Cattle, hogs and other livestock
Livestock dispatch planned around the clock that matters to the animals
Livestock loads run on time limits, weather and sale barn days. We plan every trip so the animals arrive inside the 28-hour limit and you stay legal on your hours, and every load is offered to you before it is booked.
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Dispatch my cattle potHours of service for livestock haulers
Livestock work has a partial exemption from the federal hours-of-service rules. Drivers hauling livestock within 150 air-miles of the livestock's final destination, or agricultural commodities within 150 air-miles of their source, are outside those rules in the planting and harvesting periods each state sets. 49 CFR 395.1(k)Checked October 2026
Beyond those distances, the normal limits apply: 10 hours off duty, then up to 11 hours of driving inside a 14-hour window. On a long cattle haul, the 28-hour animal clock and your own hours clock both have to fit the trip, which is why we plan stops and rest locations before the load is offered.
Electronic logging rules for livestock haulers have changed several times. We go by FMCSA's current guidance for your operation and don't book a trip that only works if the rules are bent.
Weather, welfare and the trailer
Heat, cold and wind decide how a load travels as much as the miles do. In hot weather, loads often move at night and in the early morning; in the cold, ventilation and wind protection matter. Fewer animals per deck in extreme weather is often the right call. We plan load times with the weather, and we never pressure you to load in conditions you think are unsafe for the animals.
What we book for livestock haulers
Cattle moving between ranches, sale barns, backgrounding yards and feedyards; finished cattle to packing plants; hogs between farms and plants; and other livestock where your trailer and experience fit. Loads come from order buyers, feedyards, sale barns and producers, and much of the steady work runs through relationships.
We plan around sale barn days, feedyard receiving hours and plant appointments, and around the seasons: spring and fall bring heavy calf and feeder movement, and plant schedules shape the finished cattle runs. Read our guide to cattle hauling for how the work is organized.
Washouts and backhauls
Trailers need washing between loads, and some buyers and sale barns ask about it. We plan wash stops into the route so a dirty trailer doesn't cost you the next load.
Backhauls are the hard part of livestock work. A cattle pot can't carry general freight, so the return trip is either other livestock heading the other way or empty miles. We look for feeder cattle out and finished cattle back, short sale barn runs and loads that end near your next pickup, and we tell you honestly when a trip will run home empty.
State rules add another layer, from brand inspections to health papers for animals crossing state lines. See our livestock hauling rules by state.
Planning a long haul
On a long cattle haul, the plan starts with the load time. If loading finishes at 6 in the evening, the 28-hour limit lands at 10 the second night, and your own driving hours may run out well before that. A trip that looks fine on a map can fail on either clock.
So we work backward from the delivery appointment: when the animals need to arrive, where a feed, water and rest stop would fall if one is needed, and where you can take your own break. Rest stops with pens are not everywhere, so they are booked into the plan, not found on the night.
When a trip is too long to fit comfortably, we say so before you load. A load that only works if nothing goes wrong is not a load we want on your trailer.
Trailers, papers and buyers
Trailers. Cattle pots with their drop center, multi-deck hog trailers and smaller stock trailers each suit different animals and distances. Your deck setup, length and ventilation sit on your card, so head counts and loads match the trailer.
Papers. States set their own requirements for health certificates on animals crossing state lines and, in brand states, brand inspections before cattle move. Missing papers can hold a load at a border or a sale barn. We confirm what the trip needs before the call.
Buyers and plants. Order buyers, feedyards and packing plants want trucks that show up on time, handle animals calmly and keep clean trailers. They remember the haulers who do, and that is where repeat work comes from. We help you build that record from the first load.
The livestock year
Cattle hauling has busy seasons and quiet ones. Calves come off pasture in the fall, yearlings move to feedyards, and spring brings another wave of grass cattle. Finished cattle move to plants all year on the packers' schedules. Weather shifts everything: drought sends cattle to market early, and a hard winter slows the roads.
We plan with that rhythm, so the truck is positioned for the fall run and has steady plant or feedyard work lined up for the slower stretches.
Hog work is steadier through the year, with plants and finishing barns on fixed schedules. If you run hogs, the plan is about consistency and clean trailers rather than chasing seasons.
Starting out in livestock
Livestock is relationship work, so a new carrier usually starts close to home: local sale barns, nearby feedyards and producers who need a reliable truck. Handling animals calmly and keeping a clean trailer earn the next call faster than any rate.
We help a new livestock hauler build that base, with short, well-planned loads first and longer hauls once the trailer, the paperwork and the relationships are in place.
You say yes before the trailer moves
We call you with the pickup, the head count and type, the weight, the destination, the planned load time, the stops for a long haul and the rate. You decide whether the load fits your trailer, your hours and your judgment about the weather.
You sign the rate confirmation yourself, once you have said yes. If anything on it differs from the call, don't sign and don't load. A no costs nothing, and we keep looking.
What livestock haulers ask us
"You don't know my buyers." Keep them. Tell us their days and we fill the gaps around them.
"Will you push me to run late in the heat?" No. Load times follow the weather and your call on the animals' welfare.
The livestock fee EXAMPLE
Say a feeder cattle load pays $2,200 for a 450 loaded-mile run. At the standard rate the dispatch fee is $110 and you keep $2,090. On a new MC the fee is $154. Those are example figures, not rates.
No sign-up charge, no load minimums, no fee when the trailer sits. Time a real trip with the 28-hour law timer, check typical pricing in our guide to cattle hauling rates, and see every tier on the dispatch fee page.
Livestock dispatch questions
01Does the 28-hour law apply to trucks?
The law covers animals confined by covered carriers in a vehicle or vessel, and USDA stated in 2006, responding to a petition, that trucks operating as common or express carriers are included. Treat it as applying to your loads: plan every trip so animals are unloaded for feed, water and at least 5 hours of rest before 28 hours.
02Are livestock haulers exempt from hours-of-service rules?
Partly. The federal hours-of-service rules don't apply to drivers hauling livestock within 150 air-miles of the livestock's final destination, or agricultural commodities within 150 air-miles of their source, during the planting and harvesting periods each state sets. Outside those limits, the normal 11 and 14 hour rules apply. ELD rules have changed over time, so check FMCSA's current guidance.
03How are cattle hauling loads paid?
Most livestock loads pay per loaded mile or as a flat price for the trip, and some short hauls pay per head or per hundredweight. Deadhead to the pickup is often long, so judge each load by its total pay against all the miles it takes. Our guide to cattle hauling rates covers how pricing is built.
04Can you find backhauls for a cattle pot?
Sometimes, and mostly with other livestock moving the opposite way, such as feeder cattle going out and finished cattle coming back, or short sale barn runs. A cattle pot can't haul general freight, so the honest answer is that some empty miles come with the work. We plan to keep them as short as possible.
05How much does livestock dispatch cost?
5% of gross for one truck on an MC older than 6 months, 7% while the MC is under 6 months, and 4% per truck for fleets of 2 or more while that limited-time rate lasts. No setup fee and nothing in a week you don't haul.
On time for the animals, legal for you
Send the application with your trailer setup and the areas you haul. We'll call with livestock loads that fit, and you approve each one.