Trailers can be hard to properly clean and are a huge biosecurity risk to the swine industry. Conditions where pathogens could be inactivated were investigated so that this information could be applied to the cleaning process of the trailers. Most pathogens can be eliminated by dry heating at 70°C for 15 minutes, though more resilient diseases like Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus require 75°C for 15 minutes. This needs to be done in all areas of the trailer to work properly. Data sensors are being developed to ensure the temperature is reaching all parts of the trailer and the design and operation of the dry heating are also being researched so that energy usage is not too high. Hydrovac technology may also be an option so that workers would not need to enter the trailer to clean it. This involves a high-volume and pressure wash to thoroughly clean the vehicle. A remote control system may be able to operate this in the future as well. Current trailers were assessed in Canada with findings that many had negative implications on animal welfare. Trailers made for cattle have many issues when used for pig transport, with the ramps being a large one. Better designed trailers are being discussed, with commercialization of these trailers hopefully occurring in the near future.
Truck Wash Project Aims to End Bioinsecurity (full article)
