Essential Food Truck Equipment Checklist (Start Right!)

Building a food truck equipment list is more than picking a flat-top and a fryer. A working mobile kitchen — whether it's a stand-up food truck, a towable food trailer, or a coffee cart — is a system: cooking line, refrigeration, ventilation, plumbing, power, sanitation, and POS, all squeezed into 80–200 square feet and built to pass a health inspection on day one. This guide is the master checklist for food truck and food trailer equipment. It walks every category you need to budget for, links out to the deep dives for each piece of gear, and flags the rules and trade-offs that separate a truck that opens on time from one that fails inspection.

Key Takeaways

• Permits and layout come before purchases. Your local health department's mobile food unit checklist dictates sink count, water tank size, fire suppression, and propane placement. Buying gear before you have that checklist is the #1 cause of failed first inspections.
• Refrigeration and the cooking line are where you spend. A failed reach-in costs you a day of inventory and a health code violation. A weak generator costs you the lunch rush. Buy commercial-grade for both — used is fine for prep tables and shelving.
• Power, water, and waste are the three utilities that fail inspections. Generator wattage, fresh/gray tank ratio, wastewater outlet differing from fresh inlet, and a Class K extinguisher are the four items inspectors flag most often.

The Complete Food Truck Equipment List

Most trucks need gear from eight categories. Use this as your master checklist before you start writing checks.

Category	Core items	Typical budget
Cooking line	Flat-top griddle, charbroiler, deep fryer, range or burners, oven or salamander, microwave	$3,500–$12,000
Refrigeration	Reach-in or undercounter refrigerator, freezer, refrigerated prep table	$2,500–$8,000
Ventilation	Type I or II hood, exhaust fan, makeup air, fire suppression	$3,000–$10,000
Plumbing	Fresh water tank, gray water tank, water heater, 3-comp sink, hand sink	$1,200–$3,500
Power	Generator (5,000–10,000W), inverter, transfer switch, breaker box	$1,500–$6,000
Prep & smallwares	Knives, cutting boards, pans, mixing bowls, thermometers, food pans, countertop work surfaces	$500–$1,500
Service & POS	Tablet POS, card reader, receipt printer, display case, food warmer, holding cabinets	$500–$2,500
Storage & accessories	Wall cabinets, shelving, storage cabinets, food pan racks, condiment organizers	$400–$1,500
Safety & sanitation	Class K + ABC extinguishers, sanitizer, gloves, first aid, trash cans	$200–$600

Total range: roughly $13,000 on the low end to $44,000+ for a fully outfitted truck — not counting the truck itself or the build-out. New owners almost always underestimate by 30–40% because they forget plumbing, electrical, and permits.

Permits, Layout, and Local Requirements

Your equipment list isn't really yours — it's whatever your local health department's mobile food unit code says it has to be. Pull the checklist before you buy anything.

What Your Local Health Department Will Require

Every jurisdiction is different, but mobile food unit codes almost always specify:

• Number of compartments on your sink (3-comp is standard, plus a separate hand sink)
• Fresh water tank capacity (commonly 25–40 gallons minimum)
• Gray water tank size (typically 15% larger than fresh)
• Hot water requirement (usually 100°F minimum at the hand sink)
• Fire suppression system rated for your cooking line
• Propane tank placement (exterior mount or vented vapor-tight cabinet)
• Wastewater outlet size or type that differs from the fresh water inlet (prevents cross-connection)

Call your local environmental health office and ask for the mobile food unit checklist. It's free, it's specific, and it tells you exactly what to buy. The FDA Food Code is the baseline most states adapt — but counties layer on their own rules.

How to Plan Your Food Truck Layout

Layout drives speed. The standard mobile kitchen flows in three zones from front to back: cold storage and prep (refrigerated prep table, undercounter refrigerator), cooking line (griddle, fryer, range under the hood), and service window (POS, expo, holding). Keep the hand sink between cooking and service so staff can wash before plating.

Measure your interior twice. A 16' truck gives you about 10' of usable line after the driver compartment, generator bay, and tanks. That means counter-depth equipment (24"–30" deep) and undercounter refrigeration are usually mandatory — full-size reach-ins won't fit. See our deep dive on mobile kitchen design and layout planning for sample floor plans.

