Started in 1987 by a young entrepreneur, Steve Brandt, with a single truck and trailer, Steve’s Livestock Transport today is the largest commercial livestock carrier in North America and a leader in the transportation industry.
Each week, their fleet of 130 power units is out on the road, transporting more than 2,500 head of cattle and 150,000 pigs throughout Canada and the United States.
Steve’s has locations in Blumenort and Brandon, Manitoba and in Acme and Red Deer, Alberta, also home to their commercial washing and large equipment repair service facilities.
Steve’s is one of two winners that shared the 2016 Frank. X. Aherne prize for Innovative Pork Production receiving their awards Jan. 14 at the Banff Pork Seminar.
Sam Gelowitz of the Prairie Swine Centre in Saskatoon, Sask. received the award for an innovative carcass removal cart, while Steve’s for a new hydraulic lift deck trailer.
The all-aluminum deck system has a powerful hydraulic lift cylinder and stainless steel cable system that raises two full length decks into locked position. It acts as an elevator to lift livestock into different deck levels, which eliminates ramp usage to enter or exit the trailer. That reduces animal fatigue, stress, and injury during movement and improves meat quality.
Other features include superior ventilation through the trailer and the common contamination areas are easier to wash out. Biosecurity is enhanced. Heavy duty gates contain and separate loads. The design is also physically easier on drivers.
“We’ve been blessed with opportunity ahead of us in the transportation industry particularly if we’re willing to do what our clientele is asking us to do when it comes to biosecurity,” said Brandt in an interview at the Banff Pork Seminar. “That has definitely helped us grow in our business.”
When people talked about biosecurity years back, it almost sounded like something high tech and from outer space.
“If you don’t do it right, you don’t have a business,” he agreed. “Our herd health that we have here in Canada is something that we need to protect. You look at our friends to the south, they have many more challenges when it comes to diseases. Thanks to our industry, they care about biosecurity and that is what has helped us lead on that front.”
With the hog industry coming through tough times financially and PED virus, Steve’s kept trucking even when the hog farmers could hardly afford to pay.
“Yes, it was a difficult time and saw a lot of our really good customers and clientele go through really difficult times, and that is no fun,” Brandt said. “We walked alongside of them, and for the most part saw them come through the other side. So that was rewarding at the end of the day.” What is the key to solid biosecurity?
“I think understanding and training so people understand why they’re doing what they are doing,” he said. “There are so many drivers out there I think if they understood, they would actually follow the biosecurity more closely. But if you don’t train them and teach the people, they don’t understand what to do. So training is the biggest aspect of it, if you want to have solid biosecurity.” It is one thing to train the driver as an employee, but his company deals with the producer too.
“The training starts in our office with a policy that everyone has to go on a ride-along once a year with a truck,” said Brandt. “That is where it starts, teaching people right in the office so they understand why biosecurity is so important and what actually happens at the farmgate. From there we teach our mechanics, our wash bay staff, and our drivers and then go back to our customer and ask them how can we work together on this and make it better.” •
— By Harry Siemens
