Transport of pigs to slaughter is among the highest-risk welfare events in commercial pig production, causing millions of cases of injury, illness, and death annually.
Pigs experience significant stress during loading, transport, and unloading. Novel environments, noise, vibration, mixing with unfamiliar pigs, and temperature extremes combine to create a welfare crisis concentrated in the final hours of life. Stockperson behavior during loading is a critical welfare determinant: calm, quiet handling dramatically reduces stress responses compared to shouting and physical forcing. EU legislation requires transport companies to have trained drivers and adequate ventilation, but enforcement is inconsistent. The concentration of welfare harm at the end of life makes transport welfare a high-priority reform target with measurable benefits achievable through improved regulation and enforcement.