Second hand or new food truck: what to check
A second hand food truck looks cheaper. What to check before you pay, the costs that often follow, and what you get with a new trailer.
Romain BarreauFounder of Food Truck Store · 5 min readA second hand food truck costs less to buy than a new one. Whether it works out cheaper depends on its paperwork, its gas installation and its condition. Here is what to check before you hand over any money, and what a new food truck trailer gives you instead.
Check the paperwork first.
Before anything else, ask for the registration document and the European Certificate of Conformity (COC): with a valid COC, no EU country may refuse to register a trailer that conforms (Regulation (EU) 2018/858, art. 6(5) and 48(1)). If the trailer has been converted, ask your registration authority whether its papers are still valid before you buy.
Check the gas, electrics and hygiene.
Each country sets its own rules for the gas installation and its periodic checks, as EU law only covers the appliances (Regulation (EU) 2016/426, art. 3(3)): in Germany, for example, the gas installation of a trailer used for business is inspected before first use and then at least every two years (StVZO § 60). In the kitchen, EU hygiene rules require surfaces that are easy to clean and facilities for washing and drying hands hygienically (Regulation (EC) 852/2004, annex II, chapter III). Ask to see the latest inspection reports before you start negotiating.
- Gas inspectionAsk for the latest gas inspection report and check it against the rules in your country.
- ElectricsSwitch on every appliance, and ask when the electrical installation was last checked.
- Surfaces and hygieneSurfaces in contact with food must be easy to clean. Look in the corners and behind the appliances.
- WaterRun the taps and look under the sink and the tanks for damp.
How to inspect it in four steps.
Follow this order, take your time and go in daylight. Anything that can be repaired has a price; anything missing can be a reason to walk away.
- Check the paperwork
Registration document, COC and the latest gas and electrical reports: ask for photos first, then check them on site against the trailer and its vehicle identification number.
- Switch everything on
Gas, power, refrigeration, extraction and water: ask to see each appliance working.
- Look under the trailer
The chassis, axle, tyres and floor show how well the trailer has been looked after.
- Put defects in writing
The condition and any known defects should be written into the sale contract.
The costs that come after buying.
The price you pay is rarely the last bill. Expired inspections and repairs to the floor, pipework or refrigeration often have to be paid for before your first day of trading. Get a price for every defect before you buy.
The worktops show how a trailer has been looked after.
What you get with a new trailer.
Every Food Truck Store trailer is delivered with a European Certificate of Conformity (COC), so it can be registered in any EU country (Regulation (EU) 2018/858). It comes with a one-year parts and labour warranty, as set out in our terms of sale, and all its stainless steel equipment is brand new. Prices start at €11,500 excl. VAT.
- €11,500excl. VAT, the starting price of the Essentiel AIR 220 ›
- 1 yearwarranty, parts and labour, as set out in our terms of sale
- 4layouts: Chef+, Essentiel, Frost and Barista
- 2formats: AIR 220 and BOLD 270
Do the sums for both options.
Do not compare two purchase prices; compare two totals: used, with all its inspections and repairs, and new, with its warranty and certificate. For the full cost of a food truck, see our guide How much does a food truck cost in Europe?
The free FTS Academy quiz tells you which layout and format suit your menu, so you compare the right trailers, used or new.
The right choice for starting out.
A used food truck trailer is worth it when the paperwork, inspections and condition are all in order and the price leaves room for any work. A new one starts out with a warranty, a COC and no backlog of repairs. See our food truck trailers, or check the rules in your country.
A Food Truck Store trailer at work.
Your questions answered.
Got another question? Just ask us ›The registration document and the European Certificate of Conformity, the latest gas and electrical inspection reports, and the condition of the water, refrigeration, floor and chassis. Take someone who knows trailers with you to the viewing.
There is no set price: it depends on age, equipment and condition. Add any inspections and repairs that are due. A new food truck trailer from Food Truck Store starts at €11,500 excl. VAT.
Each country sets its own rules for the gas installation and its checks. In Germany, for example, the gas installation of a trailer used for business is inspected before first use and then at least every two years. Ask for the latest report and check the rules in your country.
We would advise against it. Without a European Certificate of Conformity, countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain require the trailer to get individual approval before it can be registered.
Yes, in any EU country: every Food Truck Store trailer is delivered with a European Certificate of Conformity, and no EU country may refuse to register a trailer that conforms. The paperwork, plates and roadworthiness tests depend on your country.
By Romain, founder 
