Livestock haulage

Charolois 19 · 05-09-2021 4:58pm #1

Hi all,

Just wondering, thinking about a change of scene, but I know a course is needed, the cert for hauling livestock, has anyone done it is it hard, day or week? Driving for a living as it stands so I already know your away and sleeping out ect, or has anyone any experience of it, just a notion I took really but with the interest in lorrys and cattle ( know there will be pigs sheep etc to) thought it might be enjoyable?

DukeCaboom · 05-09-2021 8:38pm

Last time i done it was in kildalton for one day. Its a grest day out met lads from all over the country id not met in years.

The course itself is absolute box ticking boloney.

Base price · 05-09-2021 10:22pm

The National cert for transporting livestock over 65 km and less than 8 hours journey time, is pretty straight forward enough to get as DC posted above. I don't know about the certificate requirements for longer journeys/intra EU travel.

If your going to run your own setup (tractor unit & trailer or lorry and/or drag) all vehicles/trailers have to be DAFM approved. Link below to DAFM rules and regulations on transporting live animals.

Edit to add - every now and again OH and I get spot checks on our lorries/trailers from a DAFM Vet when delivering cattle to various factories.

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/f7279-transport-of-live-animals/?referrer=http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/animaltransport/

DBK1 · 06-09-2021 11:42am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058207491/livestock-haulage

Are you thinking of setting up with your own lorry or just going driving for someone? I’d definitely recommend driving for someone first to see how you like it.

Cattle haulage isn’t simple work as regards the hours. Keeping the taco right is one of the biggest tasks, especially at this time of year with a lot of weanling sales on in the evenings and then factory runs are generally early in the morning.

A man I know that’s at it almost 40 years now and has 4 artics on the road says he’s strongly considering selling them off and going back to just 1 rigid lorry and tip away himself. Between the rates not being as good as they used to be, the cost of diesel, and trying to get and keep good drivers he says the drivers have a lot more out of it than he does a lot of weeks.

Best of luck with it anyway whichever route you go.

wrangler · 06-09-2021 12:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117852909#Comment_117852909

The person that transports our groups sheep started with the father and then bought his own lorry and has a few lorries now.

He has since bought land , I was surpised with his remark once ''The lorry is paying for the farm but the farm wouldn't have a hope of paying for the lorry''

Isn't the taco more lenient with drawing livestock, I thought I heard that somewhere.

You'd wonder is there any hours restrictions with some livestock hauliers

Base price · 06-09-2021 2:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117853144#Comment_117853144

There is an exemption for using tachographs for the carriage of live animals from farms to marts and vice versa and to factories within a 100km radius.

https://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Professional-Drivers/Tachograph-cards/Exemptions/

Charolois 19 · 06-09-2021 9:34pm

Thanks for all the replys, no just a fella asked me would I be interested in driving for him, thought a change could be grand, wouldn't be something I'd consider starting myself at the time been, well used to keeping the card right and been away, suppose the main question would be picking up, because I've herd a hundred times 'an artic will fit up here no problem ' until you get there, marts and factory's be grand and there will always be a tight spot I suppose, the course doesn't sound so bad though and only a day, definitely all food for thought

jmreire · 06-09-2021 9:41pm

Are drags still the main truck for of animal transport, or is it all Artics now? Or still a mixture of both?

Easten · 07-09-2021 9:05am

How much a head would you be charging? what about for longer distances?

wrangler · 07-09-2021 10:21am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117856864#Comment_117856864

Our haulier is charging 2.70 lamb, lorry capable of bringing 500 lambs in the early part of the year and down to 450 now.

Nice pay for a day,

Picking up at all our depots and going to camolin would take a normal day but they'd often head for Donegal for another load straight after to be IN the factory for the next morning

DBK1 · 07-09-2021 10:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117857206#Comment_117857206

That’s about €1,200 at 450 lambs.

With a lorry doing about 6 mpg on what could be a 350 mile round trip you’d want €300-€350 for diesel alone. The driver will be costing €250-€300 for the day allowing for holiday pay etc.

You then have a lorry that would have cost probably €60 - €80k to buy pulling a trailer that probably cost €200k. There’s tyres, maintenance, upkeep, testing etc. on both of them which isn’t cheap.

I’d imagine the insurance wouldn’t be cheap when it comes to transporting live animals either.

Then there’s all the paperwork side to be looked after as well.

At the end of the day the owner probably just has a reasonable days wages out of a big investment and risk, there’d be no millionaires out of it.

If it’s owner driven he’d be saving the cost of the driver and be a bit better off but I doubt he’s doing it all alone especially if heading to Donegal from Camolin or he’d be locked up if the RSA caught him!

wrangler · 07-09-2021 12:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117857397#Comment_117857397

I wouldn't have a clue, is that normal enough pay for a lorry and trailer for a day. he'd have to change drivers (maybe twice) somewhere for the lorry to be back in camolin next morning. I 'd say his lorries never stop

Livestock haulage

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