QTA Charters Towers livestock handling workshop fully subscribed

Two workshops were offered over two days at the Dalrymple Saleyards, attracting drivers and others from Mt Garnet, Charters Towers, Townsville, Hughenden and Winton.

The fully subscribed workshops mean that 250 people have been through the bespoke courses facilitated by the Queensland Trucking Association since their inception at Goondiwindi in 2019, and Frasers Livestock Transport's central Queensland manager Athol Carter said they were all about giving drivers the tools and information that clients expect.

"Many of you have many years of livestock handling between you, but we must ensure our workers are competent in what they do," he told workshop attendees.

"Carting a cow from A to B sounds simple but we have got huge animal welfare expectations now.

"This is training for the industry, by the industry."

Mr Carter designed the course content and delivery, which has since been presented at Roma and Gracemere as well as Goondiwindi and Charters Towers, and which helped Frasers win the 2022 Training and Skilling excellence award at the Queensland Road Freight Industry Awards.

He said that seven years ago, when he went to fill a need for training, there was nothing he could pick off the shelf.

"It was a four-year process from concept to hitting the ground and had to be done in a day - no-one can afford to have drivers off the road for days," he said.

"At each workshop we've had an open invitation to the supply chain to attend, and have had CEOs, schoolkids and butchers as well as truck drivers."

According to Frasers managing director Ross Fraser, the importance of the course had been reinforced by major cattle companies reporting a significant change in animal handling techniques by truck drivers who had undergone previous courses.

"There is no doubt that it plays a critical role in educating and creating awareness of safe animal handling techniques," he said.

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Among the industry experts presenting were Rick Young from Dalby Rural P/L, who has extensive research in cattle management and impacts on beast quality, and Tom Shephard who is renowned around the country for his livestock handling courses.

Mr Shephard told participants they couldn't get away with doing things wrong anymore, because everything could be proven with statistics.

"Bad pilots, poor truck drivers - if you don't fix it, people pay for it," he said.

Speaking about his years in Cape York, he said it was by working with cattle on the ground, outside the yards that showed him how cattle react, and why.

"It's a lot about pressure points and where to stand, to set them up right," he said.

All participants put that theory into practice during the day, working cattle around an arena in groups of three.

Mr Young presented many practical examples of how poor handling affected the bottom line from his feedlotting experience, which included spelling practices and length of trips.

"It's annoying when you do things right and others ruin it," he said. "It's your responsibility to know your customer and know the consequences of your actions."

Before they worked up an appetite for lunch, participants took part in a mock consumer sensory test under the guidance of Meat Standards Australia representative Laura Garland.

They were served up three cuts of meat cooked under different conditions, using the SteakMate app.

Ms Garland took everyone through the criteria required for MSA grading, including on-farm, trucking and handling, and saleyard recommendations.

It was all part of the plan to instil a paddock to plate mentality in drivers, asking them to think from the point of view from the end consumer, and understand their role in bringing a high quality steak to the dinner table.