COI collection
for food truck festivals.
Stop chasing trucks for their insurance docs.
Send each vendor a secure upload link, see who's compliant before the gates open, and let reminders handle the stragglers.
The pre-event scramble
Every food truck festival runs on the same liability rule: no Certificate of Insurance, no spot on the lot. So the weeks before the event turn into a second job — emailing 30, 50, 80 trucks for their COI, re-emailing the ones who ignored you, and keeping a spreadsheet that's out of date the moment you close it.
And even the trucks who sent something aren't necessarily covered. A policy that expired last week, a certificate that doesn't name your event as additional insured, coverage limits below what your venue requires — these are the ones that become a five-figure problem if something goes wrong on the day.
What to require from food truck vendors
Exact requirements come from your venue, city, or parks department — always confirm with them — but most food truck festivals ask each vendor for:
- Commercial general liability — commonly $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate.
- Additional insured — your organization (and often the venue/municipality) named on the certificate.
- The event location — listed on the COI, especially for permitted public spaces.
- Active dates — coverage that hasn't expired and stays valid through the event.
- Auto liability & workers' comp — required by some venues; check yours.
Not sure what additional insured means or how to read a certificate? Start with the plain-language COI reading guide or the explanation of certificate holder vs. additional insured. Your venue or insurance contact can confirm the exact limits to ask for.
How VendorDrop handles it
Add your trucks
Paste your vendor email list or add trucks one by one. Each gets a unique, secure upload link for your event.
They upload their COI
Vendors drop their certificate through the link — no account, no login. You're notified and approve or reject in one click.
Reminders chase the stragglers
Set your event date. Reminders fire at 14, 7, and 0 days out, so you're not the one nagging the week of the festival.
- Documents stored securely and never shared publicly
- Upload links expire and are unique to each vendor
- Trucks can't see each other's documents or information
Food truck festival COI questions
Do food truck vendors need insurance to be at a festival?
Almost always. Most organizers, venues, and municipalities require each truck to carry commercial general liability insurance and provide a Certificate of Insurance before the event — often naming the organizer as additional insured.
What insurance do you require from food truck vendors?
Typically commercial general liability (commonly $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate), with your organization and venue named as additional insured and the event location listed. Some events also require auto liability and workers' comp. Confirm exact limits with your venue or municipality.
How do I collect COIs from food truck vendors without the spreadsheet?
Give every vendor a unique secure upload link. They upload their COI with no account, you approve or reject in one click, and automated reminders chase anyone who hasn't submitted before your deadline.