Lab courier service and specimen transport
STAT and same-day specimen pickup. Chain of custody, temperature control, and HIPAA-trained drivers. Time-critical specimen transport from clinics to labs.
Get a quote
Tell us what you move and where. We'll come back within one business day.
What a lab courier service is
Dragonfly is a lab courier for clinics and laboratories in the US and Canada. STAT and same-day specimen pickup runs with chain of custody, temperature monitoring, and HIPAA-trained drivers. The lab names the temperature band and the bench cutoff. The courier records the handoff and escalates when a reading goes out of range.
| What moves | Specimens from clinics and draw sites to the lab, with chain of custody documentation. |
|---|---|
| Windows | STAT from 30 minutes. Same-day scheduled. Recurring routes. |
| Temperature | Ambient, refrigerated, or frozen — the band the lab names. Monitoring and documentation on cold-chain routes. |
| Handling | OSHA-trained for bloodborne pathogens and hazmat. CAP-aligned pathology handling. UN3373 is the Category B mark to require. |
| Coverage | 1,000s of cities across the US and Canada. |
| Pricing | Custom enterprise. No surge, no peak fees. Quote within one business day. |
| Checked | October 28, 2026 |
Specimen courier
The lab work, separate from DME and supplies
STAT and same-day
STAT delivery available from 30 minutes, and same-day specimen pickup.
Clinic to lab
Time-critical specimen transport from clinics to labs with chain of custody documentation.
Temperature control
Cold chain certified with temperature monitoring and documentation.
HIPAA-trained drivers
Background-checked, HIPAA-trained drivers before they carry a first order.
Chain of custody
Signature and photo confirmation at each handoff, with a full audit trail.
Our Promise
- ✓STAT and same-day specimen pickup
- ✓Chain of custody documentation
- ✓Temperature monitoring on cold-chain routes
- ✓HIPAA-trained drivers
Seamless API & Portal Integration
Track, manage, and update deliveries in real time. Our API and portal make it simple to integrate Dragonfly into your existing systems.
API
The same orders API as the rest of Dragonfly.
// Create a medical delivery — docs: trydragonfly.com/developers
POST https://api.trydragonfly.com/v1/ordersWho We Serve
Tailored delivery for every business model
Clinical laboratories
Specimen pickups, result delivery, and reference lab routing.
- ● Temperature-controlled transport
- ● Chain of custody tracking
- ● Multi-stop routes
What a specimen courier carries
Time-critical specimen transport from clinics to labs, with temperature monitoring and chain of custody documentation. The medical page already names the lanes: lab specimens, blood and tissue products with strict temperature control, and the supplies and devices that ride the same network when a lab or a hospital needs them the same day. Pathology work follows College of American Pathologists standards. That is the handling claim. It is not a list of specimen types this page is newly authorized to invent.
Clinical laboratories use the lane for specimen pickups, result delivery, and reference lab routing: temperature-controlled transport, chain of custody tracking, and multi-stop routes. Draw sites and physician offices are stops on that route. A home-draw company is the same shape of work if the stop list says so. Say which one you are when you quote.
STAT, same-day, and recurring routes
STAT is for the specimen a clinical decision is waiting on. Windows from 30 minutes, live tracking, ±3-minute ETA. Same-day scheduled is a defined pickup window against your courier cutoff: clinic-to-lab specimen runs that have to make the bench. A recurring route is the predictable daily or weekly circuit, the same handling profile every run.
| Service | When it fits | What is already committed |
|---|---|---|
| STAT | Clinical decision waiting | From 30 minutes, live tracking, ±3-minute ETA |
| Same-day scheduled | A firm cutoff | A pickup window against the courier cutoff |
| Recurring route | Daily or weekly volume | Standing lane, same handling every run |
| Lockbox or after hours | A stop that is not staffed when the driver arrives | Put it on the stop list with the hold time. Not a separate product with its own statistic. |
Ambient, refrigerated, and frozen
A lab does not order "cold chain" in the abstract. It orders a band. Ambient is the room-temperature specimen. Refrigerated is the band most chemistry and many blood products are specified in. Frozen is a different package and a different clock. Dragonfly's published claim is narrower than a degree chart: cold chain certified with temperature monitoring and documentation, and dispatch staffed to escalate when a reading goes out of range.
Name the band, the maximum time in transit, and who decides if a specimen is still viable after an excursion. The courier records the temperature and escalates. The lab decides viability. That split is the same one the buyer guide on the medical page already asks every courier to answer.
UN3373, Category B, and chain of custody
Category B biological substances travel under the UN3373 mark. The package is labeled, the driver knows it is a specimen, and the handoff is recorded. Dragonfly drivers are OSHA-trained for bloodborne pathogen and hazmat handling. Handling protocols follow College of American Pathologists standards for pathology work. Chain of custody is signature and photo confirmation at each handoff, with a full audit trail against the order.
This section names UN3373 because it is the mark a lab should require on Category B work. It does not add a packaging certification beyond the OSHA, hazmat, and CAP lines already on the medical page. If your compliance team needs a specific training record, ask for it on the quote.
Hold times, bench cutoffs, and what we need from you
A route that ignores hold time delivers a specimen the bench cannot use. Before a lane is quoted we need the stop list, the hold time for each specimen type, and the bench cutoff at the receiving lab. Same-day scheduled service is a pickup window set against that cutoff. Recurring routes keep the same window every run so the lab is not renegotiating the clock daily.
