Long-distance livestock transport causes measurable physiological stress, injury, and mortality — evidence-based improvements in transport standards can significantly reduce this suffering.
Livestock transport is an inherently stressful experience for animals unfamiliar with vehicle movement, separation from their social groups, and exposure to novel environments. The stress response is real and measurable — but its magnitude depends enormously on how transport is managed. Journey duration, vehicle design, loading density, temperature control, water access, stockmanship quality, and rest opportunity all influence welfare outcomes. The gap between best and worst practice is enormous: well-managed short journeys in appropriate vehicles cause limited additional suffering, while poorly managed long journeys cause severe cumulative harm. The most impactful welfare improvement would be requiring slaughter at source or near source, eliminating long-distance live transport.