Food Truck Health Inspection Checklist

Run through this on the morning of every operating day. The 8 categories below are listed in the order most inspectors check them. The first 3 (temperature, handwashing, sanitization) account for roughly 70% of all violations cited.

Truck name

Operator

Date

Permit #

Commissary name

Next renewal

1. Temperature control

Top violation category: 35-40% of all cites

Cold-held food at 41F (5C) or below; probe 3-5 random items
Hot-held food at 135F (57C) or above; steam table, soup wells
Cooking temps hit code: poultry 165F, ground meat 155F, whole muscle 145F
Cooling met: 135F to 70F in 2 hrs, then to 41F in another 4 hrs
Probe thermometer calibrated weekly in ice water (reads 32F)
Thermometer visible inside every cold-holding unit
Date-marked TCS food held >24 hrs; discarded after 7 days at 41F or lower

2. Handwashing

Most common shut-down trigger

Hot water at handwash sink reaches 100F (38C)
Handwash sink used only for handwashing (no dishes, no veg)
Liquid soap dispenser stocked
Disposable paper towels in dispenser; no cloth
Handwash sign posted in employee view
Employees observed handwashing at required moments

3. Sanitization

3-compartment sink set up and labeled (wash, rinse, sanitize)
Sanitizer concentration tested: Cl 50-200 ppm, QA 200-400 ppm, I 12.5-25 ppm
Test strips available and demonstrated to inspector
Wiping cloths held in sanitizer solution between uses
Food contact surfaces sanitized at least every 4 hours
Cutting boards free of deep grooves, stains, cracks

4. Cross-contamination

Raw meat below ready-to-eat (RTE > fish > beef/pork > ground > poultry)
Color-coded or separate cutting boards for raw protein vs produce
Utensils kept separate by food type (tongs for raw chicken stay raw)
No bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food
Ice scoop stored with handle out of the ice; no cups, glasses, or bare hands
Food covered or protected during transport, storage, display
Spillage and drip pans cleaned between food types

5. Employee health & hygiene

Certified Food Manager on site during all operating hours; card visible
All food handlers have current food handler cards
Employees not visibly ill (vomiting, diarrhea, fever, jaundice, open wound)
Person-in-charge has illness-reporting policy; Big 6 pathogens reported (Salmonella, Shigella, STEC, Hep A, Norovirus, Typhoid)
Hair restrained (hat, hairnet, visor); beard guards if applicable
Clean outer clothing or apron
No eating, drinking, smoking in food prep areas
Jewelry restricted to plain wedding band only
Staff can identify top 9 allergens (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, sesame) in each menu item

6. Water supply & waste

Potable water tank from an approved source (not a residential tap)
Water tank meets local capacity requirement (25-40 gal typical)
Waste water tank 15% larger than fresh water tank (federal standard)
Hoses are food-grade, NSF-rated (white or blue, not green garden hose)
Backflow prevention device or vacuum breaker on every water hose connection
Waste water disposed at approved location; receipt or log available
Trash and recycling contained with lid closed when not in active use

7. Equipment & facility

All equipment NSF-listed or equivalent
No tape patches on coolers, no broken fridge door seals
Surfaces smooth, durable, easily cleanable (no bare wood in prep area)
Ventilation hood clean, filters in place, no grease buildup
Lighting adequate; bulbs in food prep areas shielded or shatter-proof
Floor, walls, ceiling clean, including behind the grill
No pest droppings, gnaw marks, or live insects
All openings sealed or screened
Cleaning chemicals, soaps, sanitizers, pesticides stored in a separate cabinet or shelf below food, utensils, packaging

8. Required documentation

Easiest to ace; commonly cited because forgotten

Current health permit posted or available
Certified Food Manager card visible
Food handler cards for all employees on file
Commissary agreement letter current
Fire suppression certificate current

Daily routine

Night before

Pre-cool all coolers; verify 41F or below before loading
Calibrate probe thermometer in ice water (32F)
Refill soap, sanitizer chemical, paper towels
Confirm waste water tank empty, fresh water tank full
Place all permits in a single binder on the prep counter

Morning of service

Probe-check 5 random cold items and 2 random hot items; log temps
Run hot water at handwash sink 60 seconds; confirm 100F
Date-mark every container of prepared food (item, date, time)
Run a sanitizer test strip on the 3-comp sink; photo for the log
Wipe down all food contact surfaces with fresh sanitizer

Every 2 hours during service

Re-probe one cold item, one hot item every 2 hours
Refresh sanitizer bucket and wiping cloths every 2 hours

End of night closeout

Date-mark and label every leftover TCS container (item, prep date, discard date)
Drain fresh-water tank if temperature will drop below freezing overnight
Empty waste-water tank at approved disposal point; save the receipt
Wipe down all food contact surfaces with fresh sanitizer (final rotation)
Lock fire suppression system check; confirm no open flames before key-off
File the day's sales log and cleaning log in the permit binder

If you fail: 4-step recovery path

Priority violations get a 24 to 72 hour shutdown. Correct, document with photos and receipts, request re-inspection in writing (typically a 30 to 50% re-inspection fee).
Non-priority violations get a written notice and a 30-day correction window. No shutdown.
Three failures in 12 months commonly trigger permit suspension review. Track every cite.
Closure orders are appealable. You typically have 5 to 10 business days to file a written appeal with documentation.

Self-walk notes: things to fix before next service

Use this space for issues you spot during your own walk-through, or to log inspector cites.

Track every permit so it never expires under you

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