Transport is one of the most stressful events in a cattle's life. Journey times, vehicle design, and handling practices profoundly affect welfare outcomes.
Transport is a welfare-critical event that compresses multiple stressors into a short period: noise, motion, unfamiliar animals, novel smells, food and water deprivation, and handling by strangers. Cumulative stress from long journeys without adequate rest causes measurable immune suppression, weight loss, and elevated injury risk. Journey time limits are the most important single regulatory tool. In addition, good loading practice (familiar groups together, low-stress handling), appropriate vehicle design, and skilled drivers who avoid harsh acceleration and cornering all substantially reduce the welfare cost of transport. Dark-cutting meat detected at slaughter is a retrospective welfare indicator that can identify problematic transport conditions in supply chains.