Loading and unloading of cattle.
Date: 2018-04-21
Institutions: Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety
Subjects: animal welfare, cattle, protection of animals, transport of animals, veterinary legislation

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Loading and unloading of 
cattle

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Preparation of loading: ‘What to do?’

Driver to check ‘Live Animal Transport Driver Checklist: Are You 
Prepared?’’. In case of any doubt or emergency situation, request 
veterinary advice 

Check number and fitness of the cattle to load (size, weight and 
fitness for transport). For the fitness check, use ‘Practical 
Guidelines to Assess Fitness of Adult Bovines’

Prepare a loading plan, take into consideration how many cattle, 
weight, sex, presence of horns. Sexually mature cattle shall 
be handled separately and transported in separate compartments

Open lateral shutters of truck, for ventilation during loading 

Driver/attendant to adjust the truck loading ramp to the quay. 
Avoid gaps and make slope as low as possible (max. 36% or 
20° for calves, max. 50% or 26° for adult cattle)

If no loading quay is present, organize a curved or angled loading 
circuit (solid corridors, height for adults: 1,7 m) close to the 
vehicle

Spread straw on loading zone to avoid slipping and reflections

Check circuit for any visual or physical 
obstacles

Loading should be done calmly and 
smoothly  

All animals should be able to stand or lay down at the 
same time. Keep about 20 cm above the shoulder of 
cattle for optimum air flow

Ready to load!

Space allowance

Categories 

Mean weight 

Small calves 

Medium sized calves

Heavy calves

Medium sized cattle

Heavy cattle 

50

110

200

325

550

Min. surface / 
animal (m2)

0.30 to 0.40

0.40 to 0.70

0.70 to 0.95

0.95 to 1.30

1.30 to 1.60

Very heavy cattle 

>700

> 1.60

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Loading

1. Allow cattle to load at their regular walking

speed

2. Handle cattle in groups (5 adult cattle, 10 – 15

calves)

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Limit noise to minimize stress

4. Even better is to load calves with individual help

5. Have in mind the specific vision of cattle:
position yourself half behind to make cattle move
forward

What to do if cattle stop and refuse to
move,

- Noise should be limited. Avoid yelling
/shouting; cattle are highly sensitive

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Let the cattle calm down and check that
it isn’t unfit for transport

- Check for obstacles, reflections or other
issues that could frighten them and
correct it. Not possible? Give cattle some
time to get used to get past the obstacle.
Correct the issue before next (un)loading

- Use passive methods to move the cattle
(e.g. encourage calmly the animals by
gentle use of wood, plastic stick)

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Stimulate the animal to make it move by
whistling or talking. Never hit the animal!

- Electric probes shall be avoided as far as
possible and used on adult cattle only,
when nothing prevent them to move
forward (not more than 1 second!). Only
use them on the external sides of the
hinds quarters

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Unloading

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In case of delay at unloading, assure good ventilation in the stopped vehicle (lateral shutters open, use
force ventilation if available, park the vehicle in the shade)

Use the maximum width of the corridor and proper lighting for unloading at arrival

Unload cattle in batches adapted to pen size at arrival place

If an animal is unfit at arrival, make sure to isolate it and give it priority treatment

Use the same passive methods to move animals, as described in ‘Loading’

If all animals are unloaded, clean and disinfect the vehicle thoroughly

Return journey log to competent authorities and report any problem. Even better! Use monitoring
data and problem reports, to improve travelling for the future

PDF

ISBN:978-92-79-81187-6

doi: 10.2875/705062

EW-BK-18-014-EN-N