Live tracking and the ±3-minute ETA are how the lab sees a late stop before the cutoff, not after. The dispatch line is (312) 270-0161 and it is staffed. Orders and scans go through the same API as the rest of Dragonfly, documented at /developers. Medical supplies and DME are a different page: medical supply delivery. The broader courier page is /medical.
Three ways clinical work moves
Most couriers quote one service and flex it. These are distinct handling profiles with distinct commitments — pick per lane, not per account.
STAT
Time-critical, clinical decision waiting
Dispatched immediately on the nearest qualified driver. Windows from 30 minutes, live tracking, ±3-minute ETA. Used for urgent specimens, blood products and OR-direct supply.
Same-day scheduled
Routine collection with a firm cutoff
A defined pickup window against your courier cutoff — clinic-to-lab specimen runs, pharmacy discharge, device delivery to a surgery centre.
Recurring route
Predictable daily or weekly volume
A standing lane with the same handling profile every run: multi-stop clinic circuits, reference-lab routing, inter-facility transfers, DME replenishment.
Six questions to ask any medical courier
Worth asking us too. If a courier can't answer these specifically, the compliance risk transfers to you — not to them.
Does the courier sign a BAA — and train to it?
Moving protected health information makes a courier a business associate under HIPAA, which means a signed Business Associate Agreement, not just a promise. Ask what the drivers are actually trained on: minimum-necessary handling, what they may and may not discuss at a patient's door, what happens to a package that can't be delivered. Dragonfly drivers are background-checked and HIPAA-trained before they carry a first order.
Is chain of custody documented, or just claimed?
A defensible chain of custody records every transfer — who accepted the specimen, when, where, and with what confirmation — and produces it on demand months later. Ask to see an actual export before you sign. Dragonfly captures signature and photo confirmation at each handoff and keeps a full audit trail against the order.
How is a temperature excursion detected and escalated?
Cold chain isn't a cooler — it's monitoring plus a defined response. The question that matters is what happens in the twenty minutes after a reading goes out of range: who is alerted, who decides whether the specimen is still viable, and who tells your lab. Dragonfly runs temperature monitoring with documentation on cold-chain routes, and dispatch is staffed to escalate rather than log-and-continue.
What does STAT actually commit to?
"STAT available" is meaningless without a number and a consequence. Get the target window, how it is measured, and what happens when it is missed. Dragonfly quotes STAT windows from 30 minutes with live tracking and ±3-minute predictive ETAs, so your team can see slippage before the deadline rather than after it.
Are drivers trained for bloodborne pathogens and hazmat?
Specimen and blood-product transport is an occupational-exposure question, not just a logistics one. Ask for the training standard and how often it is refreshed. Dragonfly drivers are OSHA-trained for bloodborne pathogen and hazmat handling, and handling protocols follow College of American Pathologists standards for pathology work.
Can you reach a dispatcher who can see the driver?
This is the one that decides how a bad day goes. A support ticket cannot reroute a specimen. Ask whether there is a human available at 6pm who can see where the driver is, redirect them, and call the receiving facility. Dragonfly's dispatch line is (312) 270-0161 and it is staffed, not a queue.
What is a lab courier service?
A lab courier service moves specimens from the draw site or clinic to the lab, on a clock the specimen can survive. Dragonfly runs STAT and same-day specimen pickup with chain of custody, temperature monitoring, and HIPAA-trained drivers. Patients are not the buyer on this page. The lab, the clinic, and the draw site are.
How fast is STAT specimen delivery?
Dragonfly quotes STAT windows from 30 minutes with live tracking and ±3-minute predictive ETAs, so your team can see slippage before the deadline rather than after it.
Can you transport refrigerated or frozen specimens?
Labs name the band: ambient, refrigerated, or frozen. Dragonfly runs temperature monitoring with documentation on cold-chain routes, and dispatch is staffed to escalate rather than log-and-continue. Name the band on the quote. This page does not publish a degree range as a new certification.
Are couriers trained for bloodborne pathogens and UN3373?
Dragonfly drivers are OSHA-trained for bloodborne pathogen and hazmat handling, and handling protocols follow College of American Pathologists standards for pathology work. Category B biological substances are marked UN3373. Ask how the package will be labeled. That mark is the standard to require. It is not a new badge added on this page.
Do you run recurring routes and lockbox pickups?
A recurring route is a standing lane with the same handling profile every run: multi-stop clinic circuits and reference-lab routing. A lockbox or after-hours stop is something you put on the stop list, with the hold time and the bench cutoff. We build the route from that list. This page does not claim a count of lockboxes.
How is chain of custody documented?
Dragonfly captures signature and photo confirmation at each handoff and keeps a full audit trail against the order.
Will you sign a BAA?
Drivers are background-checked and HIPAA-trained before they carry a first order. Ask for the Business Associate Agreement on the quote. The line already published on the trust page is that a BAA is available for enterprise pharmacy clients. Do not read this page as adding a second, broader promise.
How do we start a route, and is there a trial period?
Send the stop list, the hold time, and the bench cutoff. We come back within one business day. This page does not promise a free parallel-running period.