How do I check a caterer’s delivery vehicles and hot-holding equipment?

Start with the vehicles. Check the body, the cargo area, the refrigeration or insulation, the floor and the seals. Ask for maintenance records and any accident history. Confirm that the name on the ownership papers matches the seller’s business, and ask whether any vehicle is leased or financed.

Next, the hot-holding gear. Run the units, load them and check temperatures with your own thermometer, and then again after a delivery. Ask what the caterer does on a long trip or in cold weather, and how staff record temperatures. Look at the cabinets, gaskets, heating elements and power supply.

Ask staff and drivers what goes wrong on busy days. Late deliveries, a failed unit or a dead battery may reveal weaknesses that records miss. A mechanic and an equipment dealer can estimate condition and remaining life. Your insurance broker can tell you how the vehicles will be covered. Plan for replacements you can already see coming. Also consider scale. If you plan to grow, ask whether the current vehicles and holding cabinets can carry a bigger load, and what extra units would involve. Compare that with what the seller says about peak days.

Key takeaways

• Run the equipment and measure temperatures yourself, including after a delivery.
• Check ownership and any lease or loan on each vehicle.
• Ask drivers and staff what fails on the busiest days.
• Judge whether the fleet can handle growth, not just today’s work.