Get the Right Permits and Business Structure

Most owners form an LLC to separate personal assets from business liability. Once you're registered, you'll typically need:

• Business license from your city or county
• Mobile food vendor or unit permit from the health department
• Food handler / food manager certifications for staff
• Fire marshal sign-off on the suppression system and propane install
• Sales tax permit from your state revenue department
• Commissary agreement (most jurisdictions require you to operate from an approved commissary kitchen)

The SBA's permit guide is the cleanest summary of federal-level requirements. State and local rules sit on top.

The Cooking Line

This is where most of your menu lives, and where most owners overspend on items they don't actually need. Build the line around the dishes that drive 80% of your sales.

Griddle, Charbroiler, or Both

A 24"–36" countertop griddle — sometimes called a flat-top grill — is the most flexible piece of cooking equipment in a food truck. Burgers, breakfast, smash sandwiches, vegetables, eggs — one surface handles all of it. A charbroiler adds grill marks and the open-flame look customers can see, but it pulls more BTUs and takes up real estate. Most trucks running burgers, tacos, or sandwiches do fine with a food truck griddle alone. See our food truck grill guide for sizing and gas-vs-electric trade-offs on flat-tops, charbroilers, and combination units.

Deep Fryer Sizing

A single 40 lb tube fryer (15.5" wide) handles most trucks. Two 25 lb fryers side by side give you separation between fries and chicken, which matters for allergens and flavor. Don't go bigger than your hood — every fryer needs to sit fully under the suppression nozzles. Our food truck fryer guide covers oil capacity, recovery time, and gas vs electric.

Range, Oven, and Specialty Cooking

If your menu needs burners, a 24" four-burner countertop range is the standard food truck stove. A small convection oven or salamander adds bake/broil capacity for melts, finishing, and breakfast. Sandwich presses, panini grills, and induction burners are all worth considering as multi-functional space-savers. Propane steam tables are another option for trucks holding hot items like queso, chili, or rice.

Microwave and Holding

A commercial 1,000W microwave is non-negotiable for reheating sauces and components. Add a countertop warmer or low-watt holding cabinet if your menu has hot-held items (chili, cheese sauce, queso).

Refrigeration and Cold Storage

Refrigeration — your food truck fridge, freezer, and prep table — is the single piece of equipment most likely to fail you, both mechanically and on the inspection. Buy commercial-grade. Residential refrigerators are not legal in commercial mobile units in most jurisdictions.

The Three Refrigeration Pieces Most Trucks Need

• Refrigerated prep table (48"–60") — the workhorse. Holds your prep ingredients in pans on top, with drawer or door storage below. Doubles as your prep counter.
• Undercounter refrigerator (27"–48") — bulk storage for proteins and dairy that don't fit on the prep table.
• Undercounter freezer (27"–36") — par-cooked fries, ice cream, frozen proteins.

Look for trucks of your size to need roughly 12–18 cubic feet of refrigeration and 6–10 cubic feet of freezer. See our deep dive on refrigerators for food trucks for spec recommendations and what to look for in a unit that handles vibration and heat on the road.

If your menu needs cocktails, iced drinks, or fresh seafood, add an undercounter ice maker rated for 50–100 lbs of production per day. Air-cooled units work in most truck setups; water-cooled units pull cleaner ice but spike your gray water output.

Why Vibration Matters

A truck on the road shakes refrigeration compressors in ways a stationary kitchen never does. Look for units with bottom-mounted compressors (cooler intake air, less stress) and tight, replaceable door gaskets. Top-mount units are fine for most trucks but get hotter in summer and pull more power.

Ventilation and Fire Suppression

Ventilation is where DIY food trucks fail inspection. The system has to be sized to your cooking line, ducted to code, and tied to a wet-chemical fire suppression system that nozzles every fryer and grill.

Type I vs Type II Hoods

• Type I (grease hood) — required over any equipment that produces grease-laden vapors: fryers, griddles, charbroilers, ranges. This is what most trucks need.
• Type II (heat/steam hood) — for ovens, dishwashers, and steam equipment. Doesn't replace a Type I; sometimes you need both.

A 6'–8' Type I hood with a 1,200–2,000 CFM exhaust fan is common for trucks. Makeup air (which replaces what you exhaust) is required by code in most places — without it, you'll create negative pressure that pulls flames sideways and starves your cooking equipment of oxygen.

