Page 150 - The Welfare of Cattle

transPortatIon and sLauGhter 127

mean distance traveled within that population was 283.2 ± 273.9 miles. The minimum distance
traveled was 2 miles and the maximum was 1412.9 miles.
The travel times and distances for steers and heifers were less than for mature cows and
bulls (NCBA, 2016b). The average travel time prior to slaughter for that population of cattle was
2.7 ± 2.4 hours. The average travel distance was 135.8 ± 132.5 miles.

Pre-traNSPOrt haNDLING

A wide variety of handling facilities can be observed at the farms, ranches, terminal markets,
and collection points throughout North America. At smaller farms and ranches, it is commonplace
to observe the use of purpose-built cattle trailers that may be attached at the rear bumper or within
the cargo bed of pickup trucks for moving cattle directly to slaughter or to a terminal market or col-
lection point. In locations where greater volumes of cattle will be loaded for transport, the handling
facilities will typically include a loading ramp or a raised elevation throughout the handling facility
in relation to a large semi-trailer to facilitate the movement of animals into the trailer.

CONtrOL OF traNSPOrt CONtaINer eNVIrONMeNt

The environment inside a cattle trailer is greatly impacted by ambient temperature and humidity,
speed of trailer movement, and stocking density. In addition, each compartment within a livestock
trailer has its own microclimate, which often differs from the other compartments within the trailer.
The primary means of controlling the temperature on cattle trucks during transport includes
movement of the truck. During periods of hot weather, slaughter establishments often advise
livestock transporters to not park their trucks and wait to unload. Rather, transporters are often
encouraged to continue driving until they can be unloaded to promote airflow through the trailer
while it is in motion. Some transport trailers are equipped with plumbing that allows sprinklers or
misters to be used to assist with heat mitigation. These types of systems are generally used in parked
transport trailers at locations where a water supply and drainage are available. The availability of
water lines and sufficient pressure usually limits the number of mister-equipped trailers that can
operate at the same time once the transporters have reached their destination. Some slaughter estab-
lishments have installed fan banks with the capability of blowing air through the vented sides of
trailers. The space requirement to provide a fan bank for multiple trucks that are waiting to unload
limits the utilization of this approach. As a result, careful scheduling of transporter unload times
and timely unloading are necessary and commonly used to prevent the buildup of excessive heat
and humidity in parked trailers.

aNIMaL WeLFare MONItOrING DUrING traNSPOrt

relevant Laws

The primary law in the United States regarding the transport of farm animals is the 28-hour law
(9 U.S.C. 80502). Originally adopted in 1873, the law was focused on the transportation of animals
by rail and ship. In 2005, The Humane Society of the United States, Farm Sanctuary, Compassion
over Killing, and Animals’ Angels—all animal advocacy groups—petitioned the USDA to inter-
pret the 28-hour law to include motor vehicle carriers due to nearly complete transition of livestock
transportation away from rail cars to trucks and trailers. The USDA responded that the appropriate