Long-distance cattle transport causes significant welfare harm. Journey duration limits, rest stops, and conditions during transit are key welfare variables requiring regulation.
Cattle transport is one of the highest-risk welfare events in a farm animal's life. Animals unused to vehicles, loud engine noise, vibration, unfamiliar smells, and the loss of established social groups experience significant stress. Long journeys without adequate water, food, and rest compound this stress into genuine suffering. The evidence for transport welfare compromise is robust, and the regulatory framework in most jurisdictions is inadequate relative to what the science demands. Shorter journeys, higher vehicle standards, mandatory water provision, and effective enforcement represent achievable welfare improvements.