Beef Quality Assurance

Master Cattle Transporter Training Program – Closing the Quality Assurance Circle

By Anne Burkholder

Every beef producer benefits from a little bit of education. Knowledge is what makes our operations profitable, keeps our pride in tact and motivates us to the next level of success. Education and knowledge are the cornerstones of quality assurance programs for the beef industry.

In recent years, the beef industry has recognized the need for educational programs that follow animals from ranch to rail. Animal transportation is an important part of the beef industry that is often forgotten. Animal transportation is a critical and necessary part of the beef business, but it is often considered to be “outside” the producer loop. Cattle are typically transported two to four times during their lifetime and, next to severe weather, transportation is the single most stressful event in a calf’s life. The need for an educational program on cattle handling and transporting that brings producers and bull haulers together served as a catalyst for the creation of the Master Cattle Transporter Training Program (TBQA).

BQA background

The original Beef Quality Assurance program dates back to 1982 and is the oldest pre-harvest herd management education program in the nation. The BQA program’s mission statement is to “Maximize consumer confidence in and acceptance of beef by focusing the producers’ attention to daily production practices that influence the safety, wholesomeness and quality of beef and beef products through the use of science, research and education initiatives.” Cattle handling and transportation guidelines for producers and truck drivers provide a crucial educational tool that will benefit individual cattle on a daily basis as well as the beef industry as a whole. The TBQA program helps to close the quality assurance circle that provides education and training at all levels of the beef industry.

National Beef Quality Audits have shown that bruising and rough handling during cattle transportation to harvest facilities cost the beef industry over $114 million a year. In addition, stressing feeder cattle during transportation to feedlots or stocker yards can lead to an increased rate of sickness, which limits performance potential for the remainder of the animal’s life. This lost money can be reclaimed as both producers and truck drivers hone their cattle-handling and driving skills. The TBQA program aims to accomplish this.

The TBQA program materials consist of a 45-minute training DVD and a 12-page, glove-box sized manual. The DVD covers cattle behavior and handling techniques along with proper loading, unloading and driving strategies to use when handling and transporting animals. The DVD also contains guidelines and instructions for truck and trailer cleaning, and biosecurity protocols based on the HACCP guidelines found in the BQA program.

The companion glove-box manual provides hands-on information for the driver and highlights important points covered in the DVD. Key information in the manual includes:

† Cattle handling guidelines explaining the concept of “Point of Balance”

† Loading density diagrams for different types of trailers

† Hot weather factors important for handling and transporting cattle

† Cold weather factors important for handling and transporting cattle, including a wind chill index

† Checklists for drivers to go through prior to loading, including loading, traveling and unloading cattle

† Checklist for fit vs. downer cattle

† Biosecurity Emergency Action Plan

† Emergency contact information

Produced primarily through beef checkoff funding and the organizational effort of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the TBQA program is a great collaborative effort. Dan Hale, Extension specialist at Texas A&M University, spearheaded the project. Producer members of the Nebraska Cattlemen, representatives from the trucking industry, and cattle handling and transportation experts like Temple Grandin, Janice Swanson and Tim O’Byrne contributed to the project. The TBQA project is in the process of mass producing materials, creating Train-the-Trainer education material, developing a marketing plan and creating a partnership with Great Western and Hartford Insurance for effective implementation of the program. Also, TBQA Web sites ­­–­ www.tbqa.org and www.tbqa.com – are being upgraded to allow for driver certifications and possible insurance discounts for certified trucking companies and their drivers.

Producers can maximize the benefit of quality assurance education programs by participating in the Beef Quality Assurance Program and by asking the trucking companies that haul their cattle to embrace the TBQA program and certify their drivers. When it comes to Beef Quality Assurance, everyone involved is a winner. Contact Ryan Ruppert, NCBA director of Quality Assurance Programs, or your state BQA coordinator for more information on quality assurance programs.  Y By Anne Burkholder, Nebraska Cattlemen Animal Health and Nutrition Committee chairman and a producer contributor to the TBQA Program.