Carrying out delivery work in the summer heat can be challenging enough, but when you are carrying livestock it becomes even more necessary to ensure that you take precautions to keep your vehicle and your load as cool as possible.
Here are my tips for keeping your load healthy when undertaking delivery work during the hottest periods of the season.
Before You Load
Before you load your vehicle make sure that the environment is suitable for the transportation of animals in the heat. Things to check include:
In Transit
Once you’ve loaded your trailer for livestock delivery work there are a number of precautions you can take to ensure the welfare of your load.
Try to Drive During Cooler Periods
One of the most effective ways to improve the welfare of livestock during delivery work in the hot weather is to make sure that your journeys are carried out during the coolest parts of the day.
The optimum way of achieving this is to drive livestock at night, but it is also preferable to drive in the early morning and early evening when the sun is not so hot. The time of day best avoided when the weather is hot, is from 11am to 4pm.
It is a good idea to check the weather forecast for your entire route before you travel. Some forecasts will include specific information for livestock hauliers.
Follow these simple guidelines, and exercise some basic common sense, and you and your cargo will arrive at your destination feeling as comfortable and healthy as possible, even in the hot summer weather.
Author Plate
Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Connecting logistics professionals across the UK and Europe through their website, Haulage Exchange provides services for matching delivery work with available drivers. Over 4,500 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.