Cattle hauling: the trailers, the 28-hour law, the work and the pay

Where cattle move

• Ranch to sale barn: calves and cull cows to local auctions, often short runs.
• Sale barn or ranch to feedlot: feeder cattle on longer runs, often across several states.
• Backgrounding: calves moved to pasture or grow yards before the feedlot.
• Feedlot to packer: finished cattle to processing plants on tight schedules.

Much of the work is in cattle country, from Texas and Oklahoma to Kansas, Nebraska and the northern plains, with feeder cattle moving long distances to the feedlots.

The trailer: cattle pots and stock trailers

A cattle pot is an aluminum semi-trailer with a drop center and decks front and rear, divided into compartments by internal gates. Ventilation openings along the sides let air through; drivers close them with boards or panels in cold weather and open them in heat. Gates and compartments keep cattle spread evenly and stop them piling up in braking. Smaller operations use gooseneck stock trailers behind a pickup or a straight truck. The pre-trip includes the floor, gates, latches and vents, because a broken gate or a hole in the floor can injure animals.

The 28-hour law

Animals may not be confined in a vehicle for more than 28 consecutive hours without unloading for feed, water and rest. Source The owner or custodian can ask in writing, separately from the bill of lading, for the limit to run to 36 hours. Source Unloaded animals rest at least five consecutive hours in pens with feed and water, and the time spent loading and unloading doesn't count. Source USDA enforces the law. Source Plan any long run with the 28-hour law timer, and see livestock hauling rules by state.

Driver hours and agricultural exemptions

The driver's clock runs alongside the animals'. A solo driver may drive 11 hours Source within a 14-hour window Source before a 10-hour break. During each state's planting and harvest periods, hours-of-service rules don't apply to livestock haulers within 150 air-miles of the livestock's final destination, among other farm moves. Source Long feeder runs often need team drivers or planned rest stops at pens, because a 10-hour driver break in the middle of a run with cattle aboard isn't an option.

Worked example: a feeder run EXAMPLE

A cattle hauler loads 85 feeder steers at a sale barn in Oklahoma at 7:00 p.m. for a feedlot in Nebraska, about 500 miles away. With fuel and inspection stops, the run takes about 11 hours, arriving around 6:00 a.m., well inside the 28-hour limit. The driver checks the animals at each fuel stop, keeps moving through the night to stay cool, and unloads at the feedlot at first light. A solo driver can make this run legally; one twice as long would need a team or a rest stop.

Loading, handling and animal welfare

Calm handling is safer for cattle and drivers, and it protects the load's value: stressed or injured animals lose weight and money. Load quietly, use gates rather than force, spread cattle across compartments by weight and size, and avoid overcrowding. Check the cattle at every stop: look for animals down, struggling or crowded against a gate. In heat, keep the trailer moving and avoid long stops in the sun; in cold, close vents and protect animals from wind chill. Weather can matter as much as the clock.

Paperwork on a cattle load

Cattle often travel with more than a bill of lading. Interstate moves can require health papers from a veterinarian, and some states require brand inspections before cattle leave or enter. The rules differ from state to state and change, so the shipper and the receiving state's animal health office are the people to ask before the load moves. Keep the papers in the cab with the bill of lading and any written 36-hour request.

Weight and size

Cattle are heavy, and a full pot of finished cattle can reach the 80,000 lb gross limit on the Interstate. Source Loading decks and compartments also spread the weight across the axles. Head counts depend on the animals' size, the trailer and the weather. See how many cattle fit on a trailer for the numbers.

Washouts and biosecurity

Cattle trailers are washed out between loads, at truck washes near sale barns and feedlots or at the operation's own wash bay. Clean trailers protect animal health and keep neighbors and highways cleaner. Some feedlots and packers require a washed trailer before loading. Build wash time and cost into every load.

Seasons in cattle hauling

Fall is the busiest time, when spring-born calves are weaned and sold and feeder cattle move to feedlots. Spring brings another run of grass cattle to pasture. Packer runs from feedlots go year-round. Drought can push cattle to market early, and winter storms can stop hauling for days. Cattle haulers plan the year around these seasons and build relationships to keep the trailer busy in the quieter months.

How cattle hauling pays

Cattle hauling is usually paid per loaded mile, with a minimum for short runs, or per load, set by the hauler or the customer. Empty miles back home are often unpaid, so backhauls matter. For context, the median pay for all heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers was $58,640 a year in May 2025. Source Owner-operator earnings depend on loaded miles, backhauls and the season. Rates are covered in cattle hauling rates.

Getting into cattle hauling

1. Get a Class A CDL, since most cattle rigs are combinations rated above 26,001 lb. Source
2. Learn livestock handling, ideally riding with an experienced cattle hauler.
3. Learn the 28-hour law, the agricultural exemptions and your state's livestock rules.
4. As an owner-operator, buy or lease a pot, and build relationships with ranchers, sale barns and feedlots.

Cattle hauling sits alongside other bulk farm work such as grain; see bulk hauling. When you dispatch with us, we find livestock loads that fit your trailer, check them against both clocks before we call, and you approve every load. See our livestock dispatch.