8 Things You Never Knew About Cattle Transportation

Cattle transportation is just one of the many commodities that get send across the nation every day. In fact billions upon billions of dollars’ worth of freight is moved along every year.

This can be done by shipping containers, on flatbeds, box trucks, and livestock trailers, like those used for cattle transportation.

There are numerous means for getting freight transported from one place to another. These can be from ship to port (typically overseas imports). In certain areas river barges can be seen loaded with cargo.

Air transportation is common, especially with smaller packages and overseas imports. One of the more common is the use of the rail system (companies like Union Pacific and Burlington Northern).

Then of course we have what is probably the most thought of, – the big rigs dragging trailers on America’s highways.

But there are other ways; now with the new technology and fancy gadgets, drones are becoming a new form of package delivery service.

Regardless the means used, getting freight from producer to market is important, I will even say it’s crucial.  It really doesn’t matter what is being transported.

Whether is unclaimed furniture in a box trailer, new cars on a car hauler, fresh produce in a reefer, or livestock, it must get to the end user eventually.

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Cattle transportation is just one of a million things that a trucking company must consider. There are pros and cons to deciding the type of freight you wish to haul. You will need special equipment, special trailers, and specialized training.

This might not always be the case with the freight your transport, but there are times it is. You might even be required to have permits and endorsements.

An obvious example of this is related to fuel trucks. They cover all the bases mentioned above. You need special endorsements, HAZMAT and such. You’ll be required to use special trailers designed for hauling fuel.

The driver will need to be trained on how to handle those chemicals and know what to do in the event of an accident or a spill. This is just stuff from the top of my head, I could write an entire article on this topic all by itself.

Whether its cattle transportation or the cure for anthrax, you must know what you’re transporting and how to properly deal with any potential issues.

If there are any special requirements, or special needs you must be able to deal with them and/or know who to contact in the event of an issue.

Source: www.animaltransportationassociation.org

Obviously a cow getting loose isn’t the same as a vial of dangerous bacteria getting loose, but both can cause some serious problems. While bacteria might get people sick, there is a cure, if treated properly.

However the steer running down the highway can cause accidents and property damage. It could even cause bodily injuries; it does cause an accident or even runs over someone.

This scenario might seem like a funny visual in your head, as you picture some cow outrunning the people trying to catch it. But do you know what isn’t funny?

The rise in your insurance premiums that will result from this won’t be a laughing matter. Neither will the negative effect this will have on your safety rating.

The upset customer might even cost you future contracts. Plus the negative publicity from seeing this as it shown on TV and then put on YouTube and shared on Facebook a million times.

Here is just an example of what I am speaking about:

So, just remember before you decide to handle certain types of freight be sure the positives outweigh the negatives. Also make your company handle and potentially negative feedback if there were an incident.

This is true regardless the fright you wish to handle, regardless if it’s cattle transportation or a truck load of Slinkies.

So without much further delay let’s get on with the ‘8 Things You Never Knew About Cattle Transportation’.

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What Is Cattle Transportation?

In general, livestock transportation is a movement of livestock regardless if we are speaking for transporting by air, ship, road or rail.  When it comes to cattle transportation the most common way for transporting is the road.

The trucking industry helped to create an interconnected road system throughout the USA.

This now days most cattle transportation and processed meat is transported by trucking companies that have specialized trailers for this purpose.

Simply put this is the transportation of cows. Cows are of course the main item when we think of beef products and leather goods. Why would I say main and not THE ingredient?

Well that is because today we live in a world where lemonade and orange juice ‘don’t actually contain real juice’. We have burgers and hotdogs that contain no meat.

Heck we even have cheese that contains not dairy products. But, as I said cattle transportation is the hauling of cows.

In fact almost all cattle are transported at list once during their lives. Another interesting fact to know is that the very first recorded transportation of livestock happen in about 1607 on an English ship named the Susan Constant, which was transporting Jamestown bound colonists.

Cattle transportation can be for beef (and other food products), for dairy, for breeding, and perhaps relocation (from one farm to another). Cows are more than just heifers or bulls.

They can be Holstein, Angus, Hereford, Jersey, Charolais, Texas longhorn, and about a 200 (plus) other breeds (give or take).

Well this is actually the easiest question to answer but not the simplest job. Oh, sure people will say what is the big deal?

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Livestock Transportation Requirements

Successfully hauling livestock poses particular challenges and requires particular skills and knowledge. There are numerous requirements for cattle transportation, and other livestock. 

The Department of Transportation (DOT) and the United States Department of agriculture (USDA) are two of the biggest regulators.