtered may only last three days three days.

Change the oil frequently.

A clean mobile kitchen is a safe kitchen, for both customers and employees. It's also a legal mobile kitchen

Rule #1: Create a System

It helps to have a system, including checklists for the supplies you need and the tasks that need to be completed. Here’s how to start.

1. Make a list of every area in the kitchen that needs to be cleaned, including room/station descriptions (the bar, walk-in, pantry, etc.) and major equipment (such as prep tables, stoves and refrigerators).
2. Record each cleaning task for every area you listed, such as clearing the surface, scrubbing, disinfecting, mopping, emptying garbage and rotating stock.
3. Assign a daily, weekly or monthly status to each cleaning task (see Rule #2). For example, sweeping and mopping should happen at least daily, while rotating stock is usually a weekly activity.
4. Create a daily checklist for each station; employees should use these lists at closing and as side work during lulls in business.
5. Schedule weekly tasks according to when they need to be done, such as rotating stock when new stock comes in. Schedule other tasks for slower times, for instance between the lunch and dinner shift behind the service bar. Arrange the daily schedule and staffing for those days so that there are time and personnel to get it done.
6. Schedule monthly tasks at the most appropriate time (the 20th of the month, for example, or the third Thursday of every month). Schedule extra hours as necessary, before or after a shift, for time-consuming tasks, or bring in personnel specifically for the job.
7. Train all employees and new hires on the cleaning system. Make it the responsibility of shift supervisors and managers to check that all parts of your cleaning list are accomplished before they release staff at end of shift.

Rule #2: Use Checklists

A checklist detailing the how, what, where and who will accomplish each task is very helpful and prevents cleaning jobs from being “forgotten” during the heat of battle. Post these lists where the appropriate staff can see them. Leave nothing to chance.

Rule #3: Clean First, Then Sanitize

What’s the difference? Cleaning is the process of removing food and other types of soil from a surface, such as a dish, glass, or cutting board. Cleaning is accomplished using a cleaning agent that removes food, soil, rust stains, minerals, or other deposits.

Sanitizing, on the other hand, refers to the process of reducing the number of microorganisms that are on a properly cleaned surface to a safe level (defined as a 99.999% reduction of the number of disease microorganisms that are of public health importance). Sanitizing is accomplished by using either heat, radiation (used more in food processing and packaging, rather than foodservice), or chemicals.

Unless the item to be sanitized is effectively cleaned first, it is impossible to obtain close contact between the sanitizer and the surface to the sanitized. Also, some chemical sanitizers, such as chlorine and iodine, react with organic matter and so will be less effective when the surface is not properly cleaned.

Rule #4: Sweat the Small Stuff

The average mobile food vehicle is made up of dozens if not hundreds of moving parts—most of which need to be cleaned. Some of these parts are big and obvious: the floors, the grill, the freezer. But there are also lots of smaller items, from knife racks and cutting boards to cash registers, P.O.S., and dispensers which must be kept clean.

Thus the necessity for creating procedures, checklists and areas of responsibility for everything that needs to be cleaned.

GET STARTED: For more information on cleaning schedules, plus sample checklist templates from restaurant-training-manuals.com, click here.

http://www.nestleprofessional.com/united-states/en/SiteArticles/Pages/Four-Rules-for-A-Cleaner-Kitchen.aspx

Winterizing your truck is an essential part of maintaining it and keeping unnecessary costs down. As a business owner you’ll want to save as much as possible and prolong the life of your biggest business investment, your truck. Maintaining your truck and preparing it for winter driving is something you will need to plan for in advance and do each year without fail. Operating a commercial vehicle during adverse weather and winter conditions can be dangerous as well as costly.

1. • 1

     Begin by collecting items that will help you to survive in the event your vehicle becomes stranded because of adverse weather. Extra food, blankets and other medical and survival supplies should be part of your winterization plan.

   • 2

     Inspect your vehicle thoroughly for damage or worn parts and replace as needed. Examine the truck in a systemic pattern to ensure you cover all areas thoroughly; some inspections will overlap. Write out a checklist in advance and revise it as needed to add areas and notes in the event additional parts or service is required. Begin with the front of the truck and work around the truck in a clockwise manner much as you would during a pre-trip and post-trip inspection.

   • 3

     Check the engine compartment for any loose, worn or damaged wires and hoses. Inspect the hoses for any bulges, which might indicate possible weak spots; check hose clamps to ensure they are secure and not damaged. Inspect the radiator for leaks and add winter blend antifreeze. Test the freeze point and additive concentration. Inspect the belts and replace as needed. Check the oil and oil block heater unit. Add winter blend wiper fluid and inspect wiper blades; replace as needed.

