Your food truck is your pride and joy and just happens to also be your restaurant on wheels, so it needs special insurance to keep your business moving. Since this means combining a business owner’s policy (BOP) with a commercial auto policy, it can be hard to find quality food truck insurance.
We’ve researched more than 20 different insurers to find the six best food truck insurance companies. These are the highest-scoring insurers based on our rubric of evaluating their financial stability, customer satisfaction, convenience, and policies offered:
- FLIP: Best overall for food truck insurance
- Next Insurance: Best for food trucks that work festivals and events
- Thimble: Best for BOP
- Progressive: Best for commercial auto insurance
- CoverWallet: Best for comparison shopping
- Hiscox: Best for food trucks that take online orders
Best Food Truck Insurance Companies Compared
Company | Quote Process | Accessibility | Instant Certificate of Insurance (COI) | Financial Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|
Online | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mountain time | ✓ | A+ (Superior) | |
Online or over the phone | Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time | ✓ | A- (Excellent) | |
Online or via the app | Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time | ✓ | A- to A (Excellent) | |
Online or over the phone | 24/7 call center | ✕ | A+ (Superior) | |
Online or over the phone | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET | ✓ | A (Excellent) to A+ (Superior) | |
Online or over the phone | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. MT | ✓ | A (Excellent) | |
FLIP: Best Overall for Food Truck Insurance
Pros
- Near instant online quote
- Purchase insurance online
- Create COIs for event venues
Cons
- No 24/7 call center
- Claims handled by third party
- No commercial auto coverage available
Standout Features
- Simple and easy system for building coverage
- Dedicated agent to help you manage your policy
- Affordable options for food truck and equipment insurance
- Add free and unlimited additional insureds for festivals and events
Financial stability: The policy is through Great American Insurance Group (GAIG). It is financially stable, as AM Best rated GAIG an A+ (Superior).
Food Liability Insurance Program (FLIP) is our overall best insurance company for food trucks. Its target audience is any small business in the food space, but one of its key industries is food trucks. It has created an extremely simple, easy, and affordable way to purchase insurance for a food truck.
It provides key coverages beginning at $25.92 monthly. It offers the key policies a food truck needs, like product liability, and you can add or expand coverage simply by clicking. After just a few minutes, a policy is ready to be bought. After purchasing, your policy documents, including the COI, are available. If you need quality coverage quickly, FLIP is the best provider for you.
As its name suggests, its primary offering is liability insurance. While it does have some coverage for equipment and a food trailer, you will need to look elsewhere if you want to insure the actual truck. A great option for that would be Progressive.
After answering five questions, we had a quote for $888 annually. The quote included a general liability policy with limits of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate and equipment coverage of $10,000 with a deductible of $250. Finally, we selected a liability endorsement for our trailer for a flat fee of $150.
FLIP’s liability policy is designed to offer broad coverage for food trucks. It includes personal and advertising injury, $300,000 for damage to rented premises, and $5,000 for medical expenses.
FLIP does not have a 24/7 dedicated call center. However, you do have 24/7 online access to your policy documents, including filing a claim, through the account dashboard. The online dashboard allows you to add additional insureds at no extra cost, and you can get an instant COI if a specific venue needs it for your truck.
Coverage is available in 50 states. Online, you can get a quote and purchase a policy in minutes. There are also licensed noncommissioned-based agents available if you have any questions or prefer to speak with someone.
If you have a loss, file the claim through your account dashboard, and within three days, an adjuster from GAIG will be in touch.
Next Insurance: Best for Food Trucks That Work Festivals & Events
Pros
- Instant and unlimited COIs
- Online quote
- Same-day coverage
Cons
- Does not sell commercial auto insurance
- May have to call to complete a quote
- No 24/7 call center
Standout Features
- General liability offered with food industry-specific endorsements
- Create free and unlimited COIs in the app
- Use the app to share modified COIs with event venues nearly instantly
- Tiered coverages give you the freedom to find the right coverage
Financial stability: Next Insurance is a relatively new player in the small business insurance space; however, it is in a healthy financial position. Next Insurance’s AM Best rating is A- (Excellent).
