This project will develop a new Skill Set to provide a benchmark for nationally consistent training and industry best practice in Livestock transport.
Livestock transport is a vital part of Australia’s road freight industry. According to CSIRO’s 2022 freight mapping, over 14.9 million tonnes of livestock are moved across the country each year, with individual animals often transported multiple times during production.
Transporting livestock safely requires specialised skills. Heavy vehicle drivers must understand both animal welfare obligations and vehicle operation requirements. Recognising this, the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA) approached Industry Skills Australia (ISA) to support the development of nationally consistent training for livestock transporters.
Jobs and Skills Australia also recommended improved delivery and uptake of formal livestock transport training in its report An Essential Ingredient: The Food Supply Chain Workforce.
Currently, industry faces challenges accessing relevant training. Units of competency related to livestock transport are spread across multiple training packages—AHC (Agriculture), AMP (Meat Processing), and TLI (Transport and Logistics)—but there are few qualified trainers available to deliver them. This limits access to essential training.
To address this, ISA will develop a new Skill Set that includes industry-identified units of competency, creating a benchmark for nationally consistent training and best practice in livestock transport. The Skill Set will align with:
Through research, analysis, and consultation with stakeholders, ISA will also identify future training and assessment needs for livestock transport. These findings will inform a second phase of the project.
Industry Skills Australia has established a Technical Committee (TC) for this project. Comprising 10 subject matter experts from industry, RTOs, regulators and industry bodies.
The first meeting of the Technical Committee was held on Tuesday, 7 October 2025.
Expressions of interest for this technical committee closed on 29 August 2025.
ISA held a webinar on 14 August 2025 to launch three key projects aimed at attracting, retaining, and upskilling Heavy Vehicle drivers.
Watch the chapter regarding the Livestock Transport Training project below;
Work on this project has commenced and Industry Skills Australia (ISA) is forming a Technical Committee.
Your industry expertise and insight is welcome to help develop a new Skill Set to provide a benchmark for nationally consistent training and industry best practice in Livestock transport.
Public Consultation closed on Friday, 29 May 2026.
We are seeking your feedback on revised draft training products for livestock transport drivers, including a new Skill Set that establishes a benchmark for nationally consistent training and industry best practice.
A Technical Committee of subject matter experts has updated the following draft products following initial feedback from industry stakeholders:
Implementation guidance for TLID0026 has also been developed for inclusion in the TLI Training Package Companion Volume Implementation Guide (CVIG)
As a result of feedback received in the first round of consultation the following has been updated/developed:
We invite you to review and provide feedback on the drafts to help shape the future of livestock transport training in Australia.
Public Consultation closed on Tuesday, 13 January 2026.
A new Skill Set for livestock transport drivers has been developed to set a benchmark for nationally consistent training and industry best practice. Industry Skills Australia would like your feedback on the draft products.
Why This Matters
The Livestock Transport Driver Skill Set, drafted by Industry Skills Australia under the guidance of a Technical Committee of subject matter experts, describes the minimum specialist skills and knowledge drivers must have to transport livestock and comprises four Units of Competency:
*The Care for livestock in transit unit has been updated to strengthen its coverage of drivers’ obligations to comply with animal welfare and biosecurity requirements.
We’re Seeking Your Feedback
Industry Skills Australia invites you to review and provide input on the draft training products.
Your insights are valuable. Help shape the future of livestock transport training in Australia by sharing your feedback on the draft materials.
The reviewed training products are due to be submitted to the Assurance Body by 30 April 2026.