Food Safety Checklists for Food Trucks: Templates and Guide

Environmental health officers inspect food trucks with the same rigour as restaurants. The difference is that everything happens in a smaller space with more potential for cross-contamination, temperature abuse, and hygiene shortcuts. A structured daily checklist is the simplest way to stay compliant and protect your Food Hygiene Rating.

This guide provides practical checklists you can use daily, plus a breakdown of what inspectors actually check.

Daily Opening Checklist

Run through this before every trading session:

Temperature control

• Fridge running at 5°C or below
• Freezer running at -18°C or below
• Probe thermometer calibrated and available
• Hot holding equipment preheated to 63°C+

Hygiene and cleanliness

• Handwashing station stocked (hot water, soap, paper towels)
• All food contact surfaces cleaned and sanitised
• Separate chopping boards available for raw and ready-to-eat food
• Waste bins emptied and lined
• Floor area clean and free of trip hazards

Equipment

• Gas appliances lighting correctly, no smell of gas
• Electrical equipment working, no damaged cables
• Fire extinguisher in date and accessible
• First aid kit stocked and accessible

Documentation

• HACCP records up to date
• Temperature log ready
• Allergen information available for customers
• Gas safety certificate (CP44) in the truck
• Public liability insurance certificate accessible

HACCP Essentials for Food Trucks

A written HACCP plan (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is a core part of food safety management. Environmental health officers check this at every inspection — not having one is likely to result in a poor hygiene rating.

Your HACCP plan needs to cover:

1. Hazard analysis Identify food safety hazards at each step: delivery, storage, preparation, cooking, serving. For a food truck, key hazards include cross-contamination in a confined space, temperature abuse during transport, and allergen management.

2. Critical control points (CCPs) The points where hazards must be controlled. For most food trucks:

• Cooking temperature (core temp of 75°C for at least 2 seconds)
• Chilled storage (5°C or below)
• Hot holding (63°C or above)
• Reheating (75°C core temp in England; 82°C in Scotland)

3. Monitoring procedures How you check each CCP: probe thermometer readings, fridge temperature checks, visual inspections. Record the results.

4. Corrective actions What you do when something goes wrong: food not reaching temperature, fridge failure, contamination incident. Document the procedure.

5. Records Keep daily temperature logs, cleaning schedules, and any corrective actions taken. Inspectors want to see a paper trail.

The Food Standards Agency's Safer Food Better Business pack provides free templates you can adapt for your food truck.

What Inspectors Check

When an environmental health officer inspects your food truck, they assess three areas. Each is scored, and the combined score determines your Food Hygiene Rating (0-5).

1. Hygienic food handling

• How you store raw and cooked food (separation)
• Cooking and reheating temperatures
• Cooling procedures
• Date labelling on stored food
• Allergen management and customer communication

2. Physical condition of the unit

• Cleanliness of surfaces, equipment, and structure
• Layout and workflow (can food be prepared safely?)
• Ventilation and extraction
• Lighting
• Pest proofing
• Handwashing facilities
• Hot and cold water supply

3. Food safety management

• Written HACCP plan
• Temperature monitoring records
• Cleaning schedules
• Staff training records (food hygiene certificates)
• Supplier records and traceability

Temperature Monitoring Log

Record these at least twice daily (opening and mid-service):

Time	Fridge 1 (°C)	Fridge 2 (°C)	Freezer (°C)	Hot hold (°C)	Initials
Open
Mid

If any reading is outside the safe range, record the corrective action taken (e.g., "Fridge 1 at 7°C — adjusted thermostat, rechecked 30 mins later at 4°C").

Cleaning Schedule Template

Task	Frequency	Method	Chemical	Responsible
Food contact surfaces	After each use and between raw/cooked	Clean then sanitise	Food-safe sanitiser	All staff
Fridge interior	Weekly	Remove food, clean all surfaces	Food-safe sanitiser	Named person
Fryer (oil change)	Per manufacturer guidance	Drain, clean, refill	Fryer cleaner	Named person
Floor	Daily (end of service)	Sweep then mop	Floor cleaner	Named person
Handwash station	Daily	Clean basin and taps	Sanitiser	All staff
Waste bins	Daily (end of service)	Empty, clean, reline	General cleaner	Named person
Extraction/canopy	Monthly	Degrease and wipe	Degreaser	Named person

Common Inspection Failures

Based on common issues flagged by environmental health teams:

• No written HACCP plan — a common reason for a low hygiene rating. Even a basic one is better than none.
• No temperature records — "We check the fridge" isn't enough. Inspectors want written logs.
• Inadequate handwashing — handwash basin must have hot water, soap, and paper towels at all times. A bottle of hand sanitiser doesn't count as a substitute.
• Cross-contamination risk — raw and ready-to-eat food stored together, or same chopping board used for both.
• Out-of-date food — check use-by dates daily. Environmental health officers open the fridge.
• No allergen information — you must be able to tell customers which of the 14 allergens are in each dish, either verbally (with written backup available) or on a visible display.

Free Compliance Checker

Want a quick assessment of your overall food truck compliance? Try our free compliance checker — 10 questions covering licensing, food safety, gas safety, and insurance.

Sources

• Food Standards Agency — Safer Food Better Business
• Food Standards Agency — Food Hygiene Ratings
• GOV.UK — Food Business Registration