Last Updated: 12/21/2023
When food vendors like yourself insure their business, equipment, and/or products, there are often many coverages excluded from the insurance policy that are beneficial or required for them. One of the most common exclusions is food trailers.
Most general liability policies exclude incidents that occur in, on, or around your trailer, because a food trailer is defined as an automobile.
Not having liability coverage for your food trailer when it is the main workplace of your business leaves you vulnerable to claims against you or the trailer. It’s important to make sure your food trailer is insured when you do business so you’re protected if any incidents occur.
Food Liability Insurance Program (FLIP) provides a food trailer endorsement for food vendors, making sure you have the coverage you need to run your mobile food business! Learn what FLIP has to offer with our food trailer insurance and find out how to insure a food trailer today.
What Is a Food Trailer Endorsement?
A food trailer endorsement extends your general liability insurance to incidents that occur in, on, or around your food trailer. Keep in mind that these endorsements usually cover your trailer only when it is detached from your towing vehicle and parked on a rented premises.
While a trailer endorsement is technically optional, if you use one as part of your business operations, you will want to make sure it’s covered. Otherwise, you could face expensive claims related to your food trailer, including:
- A customer contracting a foodborne illness from some food you served them and suing you to pay for their medical bills.
- Someone stealing your generator when you are parked at an event.
- Your trailer leaking oil on the concrete while parked at a farmers market and the market holding you responsible to pay for the cleanup.
- A customer tripping over some of your power cords, injuring themselves, and suing you.
Having a food trailer endorsement means these claims can be mitigated or even covered entirely, so you aren’t forced to shoulder the expenses completely out of pocket.
Does a Food Trailer Need Insurance?
Yes! Claims like those mentioned above can be extremely expensive and financially damaging for your business. To properly protect your food trailer, you need these coverages:
- General liability insurance
- Product liability insurance
- Inland marine insurance (tools and equipment)
- Damage to premises rented insurance
Many venues or events that you may want to attend with your trailer will actually require you to have insurance so they are protected from your liability. They may also request that you add them to your policy as an additional insured (someone who is not the policyholder but is still covered by the policy).
With food trailer insurance from FLIP, you’ll get free and unlimited additional insureds that you can add during the checkout process or any time afterward—all completely free of charge.
How Much Is Insurance for a Food Trailer?
FLIP’s food trailer insurance starts at just $38.42 per month with the base FLIP policy as well as the endorsement. This coverage includes up to $2,000,000 in general and product liability coverage.
You may want to add additional coverages to your policy in order to customize your policy to fit the unique needs of your business, such as higher liability limits or cyber liability coverage if you store any data electronically. This will increase the cost of your policy, but they can provide more comprehensive coverage for your business.
How Do I Insure My Food Trailer?
FLIP makes insuring your food trailer easy! When selecting your business services in the application, make sure you add “Food Trailer” as one of your services. Afterward, select the limits you want to include in your policy and submit the app, all without ever needing to leave your home or talk to an agent!
Make sure your vehicle’s auto policy covers your trailer when it is attached so it’s covered while you’re on the road. If your food trailer has a license plate or vehicle identification number (VIN), you will want to verify if your auto policy still covers the trailer because many auto policies exclude trailers that have their own license plates or VIN.
If your auto policy doesn’t cover your trailer when it is attached to your vehicle, you may want to consider purchasing an auto insurance policy on your trailer as well. Please note that FLIP does not sell commercial auto insurance.
Why FLIP for Food Trailer Insurance?
FLIP provides comprehensive coverage designed for food business owners like vendors, caterers, bakers, chefs, and other food providers. Our annual policy is designed to respond in the case of a lawsuit arising out of these types of business operations.
When you purchase a policy from FLIP, you’ll receive top-tier customer service whenever you need it. Don’t just take it from us, though! Here’s what our customers have to say:
“Love the coverage for the price! Also, when you need to ask a question, someone is always available during business hours to assist you!” -LeMont A.
“This is my first time purchasing insurance of this kind, and I’m so glad I found FLIP first. Great coverage for a great price! And their customer service is top notch. The online rep patiently answered all my questions.” -Jennifer E.
“Wish we had purchased our policy through FLIP years ago. Same coverage as the other insurer, only have the cost! And everything is done online, with a rep to assist if needed. Great customer service. Very happy with our decision to switch.” -Bobby J.
FLIP is proud to be a leader within the insurance space and has been ranked as the best insurance for food trailers in 2023 by Investopedia. We’re proud to offer coverage nationwide, so you can always count on FLIP to keep you covered.*
*FLIP is currently unavailable in Missouri
Protect Your Food Trailer With FLIP Today!
With food trailer insurance from FLIP, you’ll have the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have coverage when you’re hit with a claim. We’re here to support you every step of the way and wish you the best of luck with your food vendor business!
By Alex Hastings
Alex is a Marketing Copywriter at Food Liability Insurance Program (FLIP). In her free time, she enjoys reading, birding, traveling, and finding any excuse to get brunch.