If you’ve ever worked a at food truck festival, music festival, or some special event, you’ve probably encountered the event organizers requesting proof of insurance or requesting to be listed as an additional insured. Next Insurance is a tech-forward company that places a heavy emphasis on speed and convenience.
Through its commercial app, which is available on iOS and Android, you can create, modify, and share—in 60 seconds or less—a COI. This convenient option makes it the best insurance for food trucks that regularly work events and festivals.
It offers nearly every type of key policy a food truck would need, except for commercial auto insurance. However, a new partnership between Allstate, Allianz, and Next Insurance has been announced, with one of the forthcoming products being commercial auto insurance. In the meantime, if you are looking for auto insurance for your food truck, then check out Progressive.
When it comes to cost, the average premium for general liability is affordable and in line with what FLIP offers. According to its own data, 73% of Next Insurance customers pay between $24 and $28 a month for general liability for a food truck and 42% pay an average of $30 a month for workers’ compensation.
There are ways to save when you bundle policies with Next Insurance, although the amount saved isn’t clear. Confusingly, however, one of its pages’ sections says that you can save 25% when you bundle, but a different section indicates 10%. Either way, savings are possible, so it is worth checking out.
For food trucks, it offers a bundle of general liability and workers’ compensation. For food businesses, its general liability will include liquor liability if your truck serves alcohol.
Next Insurance is available nationwide, and while it isn’t open 24/7, its app works pretty much like a call center. Through the app, you can make changes to your policy, file a claim, track the claim, and even upload any necessary documents for the claim. As previously discussed, you can also create and share a COI as many times as you need to, at no extra cost.
Per the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), complaints filed against Next Insurance are lower than the national average, so its customers appear to be happy with their experience.
Thimble: Best for BOP
Pros
- Customized BOP for food trucks
- Quote online or via the app
- Purchase short-term coverage
Cons
- No commercial auto coverage
- Reaching anyone over the phone is very difficult
- Doesn’t handle claims directly
Standout Features
- Customized property coverage for food trucks
- Purchase insurance online or through the app for same-day coverage
- Short-term liability available for food trucks that only work on special occasions
- Easy system for managing your policy and claims
Financial stability: Thimble works with multiple providers with a financial rating that ranges from A- to A (Excellent).
Thimble is a small business insurance provider that specializes in micro businesses and ones just starting out. For food trucks, it has created a specialized BOP, which provides coverage for mobile equipment with a limit of up to $10,000 and will cover any equipment your business owns within 100 feet of the food truck when it is parked.
Its BOP also includes lost business income coverage, so if something happens and your business cannot operate, you can file a claim for the lost income. Equipment breakdown coverage is available as an add-on. This unique approach to a BOP for a food truck stood out in our research and provides a great alternative for food truck businesses needing a way to insure the equipment while also having the liability of their operation covered.
Thimble is a managing general agent (MGA), which means it is similar to a broker, so its policies are underwritten by different providers. Translation: Another company will be the one handling claims if you have a loss. So, if you prefer to have one point of contact throughout the process, then consider Next Insurance, which has a lot of similarities with Thimble, including an app. One difference is that Next Insurance has its own in-house claims team, while Thimble does not.
We were unable to get a quote for this article.
Thimble’s BOP isn’t the only option available for food truck businesses. It also has workers’ compensation insurance. You can even purchase inland marine (business personal property on its site) if you have some equipment that is more valuable than the limit the BOP carries.
During the quote process, Thimble offers flexibility in determining the limits of the coverage. It also has a number of endorsements available, making its offerings more customizable and specific to your business needs.
While Thimble states its business hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, I’ve never been able to reach anyone when calling its customer service number. However, through its app, you can manage your policy, including adding and removing coverage. You can get a quote and purchase insurance through the app without the need to speak with anyone.
