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Livestock Trucking: Insights Into Accidents | |
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From the Nov 19, 2007 Issue of Agri-News | |
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Jennifer Woods, a livestock consultant in Blackie, collected data from livestock transport accidents in North America from the last 13 years in a study for AFAC (Alberta Farm Animal Care) with the help of funding from Alberta Agriculture and Food.
The data shows that of the 415 commercial livestock truck accidents:
- 59 per cent occurred in the early morning hours between midnight and 9:00 a.m.
- 80 per cent were single vehicle accidents
- 85 per cent of accident were attributed to driver error
- 1 per cent of accidents were weather condition related
- 56 per cent of accidents were cattle trucks
- 27 per cent of accidents were pig trucks
- 11 per cent of accidents were poultry trucks
“The majority of accidents involved rollovers to the right; this along with the early morning hours of accidents suggests that driver fatigue played a role in the cause of accidents,” says Woods. “Driver fatigue is a major issue in all trucking sectors, but unlike other sectors, livestock truckers are dealing with live loads that are constantly ‘moving’ and ‘shifting’ and that leaves less room for driver error.”
Companies need to ensure drivers are properly trained and aware of the risks of transporting livestock. One of these learning tools is the Canadian Livestock Transporter (CLT) program. The CLT is the only livestock transportation training program in Canada that provides accident prevention training as well as livestock handling, loading and species specific training.
Truckers who complete the CLT course receive classroom and practical hands-on education to improve their livestock handling and trucking skills. The CLT is a great example of industry partnership to improve the quality of livestock handling in Alberta and Canada.
For more information on the Canadian Livestock Transporter program visit the website or call Adrienne Herron at 403-755-2047 or e-mail .
Contact:
Adrienne Herron 403-755-2047
Jennifer Woods 403-684-3008
The contents of this page are no longer available.
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For more information about the content of this document, contact Adrienne Herron.
This document is maintained by Ada Serafinchon.
This information published to the web on November 14, 2007.
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