IMPORTANCE
Truck transportation is an integral part of the pork production process, with most pigs being moved by truck at some point in their lives. In September 2006, USDA clarified that livestock conveyed by truck are subject to a law requiring that they be off-loaded for feed, water and rest after 28 consecutive hours in transport.

BACKGROUND
The 28 hour law was first enacted in 1873 and applied exclusively to rail transportation of cattle, sheep, swine and other animals, requiring that animals not be confined for more than 28 consecutive hours without being unloaded for feed, water and rest. It was amended in 1994 to include transportation by express or common carriers involving confinement in a “vehicle or vessel.” In response to a legal petition from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), USDA agreed in September 2006 that the term “vehicle” applies to trucks in addition to other forms of common conveyance. (The law does not apply when animals transported in a vehicle or vessel have access to food and water and have adequate space to lie down and rest.) USDA rejected HSUS’s claims that animals kept on trucks longer than 28 hours pose a public-health problem. A USDA policy statement issued in 2003 described feeding and watering recommendations for animals being transported by railcar or truck and included a list of rest stations for unloading livestock located throughout the United States.

NPPC POSITION
The welfare and humane treatment of pigs transported in all types of vehicles are top priorities for the pork industry. The industry established the Transport Quality Assurance (TQA) program to educate transporters and other pig handlers on the importance of proper handling, loading and transporting of pigs, with attention to biosecurity and animal welfare. TQA training sessions focus on reducing stress levels of pigs, loading in extreme weather, handling fatigued pigs, and adhering to proper biosecurity procedures (such as proper cleaning and disinfecting of trucks). Animals arriving at processing facilities are inspected by USDA veterinarians to ensure they are healthy and safe for human consumption. While the average rate of loss for pigs being transported for any length of time is less than two-tenths of 1 percent, pork producers have a moral obligation to minimize the stress and loss of their pigs during transport. While the industry supports the proper care and handling of pigs in transport, it has some concerns with the 28 hour law, including biosecurity at common off-loading sites and the additional stress on pigs of unloading and loading them multiple times.