   • 4

     Test the air compressor and air dryer system; drain any water from the air tanks. Inspect the values and check system operation. Check the air lines for any water traps and leaks. Drain the air reservoirs periodically and do not add any fluids to the air lines. Use the dummy air line connectors on the rear of the cab when not connected to a trailer to prevent debris and excess water from getting into the system. Do not add methanol in the air lines on modern air dryer systems as this will damage the internal components.

   • 5

     Check the heater system and replace the in cab filter. Test heater performance and inspect vents and heater door panels to insure they are operating correctly. In older trucks, a valve on the engine has to be opened to permit heated water to flow through the system.

   • 6

     Inspect the electrical system. Check the alternator, starter and batteries. Check the condition of the batteries and perform a load test of each one. Inspect the electrical wiring for frays or other damage. Check the truck and trailer thoroughly and insure that you have emergency fuses on hand. Periodically inspect for any loose, exposed or hanging wires where ice and snow can collect.

   • 7

     Check the fuel system and insure there is no water in the diesel fuel. Check water separator and ensure that it is operating properly. Add winter fuel additive to the system to prevent the fuel from gelling in extreme cold weather.

   • 8

     Check the exhaust system to insure there are no leaks. A leaking exhaust system can result in dangerous fumes entering the sleeping area of the truck.

   • 9

     Inspect tires thoroughly and make certain they are inflated to the proper pressure rating. Check the tire chains for worn, twisted or damaged links; also ensure that you have the proper number and size of chains required for your truck.

The ultimate kitchen remodel The RESET Field Feeding/Services Team of the Integrated Logistics Support Center gets field kitchens back up and running.

Equipment such as this Mobile Kitchen Trailer sometimes come back from the field battered, but the RESET Field Feeding/Field Services Team saves the Army millions by repairing them whenever possible rather than buying new units.

ANYONE who has ever tackled a kitchen remodel knows that it can be a daunting project. Try doing it more than a thousand times.

Talk about kitchen nightmares.

John Oswald has been through the process that often. And the renovations he arranges involve more than simple updates.

As RESET Field Feeding/Field Services Team leader with the Integrated Logistics Support Center at Natick Soldier Systems Center, Oswald has overseen the refurbishment of 1,375 Mobile Kitchen Trailers, 104 Containerized Kitchens and 99 Laundry Advanced Design Systems returning from Iraq and Afghanistan since 2004.

“This was an opportunity, because of the wars, that we were able to fix equipment to almost brand new,” Oswald said. “It’s not brand new, but it’s pretty close.”

According to Oswald, prior to 2004, field kitchens didn’t go through reset.

A Mobile Kitchen Trailer is ready to return to service after reset. The RESET Field Feeding/Field Services Team has reset 1,375 Mobile Kitchen Trailers since 2004, saving the Army millions of dollars.

“Kitchens (were) not high enough in the Army’s priority to repair,” Oswald said. “They’re going to fix the tanks and the airplanes and all that.”

Because the MKTs have not been produced since 1995, plenty needed updating and repair. With no new model planned, MKTs could remain in the field for another quarter-century.

“If the Army had to buy MKTs new, you’d buy them for $105,000,” said Oswald, adding that one unit can be reset for only $44,000.

Reset saves even more money with other items: The LADS costs $701,000 new, $188,000 to reset, and the CK is $235,000 new, reset for $128,000.

Of course, the RESET team can’t salvage everything.

“Many of these (items) return from (Southwest Asia), (and we) can’t even fix them,” Oswald said. “They’re bent, broken. They are used for parts.”

Still, the RESET Team has saved the Army millions of dollars over the past seven years. Even more important, its members have reacted quickly at times to improve the lives of Soldiers in theater.

“They go over and either they don’t have the equipment or they don’t take it with them because they’re going to fall in on some other unit’s equipment,” said Oswald of deploying units. “They fall in on something that’s been over there for a long time. It doesn’t work.

“We try to send them, A, parts, or, B, substitute new for old, if we can do it. We get calls probably every week from overseas.”

Last year, when Oswald helped get 58 Modern Burner Units, 150 MBU tool kits and 10 food sanitation centers shipped to Afghanistan within a week of a request, a food service officer responded: “It’s Christmas in July–thank you very much.”

http://www.army.mil/article/66484/The_ultimate_kitchen_remodel/

Accompanying this increase is the rising costs per crash. The USDOT funded a study through the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) to determine the average costs of medium and heavy truck crashes.

