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Industry Partners
Prairie Swine Centre is an affiliate of the University of Saskatchewan
Prairie Swine Centre is grateful for the assistance of the George Morris Centre in developing the economics portion of Pork Insight.
Financial support for the Enterprise Model Project and Pork Insight has been provided by:
Biosecurity and Disease Risk Management in Transportation, Steve’s Livestock Transport -Banff 2016
Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Production by admin on May 3, 2017
Steve’s Livestock Transport has been transporting pigs for 29 years and now averages 150,000 pigs per week, building their first truck washing facilities in 1995. Since then, they have added 3 more locations and improved biosecurity measures, including undercarriage washing and Canada’s first industrial-strength baking bays for livestock trailers.
Running a clean and secure trip involves several factors.
Drivers: Must not live on premises where pigs are kept nor work at any hog facility, and pets are not allowed in their trucks. Drivers must also undergo rigorous training including livestock handling and biosecurity protocols.
Trailers: Made and ordered to maximize biosecurity and ease of washing by preventing manure from entering crevices.
Yard biosecurity: All livestock, bedding and manure must be removed from a truck before it can enter any Steve’s Livestock location, including wash bays. Clean and dirty trailers are kept apart via separate parking and loading areas, and trucks must be clean before leaving the yard.
On-farm biosecurity: Drivers make boarding changes to the truck’s exterior before dressing to work inside. Never go beyond the trailer when loading or enter the barn to do their paperwork. Pigs that fall to the ground are never placed back in the trailer and chase boards are used inside the trailer to prevent pigs from returning to the barn.
Biosecurity during transport: Drivers must be aware of other livestock trailers on the road and may need to follow predetermined routes if stipulated by the customer or logistics coordinator. GPS software shows which routes trucks have taken at any given time.
Wash bays: All washers cannot live on premises where pigs are kept. Suits and boots are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after each wash, as are the floors in the staff room and common areas. Wash bays also feature a one way drive-through and sloped floors. Fresh air is continuously flowed through to prevent fog build up.
Drying bays: After washing, trailers are backed into mechanical dry bays against a bank of aeration fans, where the air is heated to about 35 degrees Celsius.
Baking bays: Kill viruses and bacteria. If requested, a trailer can be parked in the bay at an ambient temperatureof 71-77 degrees for at least 10 minutes.
Biosecurity and Disease Risk Management in Transportation, Steve’s Livestock Transport -Banff 2016