Canadian livestock transport regulations require commercial carriers to be trained, and have proof of training, in the humane handling and shipping of livestock.
One avenue for that training is the Canadian Livestock Transport (CLT) certification program, which as of July is managed by the National Farmed Animal Health and Welfare Council (NFAHWC).
The CLT was developed in 2007 as an industry initiative in Alberta, was rebranded and became national in 2013 and has recently been updated to reflect current rules.
“We wanted to ensure the content within the training program was adapted to reflect the regulatory changes that we saw through the Health of Animals regulations that came through in February and also ensuring that we continue to kind of have it updated in terms of reflecting the national standards of care and the codes of practice for transport with respect to livestock and poultry,” said NFAHWC executive director Megan Bergman.
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The online program offers certification that is recognized in Canada and the United States because many livestock transport companies carry animals across borders.
Bergman said the course has been streamlined so people can choose one of two modules: livestock or poultry. Each of the two modules has a $200 registration fee. The livestock module covers cattle, sheep, hogs, elk and bison. The poultry module includes chickens, turkeys and ducks.
Transporters who successfully complete the course have certification connected to their personal email address and receive a document proving they have completed course training.
As well, their documents have a QR code that simplifies scanning and tracking at various facilities they frequent, such as auction markets and packing plants, said CLT co-ordinator Amy Wright.
“It’s a three-year certification process and so every three years drivers are asked to recertify themselves and would receive a new certificate with new valid dates,” said Wright.
Livestock truckers and transporters are likely familiar with most if not all of the course content, said Bergman, but the course ensures familiarity with new regulations and provides “an extra tool to enhance their skill set.”
The course is also appropriate for receivers and could be useful for anyone involved in the chain of livestock transport, from producer to feedlot to auction personnel to packing plant workers, she added.
The new online platform, accessible by computer and by smartphone, will allow the course to be updated and augmented as needed.
“We’d like to continue to broaden the content that we have in our current training program to be a little bit more interactive, so that we can incorporate things like case studies,” Bergman said.
