Medical Courier Services in California
HIPAA-aware, temperature-controlled medical courier services across California. Marvin Transportation delivers lab specimens, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, blood products and hospital supplies: same-day, 24/7, TSA-approved.
- Chain of custody on every leg
- CRT, 2–8°C and frozen
- ePOD with timestamp and signature
Specialized medical courier services for California’s healthcare industry
Healthcare logistics demand the highest level of precision, discretion and speed.
Marvin Transportation’s medical courier division serves hospitals, clinical laboratories, biotech companies, blood banks, specialty pharmacies and medical device distributors across California. Our drivers are trained in biohazard handling, cold chain transport and chain-of-custody documentation, ensuring every specimen, medication and medical device arrives intact, on time and compliant with HIPAA, CAP and CLIA requirements.
Operating 24 hours a day from our SFO Hub in South San Francisco and LAX Hub in Inglewood, we serve all major California medical centers, including UCSF Medical Center, Stanford Health Care, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, UCLA Health, Kaiser Permanente facilities, CHOC and Scripps Health.
Medical courier services we provide
Eight service lines, one dispatch desk. Every medical courier run is matched to the right vehicle, packaging and paperwork before the driver rolls.
- Blood
- Urine
- Tissue
- Biopsies
- Cultures
Lab Specimen Transport
STAT and routine specimen transport including blood, urine, tissue, biopsies and cultures. Chain-of-custody maintained throughout.
Lab specimen courierPharmaceutical Delivery
Temperature-controlled pharma delivery: CRT (15-25°C), refrigerated (2-8°C) and frozen (-20°C), with cold pack and dry ice capability.
- CRT
- 2–8°C
- Dry ice
Medical Device Logistics
Surgical instruments, implants, diagnostic equipment and sterile supplies delivered same-day to OR suites and clinical settings.
- Implants
- Loaner sets
- Sterile
Blood Product Transport
Packed red cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate transported under blood bank-compliant temperature control protocols.
- PRBC
- Plasma
- Platelets
Hospital Supply Runs
Scheduled and on-demand delivery of medical supplies, PPE, IV fluids, reagents and clinical consumables between facilities.
- PPE
- IV fluids
- Reagents
Biohazard Courier (Cat B)
Category B biological substance transport (UN3373) with proper secondary containment, labeling and trained couriers.
- UN3373
- Triple pack
Urgent STAT Deliveries
24/7 STAT dispatch for critical medical shipments: no delays, no excuses. Average pickup time under 90 minutes in metro areas.
- 24/7
- Direct drive
Cold Chain Documentation
Temperature logs, chain-of-custody manifests and ePOD with timestamp and recipient signature for every medical delivery.
Temperature ranges our medical couriers run
Tell our medical courier dispatch the range on the call. The vehicle, packaging and logging are set before pickup, and the log travels with the delivery.
Controlled room temperature
Most oral medications, many reagents and routine clinical supplies. Insulated packaging keeps the range through traffic and dock waits.
Refrigerated
Vaccines, biologics, many specimens and blood products. Validated cold packs or a reefer, with readings logged for the full run.
Frozen
Frozen specimens and pharmaceuticals packed on dry ice, sized to the transit time so the shipment never runs warm.
Ultra-cold
Research material and clinical trial shipments on dry ice, with an excursion report if any reading moves out of range.
California medical facilities we serve
Two hubs, one network. Northern California runs out of the SFO Hub and Southern California out of the LAX Hub, on the same dispatch system.
Northern California
Our Northern California SFO Hub supports UCSF Medical Center, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, Stanford Health Care, El Camino Health, Sutter Health, Kaiser Permanente Bay Area facilities, Dignity Health and major clinical labs including Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp facilities across the Bay Area, Sacramento and Central Valley.
Southern California
Our Southern California LAX Hub supports Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, UCLA Health System, USC Keck Medical Center, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), PIH Health, Providence Health & Services, Sharp HealthCare and Scripps Health across the LA Basin, San Diego, Orange County and Inland Empire.