The study found that: An average truck accident cost $91,112 in 2005.

* Crashes involving truck-tractors with two or three trailers accounted for the most costly crashes averaging $289,549 per crash.

* Truck crashes involving trucks with no trailers and straight trucks cost an average of $56,296 per crash.

* Truck crashes that involved a fatality cost nearly $3,604,518 per crash.

* Whereas, truck crashes involving injury-only crashes averaged at $195,258 per crash.

While the costs of fatal and non-fatal accidents have been considered shockingly high by some, the study noted that these cost estimates excluded additional factors such as:

* mental health costs

* roadside furniture repair costs

* cargo delays

* earnings lost by family and friends involved in or caring for truck accident victims

* the value of schoolwork lost was also not factored

Because of these exclusions, the estimated truck accident costs may even be considerable higher than estimated by the USDOT.

Seeking Assistance after a Truck Accident

It is often difficult for an individual to gauge the devastation that has just occurred after a truck collision. It is important that an individual who has suffered from a truck accident seeks medical attention immediately.

While an individual may feel no pain after an accident, their injuries may be internal and an examination by a medical professional immediately following an accident can ensure that the appropriate safety precautions are taken.

Additionally, it may be necessary for a truck accident victim to consult an experienced truck accident attorney for legal purposes, which may include a legal consultation for a potential truck accident lawsuit.

Developing a truck accident lawsuit may seem to be a drastic measure by some, but when considering the costs associated with a truck accident, whether fatal or non-fatal, it can be deemed a necessary step, one that may provide monetary compensation in return for damages following a truck collision.

Refrigerated Truck Repair

Obtaining insurance for your truck is very essential not only to those trucking professionals, however also to other individuals who own trucks for personal uses. Using trucks would even let you spend money for its operating costs and maintenance. Your trucks might also encounter surprising accidents and could require you to repair or maybe replace some of its components or maybe the whole truck itself. This is one among the main reasons why you must get insurance for your trucks. These insurances can cover the prices when these circumstances come your way.

How much ever we are cautious in driving, we cannot really be assured that no accidents will happen to us at all. Unavoidable accidents could actually come our way while we’re driving on the road. When these accidents happen, it might certainly be a headache for a few truck owners as they’re also spending cash for the truck’s operational costs.

This can be where truck insurance companies come into picture. If you buy insurance from these companies, they would be able to take care of the maintenance cost of your trucks.

There are several truck insurance companies that may provide their services to you. As a business skilled, you must be ready to choose the right insurance company that wouldn’t cost you much cash for his or her services.

You must even take into account the quality of service which they offer. You must remember that not all commercial plans are the same. Each insurance company has its own terms and range of covering your damages.

Tow truck insurances, roadside help, and refrigeration breakdown endorsements should even be thought of since these typically come with comprehensive plans.

It’s certainly really vital for truck professionals to choose the perfect truck insurance company to cover its truck maintenance expenses. This is often a huge issue for the success of the trucking business. For these reasons, you should have top insurance brokers to help you with your search. These brokers provide truck insurance quotes for you to find out how much the insurance will cost.

.What exactly is a catering truck? Although there are many not so complementary names or descriptions, they can best and simply be described as a restaurant kitchen on wheels, or in a more legal definition, a Mobile Food Preparation Facility.

A catering truck can cook, handle open food and perform other types of food preparation normally only a restaurant could legally do. They are different from ice cream and candy trucks, produce trucks, and ice cream carts and other carts that mostly sell only prepackaged foods and limited types of unpackaged foods.

Although a catering truck is not technically the same as a restaurant in the health and safety code, the requirements are almost the same as a permanent restaurant

I will probably get hate mail for this, but I would not recommend purchasing/eating any prepared or potentially hazardous foods from a catering truck or a street vendor, even an apparently licensed and safe one. The most I have purchased off a catering truck is prepackaged snacks or drinks.

And here are my reasons why:

–They are inherently more dangerous than a permanent restaurant simply because of the limitations of space and power -gas or electricity- to keep the refrigerators and warming equipment up and running properly. There is a greater chance that food will be left too long in the food temperature danger zone -between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit- thereby allowing bacteria to grow to dangerous levels.

–There are greater possibilities in a catering truck of cross contamination of your ready-to-eat food with raw meats, chicken etc., again due to limited space and overstocking.

