Animals die in transit to slaughter in significant numbers from stress, injury, temperature extremes, and exhaustion — preventable deaths that represent both welfare failure and economic loss.
Transport mortality is an indicator of welfare failure that is also economically costly, creating unusual alignment between welfare and economic interests. Animals who die in transit represent the extreme of a spectrum of welfare harm that also includes the millions who arrive stressed, injured, or compromised. Reducing transport mortality through journey time limits, temperature management, vehicle design improvements, and rest stop requirements improves both animal welfare and economic outcomes for farmers and processors.