Transport mortality in livestock represents preventable welfare failure, and systematic analysis of mortality data enables targeted interventions that reduce suffering.
Transport mortality data reveals the scale of preventable welfare failure in livestock logistics: millions of animals dying during transport annually represent the visible tip of a larger welfare iceberg that includes the suffering of survivors who are stressed, injured, and debilitated on arrival. The variation in mortality rates between transport operators demonstrates that most transport deaths are not inevitable but preventable through better management, driver training, vehicle design, and journey planning. Systematic mortality analysis — tracking causes, routes, species, and conditions — identifies specific intervention points that reduce the largest mortality contributors. This evidence-based approach to transport welfare improvement has the potential to reduce suffering at scale with targeted, feasible interventions.