Similar to Next Insurance, Thimble offers a COI tool that lets you create and share a COI nearly instantly. So, this is another good option for food trucks that are looking to work special events. Its short-term liability coverage is a convenient option for someone who has a full-time job and occasionally works fairs or festivals with a food truck.
Progressive: Best for Commercial Auto Insurance
Pros
- Online quoting
- Policy options
- Independent agents
Cons
- Have to call for your COI
- Unavailable in Alaska and Hawaii
- Higher-than-expected commercial auto complaints
Standout Features
- 24/7 claims services, so weekend accidents can be reported on the same day
- Claims are handled in-house
- Broad appetite for nearly any type of commercial vehicle or type of food truck
Financial stability: Progressive has been offering insurance since 1937 and has a record of financial security. AM Best’s rating of Progressive is A+ (Superior).
Progressive Commercial is one of the largest insurers for commercial auto in the U.S. When it comes to finding a company that has an appetite for insuring nearly any type of commercial vehicle, including a food truck, Progressive is the best carrier. It can be difficult to find a provider that offers commercial auto, let alone will insure a food truck with its added equipment but food trucks fall within Progressive’s appetite.
While it offers many of the coverages you need for your business, it functions as a broker with workers’ comp, finding a partner company for your business needs. If you have a food truck with enough employees to need workers’ comp, then you should consider a provider that offers it directly, like Next Insurance.
A commercial auto policy for your food truck with $25,000 in extra coverage for permanently installed equipment costs $270.66 monthly or $2,902 if you pay in full. While this quote does not include a general liability policy (CGL) for the business, Progressive does sell CGL.
Keep in mind while that may seem like a higher cost, this is a commercial auto policy. That means it includes liability and first-party coverage for your food truck, including the permanently installed equipment.
Progressive is the only carrier out of the ones reviewed that, when determining the cost, asked about permanently installed kitchen equipment in your food truck.
Whether you need to file a claim or manage your policy, Progressive is available 24/7.
Progressive Business Advantage® is a great way to bundle your auto with a general liability policy. This is the platform where Progressive functions like a broker, helping you find coverage with other carriers. A nice bonus of this program is that it offers discounts, even if you don’t have all of the policies through Progressive.
Unfortunately, over the course of the last year, there has been a rise in complaints filed with the state-level Department of Insurance against Progressive, specifically in the area of its commercial auto insurance. The NAIC tracks these complaints, and currently, Progressive’s level of complaints is much higher than the national average.
There is also minimal information on what you can do with online account management for your policy.
CoverWallet: Best for Comparison Shopping
Pros
- Find affordable coverage
- Shop from multiple providers online
- Policy financing program
Cons
- Claims filing process could be easier
- Does not handle claims
- No 24/7 call center
Standout Features
- Manage your account and create a COI
- Compare prices and coverage simultaneously
- Get access to its nationwide network of roadside assistance and shops
- Shop for commercial auto, property, liability, and workers’ comp
Financial stability: CoverWallet works with multiple top-rated partners (A (Excellent) to A+ (Superior). One partner is The Hartford, which has a rating of A+ (Superior).
CoverWallet, one of our best business insurance brokers and the only true broker listed in our guide, is the best option for food truck owners looking to save some money by comparing quotes from multiple top-rated carriers. After answering questions about your business, it will generate multiple quotes from many carriers, including Liberty Mutual and Chubb. The quotes provide a high-level overview of the carrier and the coverage and limits offered, along with the cost.
It took a hit in our evaluation for the inability to purchase a policy online. While it will compare quotes online for you, you have to call to purchase a policy.
A downside of working with a broker is that while it is available to help you with your policy, there will sometimes be a delay in requests because it will need to work with the provider. If you prefer to have one point of contact throughout the term of your policy, then consider a carrier like Next Insurance or Hiscox.
