Before you start

• •Location confirmed and parking permit in vehicle
• •Water tank full (potable), grey tank empty
• •All prep done at commissary — no raw protein prep in the truck in public
• •Food handler certification cards on file

The procedure

Step-by-step, in order. Each step has the action and the reason it matters.

1. 1

   Park, level, and confirm generator clearance

   Level the truck — unlevel cooking surfaces cause uneven heat distribution on flat-tops. Generator exhaust must point away from the serving window and away from neighboring vendors. Exhaust inhalation complaints shut down events. Minimum 10 feet clearance from any occupied area.

2. 2

   Hook up water — confirm grey tank capacity before service

   Connect to water hookup if available at event. If operating off tank: check tank level (100-gallon tank serves approximately 150 covers). Grey tank must be at least 50% empty at service start — no grey tank dumps allowed on the street.

3. 3

   Temperature logs — cold and hot hold before first ticket

   All cold holding must be at ≤ 41°F before service starts. All hot holding must be at ≥ 135°F. Record both on the temperature log — time and reading. If cold holding is over 45°F after 30 minutes running, do not open. Product safety is not a service delay.

4. 4

   Equipment startup sequence

   Fryer oil: heat to 325°F, drop test fry (30 seconds) to confirm temp and oil condition — dark or smoking oil must be changed before service. Flat-top: heat to 375°F, oil surface, clean with scraper. Steam table: water in wells, covers on until service. Hood fan: confirm running before any open-flame cooking.

5. 5

   Mise en place — every container labeled and covered

   Every hotel pan labeled with product name and prep date before the window opens. Anything not used in 4 hours at temperature goes in a dated cold bag — not back in the main cold hold without a new date label. Label every squeeze bottle (sauce, oil).

6. 6

   Set up handwash station — board of health requirement

   Separate handwash sink with hot water, soap, and paper towels must be accessible and unobstructed at all times during service. Handwash station cannot double as prep sink or dump location. This is the most commonly cited health code violation on truck inspections.

7. 7

   Confirm menu board matches inventory — 86 before service, not during

   Count par for every menu item. If you're low on a protein or topping, 86 it before the window opens — not after the third order of it creates a customer conflict. Write it on the board and update any app listings.

8. 8

   Open window — time-stamp the first ticket

   Post the permit and food handler certifications visible from the window (required in most jurisdictions). Open the window at the confirmed time. Time-stamp the first ticket — start time is required for some event reports.

Verify when done

• ☐Cold holding ≤ 41°F logged before window opens
• ☐Hot holding ≥ 135°F logged before window opens
• ☐Handwash station accessible and stocked
• ☐Every container labeled with product and date
• ☐86 list updated before window opens

Common mistakes

• ✕Opening the window before cold hold temperature is verified
• ✕Blocking the handwash sink with prep equipment
• ✕Skipping the 86 count — creates mid-service conflicts
• ✕Not confirming grey tank capacity — getting shut down mid-service by a full tank

Trainer notes

The temperature log step is the one that protects you during a health inspection and during any food safety complaint. A written log from that morning is the difference between a warning and a fine.

Common questions