Food Truck Daily Prep Checklist
Food trucks live and die by prep. There is no walk-in to run to, no second fryer if the first goes down, no back office to disappear into. Whatever you load in the morning is what you serve. If you forgot the onions, you are out of onions until tomorrow.
Pre-Shift Prep at the Commissary
Most municipalities require commissary prep before service. Even if yours does not, doing prep at a real kitchen instead of in the truck is faster and safer.
- Confirm health permit and license are current and visible
- Receive and date all incoming inventory
- Portion proteins, sauces, and toppings into labeled containers
- Sharpen knives and sanitize cutting boards
- Charge the POS, square reader, and any tablets
- Confirm propane and generator fuel levels
Loading the Truck
Loading is when most food trucks lose time. A messy load means you reach for the wrong thing during the rush.
Cold items first. Proteins, dairy, anything that has to stay below 40 degrees goes in last so it comes out first when you reach the location.
Heavy items low. A 50-pound bag of flour on a top shelf is a back injury waiting to happen.
Common reach items at hip height. Tongs, ladles, squeeze bottles, gloves. Anything you grab every two minutes should be where your hand naturally falls.
Arrival on Location
Once you park, the clock starts. You have a short window to set up before the first customer shows up.
- Level the truck and chock the wheels
- Connect to power or fire up the generator
- Bring the grill, fryer, and warmers up to temperature
- Log all temperatures in the food safety log
- Set out the menu board and any signage
- Open the service window and confirm the POS connection
Service Reset
Between rushes, reset the line. Wipe surfaces, restock toppings, drain the fryer crumbs, top off sauce containers. A five-minute reset every hour saves you a 20-minute scramble during the dinner push.
End of Service
- Cool and store all proteins and prepared foods
- Drain fryers and filter oil if needed
- Wipe and sanitize every surface
- Empty trash and grease traps
- Log waste and remaining inventory
- Return to commissary for deep clean and overnight storage
How MyTeamTasks Helps
Running a food truck means running a kitchen in 80 square feet with a team of two or three. There is no room for a manager standing over a clipboard. A shared digital checklist on a phone means the cook, the runner, and the cashier all see the same prep list and the same closing duties. Nobody asks "did you do this?" because the answer is right there.
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Turn your checklists into a real system your whole team follows, with photo proof and real-time monitoring.