In addition to keeping your truck clean, there are some basic maintenance tasks you should perform frequently.  

Be sure to make note of the internal temperature of your refrigerators before, during, and after every shift. Also make sure that the contents of your refrigerator is positioned and stored in a way that allows cool air to freely move within the unit. If your refrigerator is not holding the correct  temperature spend some time troubleshooting. In a food truck environment it is relatively  common to have a refrigerator not running simply because it has become unplugged. If  troubleshooting does not fix your issue, remove all perishable inventory and relocate it to a  properly working refrigeration unit if it has not already been exposed to the danger zone for too long a time period. If inventory has been in the danger zone for too long it should be thrown  away. Once you have appropriately handled your inventory, call a refrigeration specialist to  make a repair. 

When storing items in your refrigerator be certain to leave them in sealed packaging or closed containers, like a Cambro. This will help keep your food fresh, and it will also help keep your  refrigeration running properly. Highly acidic foods, such as tomatoes, when left in open refrigerated air will cause corrosion over time and necessitate the need for expensive repairs.  As an aside, purely from a taste standpoint you should never refrigerate tomatoes, however,  your health department will most likely not allow this practice in a commercial environment. 

Any refrigerator has a condenser, and it is important to let fresh air flow around and through the condenser unit. The condenser is the most expensive part of a refrigerator, and if it fails it costs approximately as much to replace as it would to buy an entirely new refrigerator. This is  why we discussed the importance of proper ventilation for your refrigeration units in our kitchen  layout lessons. As a condenser operates, it will pull air through its coils and in this process  also attract dust. For this reason most refrigerators will have a metal shield in place in front of  its condenser coils. Over time this shield will become covered in grease and dust, making it  harder for the condenser to breathe and do its job. As such, it’s important to brush the shield free of debris on a regular basis. The condition of the shield can be monitored visually and, when dirty, simply brushed clean with a standard dust pan and broom. 

Right along side refrigeration, failure to regularly maintain your generator increases the likelihood you will need to make costly repairs. The good news is that if your generator does go down, unlike refrigeration, it is relatively easy to rent or buy a replacement unit that keeps  you on the road until you have time to fix your primary unit. If you follow your generator’s  maintenance schedule, hopefully you will never run into the situation I just described. Your  generator should come with information pertaining to how often you should change its oil, oil  filter, and air filter. It may also come with instructions, and, if not, you can probably search for  your model on the internet and find helpful information on how to complete each task. If you are comfortable working with your generator you can also learn more advanced skills such as  changing spark plugs. 

At minimum, I recommend becoming comfortable with changing the oil, oil filter, and air filter of  your generator on your own because typically these tasks are scheduled for around every 100 hours of generator run time, and you might run your generator for several hundred hours in a month. By learning to do these tasks on your own, you are far more likely to keep up with your generator maintenance schedule. I often hear people complain about generator issues, and to some extent they are inevitable, but I am always left to wonder how many of these complainers failed to complete any generator maintenance thereby bringing their issues upon themselves.  Another tip to avoiding generator problems is to avoid drawing a larger power load than  necessary. For example, if on a given shift you are not using a specific piece of electrical equipment, do not turn it on.  

Finally, in the interest of not running your generator more often than necessary it is always worthwhile to carry appropriate power cords on board your vehicle. This way, whenever there is the possibility of plugging into an event contact’s power source you can take advantage of that option. Just make sure that the power source in question can handle the electric load you require to fully  operate your truck. You don’t want to plug into a power source offered to you by your host only to find yourself constantly tripping power circuits and having to pause your operation.  In a worst case scenario you may also cause other power problems for your host outside of your truck.  Never assume that an event contact knows the power requirements of your mobile setup, and instead take responsibility for knowing this information and sharing it with anyone who offers to supply you with a power source.

Many other everyday maintenance tasks are as simple as using your senses to make regular inspections. Make a habit of checking that your tires look good before driving anywhere. A big rig truck driver once advised me to “slap them” and if your tires sound like “a ripe watermelon”  you are “good to go.” Check that your propane regulators have not loosened and that the pressure level has stayed constant. If you smell gas, checking the tightness of those regulator  connections is a great place to begin your troubleshooting process. Keep an eye on the vehicle gauges on your dashboard, and address issues as needed. Regularly have your vehicle’s oil changed.  

I know of a few truck operators who experienced engine failure that likely could have been  avoided by simply having the truck’s oil changed according to its recommended maintenance schedule. Make sure any software systems, such as the one for your POS, are kept up to date, and when updates are required be sure they complete outside of your service hours. Check  that your water heater and water lines are not leaking. Make sure your trash areas are regularly cleaned and kept tidy. Look at your serving window from the perspective of a customer and clean areas that have become filthy. All of these things seem obvious, but they are easy to let slide. When  you develop good habits and regularly monitor the things mentioned in this paragraph you will save yourself a lot of frustration in the long run. 

Key Takeaways:

*Consider internal airflow, packaging, and potential shifting of contents when packing your fridge

*It is important to allow your refrigeration condensers and generator air vents space to breathe

*Learn the basics of servicing your generator

*Use your five senses to stay attuned to potential other maintenance issues as they surface