7 August 2020
 Categories: Business, Blog

Supplying airplanes with food, drinks, and related supplies is an important job. Aircraft catering trucks are the systems designed to address this need. These are specially equipped vehicles that include lifts that make it easier to get large amounts of catered goods into a plane.

With such a specialized vehicle, it's important to make sure you're paying for the right solution. Here are three tips for when you're looking at aircraft catering trucks for sale.

HAACP Certification

The HAACP certification is a big one because it covers how hot and cold foods are handled during the transition from the booking area to the aircraft. HAACP affirms that the systems contained within aircraft catering trucks are sufficient to prevent the spread of food-borne illnesses with proper care. Likewise, the systems are designed to encourage detailed documentation. This is critical because flights can end up delayed, and catered foods and drinks need to be safe during these waits. Also, you'll need to know when it's time to haul everything back due to safety concerns.

Lift Height

There's a balancing act in this decision. On the one hand, you don't want to pay for a taller system than you require. Conversely, you don't want to be stuck with less lift that you need for the biggest aircraft that will visit your location.

It's a good idea to contact all the carriers and private parties that will fly planes into your site. Ask them which models they're flying and what the specs are on them. Visit the aircraft manufacturer's website to confirm the details, and don't be afraid to directly contact the company if you have doubts or questions about the size of the plane. Your goal is to have some surplus capacity to accommodate the largest one that will ever require your services.

Anyone hosting aircraft from outside the U.S. should also make sure to check the metric conversions for listed sizes. It's wise to always double-check these numbers, especially if you have to convert feet and meters back and forth.

Ease of On-Site Maintenance

At an airport, there simply isn't time to wait for parts to arrive. Aircraft catering trucks need to be easily maintainable, and they should be simple enough for any mechanic with a background in hydraulic lift and diesel engine repairs to handle. Likewise, you'll want to use the same line of vehicles so you can cannibalize parts from older and less-used trucks.

For more information about aircraft catering trucks, contact a company like Houston International Aircraft Support, Inc.