–A catering truck has to maintain a storage tank of potable (drinkable) water available throughout the day while they are away from their commissary (where they store and re-supply their truck). This supply is limited versus a permanent restaurant’s water supply. This allows a greater probability that the catering truck will run out of water, or just as bad, the owner or operator limiting their use of it so it can last longer throughout the day. Both cases are not uncommon and this translates to not washing utensils, equipment, hands, etc., thoroughly or often enough.

–The inspector rarely spends the same amount of quality time inspecting a catering truck than a permanent restaurant. This is mainly due to time factors. Many catering trucks do not spend very long in any one place. An inspector has to get in, observe, test and take notes, get out, write up the report and then review it with the owner/operator and have them sign it before the catering truck leaves for the next stop. There are more pressures on everyone in this situation. It’s unfortunate, but this is the reality of this type of business.

–Lastly, the number of permit suspensions also do not reflect a pretty picture for catering trucks and street vendors. Permit suspension, for all types of food facilities, means an automatic closure and is almost always due to the presence of a high risk violation, such as severe temperature abuse, vermin etc., or operating without a valid public health permit.
For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, Los Angeles County Environmental Health Vehicle Inspection Program conducted 9,615 routine inspections of catering trucks and street vendors. The number of permit suspensions for this time period was 2,636 (the majority of which were catering trucks). The closure rate is 27%, meaning for every four inspections, one will result in a closure. This does not include illegal or unpermitted trucks and carts, which are almost ubiquitous in Los Angeles County and are closed immediately when found.

To compare with restaurants: Los Angeles County Environmental Health Food Inspection Program conducted 46,978 routine inspections of restaurants for the same period. The number of suspended permits was 1,072. A closure rate of 2.3%.

The conclusion one has to make is that catering trucks, and other vehicles, carts etc., are more likely to be operating with a severe or high risk health code violation (resulting in the suspension and closure) than a restaurant. This translates into a greater risk of food poisoning or food-borne illness. Since most people do not report their food borne illness (this seems to especially apply to those that patronize trucks and carts), it is difficult to get a percentage of food borne illnesses directly related or attributed to trucks and carts. But based on what we know are the main causes and sources of food poisoning or food borne illness, one has to conclude that the risk of contracting such an illness is much higher from eating prepared foods off a catering truck than a restaurant.

If you still dare to tempt fate, here are some basic requirements of a catering truck and things to look out for as a customer. If you see any of these I strongly recommend that you think again about ordering something from this truck or cart.

–The business name or name of the operator, city, state, zip code must be legible, clearly visible to patrons, and permanently affixed to the customer side, and in most cases to both sides of the truck. If this basic information is missing, the vehicle is most likely operating illegally i.e., without a public health permit.

–A valid public health permit must be posted in a conspicuous place for you to see. Look for an expiration date and that the business name on the permit matches the name on the side of the truck. There may also be other identifying information on the permit such as the license plate. The posting of a valid permit from the local Environmental Health program in a conspicuous place actually applies to all retail food facilities including restaurants and markets in California and probably many, if not most states. It is more important to look out for with a catering truck or street vendor because there is a much greater likelihood of these types of mobile businesses operating illegally, or without a permit, than a permanent restaurant or market.

–No liquid wastes or water can be leaking or draining onto any street, sidewalk or premises.

–All food condiments or any food offered for customer self-service must be protected from all types of contamination, such as people sneezing, coughing, as well as bugs, dust or any possible overhead contamination.

–No food or drinks made or prepared at home or any other unapproved, unlicensed sources, can be sold to the public from any vehicle. (This also applies to all restaurants, catering trucks, and food markets.)

–If the catering truck is conducting business for more than one hour in the same location, there must be an approved and readily available toilet and handwashing facility for the catering truck staff. It can not be a home or house, but a publicly accessible and/or department approved facility.

–All food operators must also follow the same requirements regarding good health and hygiene, just as if they were working in a restaurant kitchen.

–The vehicle must, of course, be free of all vermin, including flies and live animals at all times.

–All windows and doors must be in good repair and be provided with screens or flaps to prevent the entrance of flies. Pass through windows should be covered when not in use and self-closing screens are required on the exterior of pass though openings.

The vehicle should be in good working and structural condition. It should not be broken down, such as a flat tire, where it is now no longer mobile and cannot readily make it back to its commissary. A broken down condition by itself may not be a violation or risk, but the problem lies in that fact that that the vehicle has limited power and/or gas and can not maintain potentially hazardous food indefinitely at the proper temperatures.

