Livestock transporter defends industry

Mar 5, 2008, The Sun Times ... Editor: The livestock industry across Canada has received some unflattering press recently when it comes to issues related to livestock transportation.

My family has worked in the livestock transportation industry for more than 50 years and I personally have been driving livestock trucks for more than 30 years. For me and all of my employees, the welfare of the animals in our care is of paramount importance.

Reasons for shipping livestock both within and outside a country are complex and numerous. In countries the size of Canada, it is a practical and economic necessity. For countries lacking the livestock to meet fresh meat demand, it is a longtime practice. For transporters it is a specialized and regulated business. For animals not accustomed to travel, it is also a stressful event (ask any cat owner) regardless of their mode of transport or distance traveled. And just as with the farmers who raised them, it is the responsibility of transporters to look after them.

What most people likely don't know is that the trade in livestock, far more advanced than the cattle drives of years past, doesn't happen in isolation. The aim, of course, is to make every journey as comfortable and stress-free as practical. Proper practices require appropriate space, feed, water and rest - dependent on the type of animal, the distance travelled and time of year. Common sense dictates that what is good for the animals is also good for businesses that depend on them arriving fit and healthy.

That is why transporters like us, along with livestock groups and other businesses across the country, have invested in significant training and education for our drivers. By focusing on what the laws require and the market demands in Canada and elsewhere, certified livestock transporters know what they must do.

In my company, all drivers are hired based on their experience in working with livestock. They must be knowledgeable and comfortable in working around animals before they're hired to drive livestock trucks. All must take a mandatory transportation quality assurance program and, before they drive on their own, must go through a mentoring program with a veteran driver.

The 26 trucks in my fleet are also equipped with various comfort features for the animals. We have misting systems that spray animals down during warm summer months to help keep them cool. Many of our trucks also come with systems that provide access to fresh drinking water. On longer routes, animals will be unloaded at various locations to give them feed and exercise - and to allow us to clean the trucks out and fill them with fresh bedding.

I'm also a member of the Ontario Humane Transport Working Group, which is a group of people representing all sectors of the livestock industry who are continually working towards improving the care of livestock in transportation.

But just because there are rules, doesn't mean everyone will follow them. This is why livestock transport is also monitored for compliance and why complaints are investigated, both in Canada and abroad, by both government and private companies. It's important that we all work closely with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to ensure we're following their rules for livestock transportation. And, if there are bad operators in this business, they need to be held accountable for their actions. The animals in our care receive the best possible treatment at all points along their journeys and we expect nothing less from others in the industry.

As a result, on the trucks that roll through and from Canada, the ordinary pig, cow or sheep has it better than some riders of public transportation in our major cities. In fact livestock have more space than the average rush hour transit rider has the faintest hope of having. With the average hog in a truck getting twice the square footage that human subway riders are supposed to get, and often don't, maybe transit companies should steal a page from us.

Tom Luckhart, Luckhart Transportation Sebringville, Ont.