Safe Driving

If you’ve ever been a passenger in a car with a bad driver, you know how unpleasant it can be. You not only feel physically uncomfortable, but you may become anxious, too. The same goes for animals that are traveling in a trailer that is poorly driven. After one or two bad rides, the animals may refuse to load.

What constitutes a bad trailer ride is not far off from a bad car ride. Stopping short, turning sharply, and abruptly accelerating and decelerating can all make for a scary ride for a four-legging passenger. Here are some guidelines for good driving when hauling livestock. Reduce speed. Many highways and interstates have slower speed limits for vehicles that are hauling, and with good reason. Slower speeds are safer when pulling a trailer. A slower speed will also reduce the amount of jostling your animals will experience when you go over potholes and rough roads.

Gradually accelerate and decelerate. Nothing is more alarming for an animal in a trailer than to be thrust forward or thrown backward when the towing vehicle abruptly speeds up or slows down.

Make slow turns. Animals standing in a trailer have to work to keep their balance as the vehicle is moving. The most difficult part of the ride is during turns. As you make a turn, remember your animals are working to keep their balance, and the slower you go, the easier it will be for them. A good rule of thumb when hauling your animals is to pretend you have a glass of water in the trailer that you are trying not to spill.