Commercial truck insurance is intended to cover the needs of drivers and trucking companies in case the unforeseeable happens.  Accidents can lead to huge repair bills for yours and others’ equipment.  It can also cause bodily injury that also must be paid for.

While all drivers and motor carriers in the truck industry realize the need for truck insurance coverage, they also recognize how specialized these policies need to be.  Different facets of the industry require different levels of coverage.  A company that hauls refrigerated produce, for instance, will have different coverage needs than one that ships hazardous chemicals.

Likewise, trucks that are used to tow other vehicles have special truck insurance needs.  Since tow trucks have much different operating capacities than traditional semi-trucks, it’s important to create policies that are relevant to tow trucks non-cargo applications.

Tow Truck Insurance

As the name suggests, tow truck insurance is specifically tailored to meet the needs of tow truck owners and operators.  It covers the cost of damage to another vehicle while being towed.  Damage can occur very easily, even if the driver is exceptionally careful.

Independent tow truck drivers and those who run towing companies need this insurance to cover the cost of damages to their trucks as well as to the vehicles they pull.

How Much Coverage Is Necessary?

The biggest factor in considering the level of tow truck insurance coverage you need is the amount you intend to use the tow truck.  If your business is primarily built around towing other vehicles, you should consider a high degree of coverage.

Conversely, if you only use it in a limited capacity to tow vehicles from your lot to your garage, you can purchase a smaller amount at a lower price.  In the end, it’s up to you to decide how much coverage you need to keep your towing business running smoothly.

Truck Refrigeration Repair

Start up equipment and truck business loans, capital, financing, leasing with credit problems are still available in these economic times.

This article is going to discuss what is equipment and truck loans, leasing/financing, what are its benefits, leasing plans and how it relates to the start up business.

Additionally, we will show you lending requirements below for start up loans

Leasing is a form of renting but with a buyout clause at the end of the lease to take title to whatever we are leasing. The requirements to get into the lease may be as low as first and last payment and as much as 25%. Each situation is different and this offers the start up and seasoned business a way to invest very little monies into the business. Additionally, all other monies can be used for operating expenses such as marketing and other key areas. Leasing is not a new form of financing but could be a lending solution to the start up business.

The small sample of type of start up industries that leasing, business loans and financing can be used for are the following:

Dump, garbage, tow, flatbed, water trucks, over the road trucks and day cabs, heavy and construction equipment such as bulldozers, tractors, excavators, skid steer loaders, backhoes, flatbed, drop deck, refrigerated, dry van trailers, and industries which include limousines, limousine and shuttle buses, and machinery and production equipment.

The benefits of leasing may result in off-balance sheet financing reporting, tax incentives and conserving cash flow and preserving lines of credit for working capital purposes. Many leasing requirements may only require the initial outlay of first and last rental payment. Most leases finance 100% of the cost of the equipment such as soft costs which include shipping, software, training and installation. Additionally, leasing lets you regularly upgrade your equipment, eliminating your utilization of old, outdated equipment and reducing repair options.

Some of the leasing plans available to the lessee are $1.00, 10% or 20% purchase options as well as Trac Leases and FMV lease buyouts. Additionally, some lenders offer seasonal payments, deferred payments for ninety days, declining payments and half payments for a specified time period. It is important that the lessee understands all these different lease plans available as well as the buyout clauses. The lessee has many options to consider in negotiating his lease. He must understand each lender’s requirements and see if it fits within the realm of the lessee’s requirements.

Some lenders will accept the start up business whereas others will not want to lend to this group. They consider that their risk capital can be invested in other types of portfolios that can be better served. Many lenders require full documentation which includes a couple of years of personal income tax returns, a personal financial statement, and other underwriters requirements. However, in the past couple of years, there is a select group of lenders out there require an application only program. These lenders have their own computer scoring model and eliminate the necessary additional paperwork of other lenders.

These application only programs are usually restricted to the seasoned business, however there are a few out in the industry which will work with the start up business as well. The amounts of the application only program run as high as $150,000 for the seasoned business and $10,000 for the start up. Additionally, the lender will lease the qualified asset probably from 36-60 months and many won’t finance any equipment and commercial vehicles over ten years old.

It is important to understand the lease terms, the rate factor the lender is charging and the buyout clauses in the lease to take title. If you anticipate paying off the lease early, you should consult your lender to ascertain there is no prepayments for a early payoff. The last thing to understand that the lessee is going to guarantee the lease.