Fire Suppression and Extinguishers

An Ansul-style wet chemical system over the cooking line is mandatory in nearly every jurisdiction. It must be inspected and tagged every six months. Beyond that, you need:

• One Class K extinguisher rated for cooking oils and fats (mounted within reach of the line)
• One 2A:10B:C ABC extinguisher for general fires (mounted near the exit)

Plumbing and Water Systems

Mobile food units need a complete potable water and wastewater system, not just a hose and a bucket. The details are what fail inspections.

Tank Sizing

Most jurisdictions require fresh water capacity of 25–40 gallons minimum, with gray water tanks sized at least 15% larger than fresh. The 15% rule prevents you from filling more wastewater than you can legally hold. A 40-gallon fresh / 50-gallon gray setup is a common spec.

The Hand Sink

The hand sink is separate from your 3-compartment dish sink and separate from your prep sink. It must have hot and cold running water, soap, and single-use towels or a sanitary dryer. It's the first thing inspectors check. Place it within 5 feet of the cooking line.

Water Heater

A 4–6 gallon point-of-use electric water heater (or a propane on-demand unit) is standard. Code typically requires 100°F minimum at the hand sink and 110°F at the dish sink.

The Cross-Connection Rule

Your wastewater outlet valve must differ in size or type from your fresh water inlet. This prevents accidental cross-contamination during fill or dump. It's a small detail that catches a lot of first-time builders.

Power and Generators

The generator is the heart of the truck. Undersize it and you'll trip breakers during the lunch rush. Oversize it and you're burning fuel and money you don't need to.

How to Size a Food Truck Generator

Add up the running wattage of every electrical appliance you'll run simultaneously, then add 20–25% buffer for startup surges (refrigeration compressors and air conditioners spike on startup):

Appliance	Running watts	Startup watts
Undercounter refrigerator	200–400	800–1,200
Undercounter freezer	300–500	1,000–1,500
Refrigerated prep table	400–600	1,200–1,800
Commercial microwave (1,000W)	1,500	1,500
POS + tablet + lights	200–400	200–400
Hood exhaust fan	500–800	1,000–1,500
Roof AC unit	1,200–1,800	3,000–4,500
Electric water heater (4 gal)	1,500	1,500

A typical truck running propane cooking + electric refrigeration + AC needs 7,000–10,000W of generator capacity. If you're running electric griddles or fryers instead of propane, you'll need 12,000W+ — most owners go propane on the cooking line for that reason. See our food truck generator guide for specific model recommendations.

Quiet Matters

Inverter generators (like Honda EU7000is or Yamaha EF6300iSDE) run 58–65 dB at load — quiet enough for residential events. Open-frame contractor generators run 75–85 dB and will get you ejected from most farmers markets and festivals.

Sanitation, Sinks, and Waste

The sanitation buildout is where AI-fluff blog posts gloss over the real requirements. Here's what inspectors actually check.

Three-Compartment Sink Setup

Wash, rinse, sanitize — in that order, separated by physical compartments, all draining to the gray water tank. Each compartment must be large enough to fully submerge your largest pot or pan. A 10"x14"x10" sink bowl is the typical minimum.

Cleaning Supplies and Sanitizer Buckets

Quat-based or chlorine sanitizer (with test strips), color-coded scrub brushes, food-safe degreaser, and clean wiping cloths stored in sanitizer buckets between uses. Sanitizer concentration is usually checked at inspection.

Waste Management

Lidded trash cans inside and outside, separate grease container for fryer oil disposal, and a documented commissary agreement showing where you dump gray water and grease. Most jurisdictions don't allow dumping at home or at random locations.

Storage, Cabinets, and Truck Accessories

Storage drives whether your team can find what they need during a 90-second ticket. Most trucks build out three storage zones:

• Wall cabinets — sealed, lockable cabinets above the cooking line for dry goods, paper goods, and smallwares. Look for stainless or food-grade aluminum.
• Undercounter shelving — open or door-fronted shelving below prep counters for pots, pans, and bulk supplies.
• Door pockets and rail storage — magnetic knife strips, squeeze-bottle holders, and gastronorm rails on the line.

