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AgridianDairy KB

Fitness to transport

Definition

Section titled “Definition”

Fitness to transport is the judgment, made before loading, that an animal can stand the whole journey without suffering and arrive in a condition fit for its destination (slaughter, sale barn or another farm). FARM Animal Care and customer audits require a written fitness-to-transport protocol, trained people making the call, and hauler agreements.

An animal is not fit to transport if, for example, it:

  • is non-ambulatory, or can’t bear weight on all four legs (see non-ambulatory cattle);
  • is severely lame (reluctant to walk, obvious limp on one or more legs);
  • has a fracture, a large uterine or rectal prolapse, or an open wound with infection;
  • is very thin (low body condition) or weak;
  • shows signs of systemic illness: fever, dehydration, labored breathing, severe diarrhea;
  • has advanced cancer eye or is blind in both eyes;
  • is in late pregnancy or calving;
  • is within a drug withdrawal period (see withdrawal times and drug residue avoidance).

For calves, fit means at least a few days old with a dry navel, able to stand and walk on its own, and fed colostrum.

Unfit animals should be treated and re-assessed, or euthanized on the farm (see euthanasia protocol).

Hauler requirements

Section titled “Hauler requirements”
  • BQA Transportation (BQAT) certification for drivers. BQA certifications are valid for 3 years (as of November 2026, BQA); BQA offers a farmer/rancher course (gooseneck trailers) and a professional driver course (semi trailers).
  • A signed hauler cow-care agreement with the farm.
  • Low-stress loading: no electric prods as a primary tool, non-slip footing, correct stocking density.
  • The federal 28-hour law (49 U.S.C. 80502): a rail carrier, express carrier or common carrier (except by air or water), or a vessel, moving animals interstate may not confine them in a vehicle or vessel for more than 28 consecutive hours without unloading them humanely into pens for feed, water and at least 5 consecutive hours’ rest. GAO calls it the main federal law on interstate livestock transport, which is now mostly by truck, but found enforcement minimal: USDA referred one potential violation to the Department of Justice from 2013 through 2025, with no enforcement action (GAO, June 2026).

Requirements change; confirm the current rules with the program or the regulator. This page is reference material, not legal advice.

How to pull it in DC305

Section titled “How to pull it in DC305”

Before a cull load is shipped, use DC305 to build the list and check each animal:

LIST ID PEN LACT DIM FOR [cull flag or pen]       animals marked to sell
  • Withdrawal: check each animal’s meat withhold date item; nothing on the trailer should have a meat withdrawal ending after the ship date. Item names vary by herd.
  • Recent health events: list recent treatment, lameness and injury events for the cull list.
  • Record the sale: a SOLD event with a remark code for the reason and destination (beef, dairy sale), which feeds cull rate and cull cow value.

The cull flag (an item, a pen or a remark), the withhold item names and the sale remark codes vary by herd; check the herd’s private dc305-vocab mapping.

FOR accepts >= and <=, so “on or after the ship date” is a >= condition on the withhold date item.

The fitness assessment itself (who looked at each animal, and when), hauler BQAT cards and signed hauler agreements are not in DC305; keep them with the shipping records.

Typical range

Section titled “Typical range”

Herd context: US Holstein cull cows and bull or beef-cross calves; requirements as of FARM Animal Care Version 5 and BQA Transportation.

Item Typical requirement
Written fitness-to-transport protocol Required
Hauler BQAT certification Current; renewed every 3 years
Hauler cow-care agreement Signed and on file
Calves shipped Dry navel, standing and walking without help, fed colostrum or replacer
Interstate confinement limit 28 hours, then 5 hours rest with feed and water

AABP’s transport guidelines say a calf should not be moved unless it can stand without help and has had colostrum or a suitable substitute.

  • Lame and thin cull cows lose value fast and are the most common condemnation and welfare complaint at slaughter plants. Shipping before they decline is better for the cow and the cull check.

Common mistakes

Section titled “Common mistakes”
  • Waiting for the next load. A cow that was fit last week goes down in the trailer.
  • Shipping inside withdrawal. Residue violations at slaughter are traced back to the farm.
  • “She’ll make it” decisions on lame or thin cows; if in doubt, don’t load.
  • Calves shipped too young or before colostrum, with wet navels.
  • No record of who assessed fitness, or hauler certifications that have expired.
  • Mixing horned cattle or bulls with weak cull cows in one compartment.
Section titled “Related”