You can get a quote fairly quickly, in 10 minutes or less, by answering questions specific to your business. We received three quotes for general liability. All of them carried the same level of coverage: $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. Prices were presented as annual options, and even though the limits were the same, the premiums difference significantly:
- $387 from Hiscox
- $709 from Chubb
- $834 The Hartford
To purchase a policy, you have to call to finalize the process.
CoverWallet does sell commercial auto insurance, but you will need specific information on your vehicle, including the VIN, to get a quote.
After purchasing insurance, you will gain access to what is called the Self-Service Wallet. This is where you can manage your policy online and do things like request a COI, pay a bill, review your policy, or obtain information to file a claim.
Since CoverWallet is a broker, there is no overarching organization like the NAIC to track complaints. But online, customers leave it positive reviews. On eKomi[1], there are nearly 800 reviews and an average rating of 4.8 out of 5.
Hiscox: Best for Food Trucks That Take Online Orders
Pros
- Dedicated small business insurer
- In-house claims
- Online quotes
Cons
- No commercial auto coverage
- Does not operate a 24/7 call center
- Limits quoted online are sometimes very low
Standout Features
- Well-developed cyber liability insurance department
- Online account to manage your policy, claims, and create a COI
- Discounts for home-based businesses
- Purchase insurance online or call an agent for assistance
Financial stability: Hiscox has its roots going back to 1901 but has recently expanded into the small business space. It has a strong financial rating, as AM Best rated Hiscox an A (Excellent).
Dedicated small business insurer Hiscox has established itself as an authority on cybersecurity and cyber liability insurance. It publishes a regular report on the risk of cyberattacks, and with all of the data it has accumulated, it offers support services to its customers to complement the policies it has developed for cyber liability insurance.
It is the best provider for a food truck taking online orders because of cyber security insurance. It recommends this coverage as an add-on to its food truck policy.
However, it does not have a 24/7 call center and commercial auto coverage. If you are interested in a provider that is always available and has commercial auto insurance, then you should look into Progressive.
A general liability policy with a $2 million aggregate limit costs $77.10 monthly after a downpayment of $257. For an additional $250, you can add cyber security to this policy.
For food trucks, Hiscox sells general liability, commercial property, inland marine, and cyber security insurance. All of these options can be quoted online and purchased online, often for same-day coverage.
As one of the leading small business insurers, Hiscox has many convenient options to manage your policy: call, go online, or contact your agent. Online, you can file a claim and request a COI.
By looking at complaint trends, it is clear that over the past few years, Hiscox has improved in its customer service. This year, its complaints are lower than the previous two years and are lower than the national average. On its website[2], there are over 1,000 customer reviews with an average rating of 4.7 out of 5.
How We Evaluated the Best Insurance for Food Trucks
We determined which insurance companies would be the best for your food truck by utilizing our proprietary evaluation system developed in-house. We reviewed over 20 insurers and presented the six with the highest scores.
In evaluating insurance companies, we focused on the customer’s needs. We paid particular interest to convenience, financial ratings (AM Best), customer service, types of policies offered, and the overall experience as a policyholder for a specific provider.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Food truck insurance is a combination of policies that protect your business and its equipment, and it also helps any customers who may be negatively impacted by your operations. The core policies for a food truck would be general liability, commercial property, and commercial auto insurance.
General liability for a food truck can range from as little as $380 to nearly $2,000 annually. Commercial auto costs more and will usually begin around $2,500 annually.
If you’re thinking about starting a food truck business, the first step is to research the local laws to find out what is and is not permissible and what licenses you may need to apply for to start. From there, you’ll want to start thinking about your company name, logo, and menu. There are more steps, and our experts with food truck experience have put together a step-by-step guide on how to start a food truck business.
Bottom Line
Food trucks require a unique combination of liability, property, and auto insurance. We did the work and reviewed over 20 different insurers to find the best food truck insurance companies. FLIP offers the easiest and simplest way to purchase insurance for your food truck business. In minutes, you can create a policy package that fits your business needs and buy insurance.
[1]eKomi | CoverWallet
[2]Hiscox