Beyond cabinets, the truck accessories that show up on every veteran's restock list: NSF-rated food storage containers, color-coded cutting boards, sanitizer test strips, food-grade gloves, paper towel dispensers, sneeze guards, and a fire blanket. None of them cost much individually; together they run $400–$800.

Service, POS, and the Front of the Window

POS and Payments

Square, Toast, Clover, and Lightspeed are the four most common food truck POS systems. Pick one with offline mode (you'll lose signal at events), tip prompting, and inventory tracking. Bluetooth card readers are fine; chip + tap is now expected.

Display and Holding

Countertop heated display cases (for empanadas, hand pies), refrigerated display cases (for cold drinks, desserts), and warming wells (for sauces and soups) are the three pieces most service-window trucks add over time.

Customer-Facing Smallwares

Branded takeout containers, napkins, utensils, condiment squeeze bottles, sauce cups, and a buzzer or call system to manage pickup all add up faster than owners expect. Budget $300–$800 for the initial stock.

New vs. Used Equipment

The right answer depends on the piece. Here's the rule of thumb most veterans follow:

Buy new	Used is fine
Refrigeration (compressors fail under road vibration)	Stainless prep tables and shelving
Fryers (gaskets, thermostats wear out)	Smallwares (pots, pans, knives)
Generators (warranty matters)	Sinks and faucets
Fire suppression (must be certified)	Display cases
Hood and exhaust fan	Hand-wash stations

If you do buy used cooking or refrigeration, get a certified tech to inspect it before money changes hands. A $150 inspection beats a $2,000 replacement.

Budgeting and Financing

Outfitting a food truck typically costs $40,000–$100,000 on top of the truck itself. Most first-time owners underestimate by 30–40% because they forget plumbing, electrical buildout, fire suppression certification, and permits.

Equipment financing is one of the most common ways food truck owners spread out the cost. Rather than draining your operating cash on day one, financing lets you preserve working capital for inventory, fuel, marketing, and the unexpected costs that always come up in the first six months. We offer restaurant equipment financing on commercial-grade gear from the brands we sell — refrigeration, cooking equipment, hoods, and prep — which means you can get the durable units you actually need from day one instead of buying cheap and replacing in year two.

Maintenance That Keeps Your Truck Running

Daily

• Wipe down all stainless surfaces and seal them with food-safe sanitizer
• Empty grease trap and clean the fryer surface
• Check refrigerator and freezer temperatures (38°F or below for cold, 0°F or below for frozen)
• Clean griddle, scrape charbroiler, vacuum drip trays
• Empty trash, restock paper goods

Weekly

• Boil-out the fryer and replace oil if needed
• Deep-clean the hood baffles (they're dishwasher-safe in most cases)
• Check propane connections with soap-water solution for leaks
• Test the generator under full load
• Inspect tires and chassis

Monthly

• Pull refrigeration units and clean the condenser coils (single biggest reason for premature compressor failure)
• Calibrate all thermometers
• Test fire extinguishers (gauge in the green zone)
• Sharpen knives
• Inspect door gaskets for cracks

Every 6 Months

• Professional inspection and tagging of the wet chemical fire suppression system
• Generator service (oil, filters, spark plugs)
• Hood and duct deep clean (some jurisdictions require certified cleaning every 6 months)

Common First-Year Mistakes

• Buying gear before pulling the local checklist. Then having to return half of it.
• Undersizing the generator. The truck won't run AC and the fryer at the same time.
• Skipping the fresh-vs-gray tank ratio. Inspector finds it on day one.
• Buying residential refrigerators. They aren't NSF-rated and won't pass inspection.
• Forgetting makeup air for the hood. The truck pulls negative pressure and the propane appliances starve.
• Buying a used hood from a fixed restaurant. Wrong CFM, often missing the suppression system.
• Ignoring the commissary requirement. Most jurisdictions require one; you can't legally dump gray water at home.

