For drivers
Getting USDA certified
This is the one part of joining us that takes real effort. It is worth understanding before you apply, so here is the honest version.
Why this is required
Carrying somebody else’s animal for money is regulated by the federal government under the Animal Welfare Act, administered by the USDA. It is not a formality we invented.
It also protects you. A registered carrier operating to a known standard is in a far better position if anything ever goes wrong than somebody moving animals for cash with no paperwork.
Who needs it
Anybody transporting animals commercially, which includes you the moment a client pays for a trip.
If you are only ever moving your own pets, none of this applies. The requirement starts when money changes hands.
What it costs
Less than most people expect. The application fee is modest and there is an annual fee after that, based on the scale of what you are doing. For a single person with one vehicle it sits at the bottom of the scale.
The bigger cost is usually getting the vehicle up to standard if it is not already. Most van and RV conversions already are.
Call us on 479.517.0218 before you spend anything. We will tell you what your situation is likely to involve.
How long it takes
Plan for a couple of months from starting the paperwork to being able to take your first booking. Sometimes faster, occasionally slower, and the inspection scheduling is the part you cannot rush.
Start now rather than when you want to begin earning. This is the single biggest reason people who mean to drive for us never do.
Step by step
- Apply to USDA APHIS for registration as an animal carrier or intermediate handler.
- Read the Animal Welfare Act standards for transporting animals, so you know what is being checked.
- Get your vehicle and your crate up to those standards. Climate control, ventilation, secure fastening, room for the animal to stand and turn around.
- Have your inspection. An APHIS inspector looks over your setup.
- Receive your registration number.
- Send us a copy when you apply to drive, or add it to your application afterwards.
What the inspection looks at
In plain terms: can an animal travel in your vehicle safely and comfortably for a long distance.
- The crate. Big enough to stand, turn and lie down. Properly ventilated. Secured so it cannot slide or tip.
- Temperature. A climate controlled cabin, not a space that bakes when you stop for lunch.
- Food and water arrangements for the length of the trip.
- Cleanliness, and how you handle waste on the road.
- Your records. Who you carried, where, and when.
Keeping it current
Registration is renewed annually and you can be inspected again at any time.
Keep your paperwork somewhere you can find it, not somewhere in the back of a cupboard in a storage unit three states away.
Where to get help
USDA APHIS is the authority and their animal welfare section answers questions from people at exactly your stage.
And call us. We have walked people through this before and we would much rather spend twenty minutes on the phone than lose a good driver to a form.