Driving change: exploring cattle transporters' perspectives to improve worker and animal well-being

The cattle industry has made considerable efforts to adopt more sustainable beef production practices. Still, the social pillar of sustainability-especially workforce well-being-often receives less attention than the environmental and economic pillars. There is also limited information about the perspectives of U.S. cattle transporters, who play a critical role in ensuring animal welfare during the final stages of the beef supply chain. This study explored cattle transporters' perspectives on management practices related to cattle care and well-being, training, work environment, and community. Cattle transporters (N = 74) from three trucking companies operating in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas participated in focus group discussions and completed a short, written survey. In total, 12 focus groups were conducted. In the written survey, 98.7% (n = 73) of survey respondents agreed with the statement "I have pride in the job I do," and 97.3% (n = 72) agreed with the statement "Animal well-being is a critical component of my job." Additionally, 96% (n = 71) of respondents agreed with the statement, "The training I have received at this job has prepared me well for transporting cattle," highlighting the success of current education and training programs. Thematic analysis of focus group transcripts identified ten themes, including (1) Animal Welfare and Safety; (2) Feelings; (3) Human Welfare and Safety; (4) Learning and Training; (5) Money; (6) Opportunities for Improvement Throughout the Supply Chain; (7) Pride, Responsibility, and Care in Job; (8) Specialized Knowledge, Skills, and Commitment; (9) Unique, Positive Characteristics of the Job; and (10) Work Environment. Transporters expressed a strong sense of pride and responsibility in their work and viewed their role as essential to ensuring the well-being of cattle during transportation. However, they also identified several challenges, including ensuring human and animal safety, dealing with inadequate facilities, and a lack of cohesion among different supply chain sectors. As vital links between supply chain sectors, transporters offer unique insights. Listening to their daily observations could lead to improvements in operational efficiency and cattle welfare.