Stay On The Road With This Fall Food Truck Maintenance Checklist

As summer is ending, it’s time to get your food truck read for fall. Today we are going to look directly at the most important part of your mobile food business…your truck. Without providing the proper maintenance, your truck could have you sidelined while you watch the final days of beautiful weather pass you by. You may not associate this season as a prime time to complete a Fall food truck maintenance checklist.

While most of the items on this checklist are geared toward winter driving, it is smarter and easier to do them during fall when the weather is usually milder. This is especially true if you operate your food truck business in the northern half of the country or in higher elevations.

Help your keep your vehicle on the road by adjusting to seasonal changes by completing this fall food truck maintenance checklist.

Fall Food Truck Maintenance Checklist:

Check your oil level. Add oil if necessary; it’s even better if you perform an oil and lube job on your truck. Be sure to use multi-grade viscosity oil for fall and winter driving.
Test your battery. You can do this for free at many auto parts stores. If it needs to be replaced, many of the stores that provide testing will install the new battery for no extra fee.
Inspect your windshield wipers. Bitter cold, snow and ice are hard on rubber blades. Again, you can find blades designed for winter at most local auto parts stores.
Top wiper fluid. Fill your windshield wiper reservoir with the proper type of windshield fluid for your climate.
Look at the level and condition of your engine coolant. If the level is low, add antifreeze. If the condition looks poor, do a flush-and-fill.
Evaluate your belts and hoses. If you see any evidence of fraying, cracking or leaking, get a new belt or hose immediately.
Consider getting a tune-up. Do this if it’s been 30,000 miles or so since your food truck’s last one. At the least, perform a visual inspection of your spark plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor.
Make sure your tires are properly inflated. When dealing with sloppy or icy road conditions, you’ll need the best traction your tires can deliver. If your tires are worn, replace them before winter arrives.
Put together a winter food truck survival kit. Jumper cables, flares, ice scrapers, road salt, flashlights, flares, blankets and first aid materials are all good to include in your kit.

The Bottom Line

Your food truck is how you are able to deliver your fantastic menu to your customers. If it won’t start or is stuck at the auto repair shop, your mobile food business is closed until you can get it back on the road. Use this Fall food truck maintenance check list to prolong the life of your kitchen on wheels.

We hope you find this fall food truck maintenance checklist handy. Share your thoughts on this topic in the comment section or social media. Twitter | Facebook

By Richard Myrick|2017-09-25T09:03:19-04:00Aug 25, 2017|Under the Hood|

About the Author: Richard Myrick

Richard Myrick is an architect by degree (Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, Michigan) who began his career in real estate development and architectural planning. In September of 2010 he created Mobile Cuisine Magazine to fill an information void he found when he began researching how to start a mobile hotdog cart in Chicago. Richard found that there was no central repository of mobile street food information anywhere on the internet, and with that, the idea for MCM was born. Richard also wrote the "Running a Food Truck for Dummies" available in bookstores everywhere and Amazon. You can reach out to Richard by email at: [email protected].