Related Reading

• Refrigerator for Food Truck — Sizing and Spec Guide
• Food Truck Fryer Guide
• Food Truck Grill Guide
• Food Truck Stove and Range Guide
• Best Food Truck Generators
• Food Truck Commissary Requirements
• Food Truck Sinks Guide
• Food Truck Business Plan
• Food Truck Equipment Financing
• Appliances for Food Truck

Frequently Asked Questions

What equipment is required to start a food truck? At minimum: a commercial-grade cooking line (flat-top griddle or charbroiler, fryer, range), refrigerated prep table plus a separate refrigerator and freezer, Type I hood with wet-chemical fire suppression, three-compartment sink, separate hand sink, fresh water and gray water tanks with a water heater, a generator sized to your electrical load, propane storage in an exterior or vapor-tight cabinet, and Class K + ABC fire extinguishers. Your local mobile food unit code adds specifics on tank sizes and sink dimensions.

Is food trailer equipment different from food truck equipment? Functionally, no — a food trailer (or concession trailer) and a food truck use the same cooking line, refrigeration, plumbing, and ventilation gear. The differences are structural: trailers don't have an onboard engine or driver compartment, which gives you 20–40% more usable square footage for the same external length. That extra space lets some trailers run full-size reach-in refrigerators where a truck would need undercounter units. Concession trailer equipment requirements for power, water, and waste are usually identical to a food truck.

How much does it cost to outfit a food truck? Plan on $13,000–$44,000 for equipment alone, depending on whether you buy new or used and how heavy your cooking line is. A propane-heavy truck running a griddle and fryer with a single refrigerated prep table can come in around $15,000–$20,000. Add a charbroiler, second refrigerator, and a heavier-duty generator and you're at $30,000–$45,000. The truck itself, build-out labor, and permits are separate.

Should I buy new or used food truck equipment? Buy new for refrigeration, fryers, generators, hoods, and fire suppression — the pieces where compressor failure, gasket wear, or recertification matter. Used is fine for stainless prep tables, smallwares, sinks, display cases, and shelving. If you do buy used cooking or refrigeration, pay a certified technician to inspect it before purchase.

What size generator do I need for a food truck? Most propane-cooking trucks need 7,000–10,000W. All-electric trucks need 12,000W or more. Add up the running wattage of everything you'll run at the same time, add 20–25% buffer for startup surges, and pick a generator rated above that total. Inverter generators are quieter and won't get you ejected from event sites.

Do food trucks need a commissary kitchen? In most U.S. jurisdictions, yes. Commissary requirements typically cover where you fill your fresh water tank, where you dump gray water, where you store the truck overnight, and where you do prep that can't legally happen on the truck. The commissary agreement is part of your health permit application. See our commissary requirements guide for details.

What's the difference between a Type I and Type II hood? Type I hoods capture grease-laden vapors from fryers, griddles, charbroilers, and ranges. They have grease filters and require a wet-chemical fire suppression system. Type II hoods handle heat and steam from ovens, dishwashers, and steam equipment, and don't capture grease. Most food trucks need a Type I hood. If you also run a steam-heavy oven, you may need both.

How big should my fresh water and gray water tanks be? Local code dictates the minimum, typically 25–40 gallons fresh. Gray water tanks must be at least 15% larger than fresh — a 40-gallon fresh / 50-gallon gray setup is common. The cross-connection rule also requires that your wastewater outlet differ in size or type from your fresh water inlet.

What permits and licenses do I need? Typically: a business license, mobile food vendor permit from the health department, food handler / food manager certifications, fire marshal sign-off on suppression and propane, sales tax permit, and a commissary agreement. The exact list varies by city and state. Start with your local environmental health department's mobile food unit checklist.

Can I use residential appliances in my food truck? No. Mobile food units are commercial operations and require NSF-rated, commercial-grade refrigeration and cooking equipment in nearly every jurisdiction. Residential appliances aren't built for the duty cycle, won't hold safe holding temperatures under heavy use, and won't pass inspection.

How do I prevent equipment failures on the road? Bottom-mounted compressors handle vibration better than top-mount. Bolt all heavy equipment to the chassis. Run a monthly condenser coil clean — that one task prevents most compressor failures. Test the generator under full load weekly. Inspect propane connections with soapy water monthly. Keep door gaskets clean and replace them at the first sign of cracking.

How do I finance food truck equipment? Equipment financing spreads the cost over 24–60 months and lets you preserve working capital for inventory and operating expenses. Most food truck owners finance refrigeration, cooking equipment, and the hood/suppression system because those are the largest line items and the ones where buying commercial-grade matters most.