Why California businesses choose Marvin Transportation
Trusted by freight forwarders, hospitals and enterprises across California.
TSA-Approved Drivers
DOT and FMCSA compliant, STA-cleared drivers at all major California airports.
CLDA Member
Certified Last-Mile Delivery Association member: a verified, professional delivery network.
24/7 Operations
Round-the-clock dispatch, with drivers available for urgent same-day and overnight shipments.
Two Hub Strategy
SFO Hub (South San Francisco) and LAX Hub (Inglewood), covering all of California.
100+ California Cities
Statewide coverage from Eureka to San Diego, including all major metro areas.
GPS and Real-Time POD
Live fleet tracking, electronic proof of delivery and chain-of-custody documentation.
How our medical courier service works, in 4 steps
From your first call to confirmed delivery: a fast, transparent and reliable process every time.
- 1
Request a quote, online or by phone
Submit our quick form or call (323) 673-7397. Provide your pickup location, delivery destination, item details and required time. We respond with a quote and confirmation in under 15 minutes.
- 2
Immediate driver and vehicle assignment
We dispatch the nearest qualified driver immediately. You receive the driver name, vehicle information, estimated arrival time and a live GPS tracking link, all before pickup even begins.
- 3
Pickup confirmed with timestamp and signature
Your driver arrives on schedule, verifies the shipment with your team and provides a digital pickup confirmation with timestamp and signature capture. Your tracking link activates for live in-transit updates.
- 4
Delivery and electronic proof of delivery
Your shipment is delivered on time. You receive an electronic proof of delivery (ePOD) instantly, including delivery timestamp, GPS coordinates, recipient signature and delivery photo. Full audit trail included.
Packing a Category B specimen for a medical courier
Specimens shipped as UN3373, Biological Substance, Category B, travel in triple packaging. Our drivers check each layer at pickup and will not take a package that is leaking or unlabeled.
- Primary receptacleThe leakproof tube or container that holds the specimen.
- Secondary packagingA leakproof bag or container with enough absorbent material to soak up the full contents.
- Rigid outer packagingA sturdy outer box marked UN3373 with the words Biological Substance, Category B, and the shipper and recipient details.
Category A material (UN2814 or UN2900) needs additional coordination. Call dispatch before the shipment is packed so the right packaging and paperwork are in place.
STAT, scheduled or routine medical courier runs
Most healthcare customers use all three. The difference is how fast the driver moves and whether the run repeats.
STAT
One driver, one shipment, straight to the destination. For critical specimens, OR cases and anything a patient is waiting on.
- Dispatch 24/7
- Average metro pickup under 90 minutes
- Live tracking and escalation if delayed
Scheduled
Same-day runs booked ahead for a set pickup window. For pharmacy refills, supply transfers and planned device deliveries.
- Pickup window you choose
- Right vehicle and packaging planned in advance
- Signed proof of delivery
Routine routes
Fixed daily or weekly routes for lab collections and inter-facility transfers, with the same driver at the same docks.
- Fixed stops and times
- Same driver each day
- Priced on the schedule, not run by run
What to have ready when you book a medical courier
Have these ready and your medical courier quote and dispatch happen on the same call.
- Pickup and delivery addresseswith the department, floor or dock, so the driver goes straight to the right door.
- What is movingspecimen type, piece count and approximate weight.
- Temperature rangeCRT, 2 to 8°C, frozen or ultra-cold, and whether a temperature log is required.
- Deadlinethe time it has to arrive, not just when it is ready.
- Handling ruleschain of custody, UN3373 packaging or controlled substance requirements.
- Contacts at both endsa name and phone number at pickup and at delivery.
Healthcare teams that rely on our medical courier drivers
Every medical courier customer has its own docks, deadlines and paperwork. Our dispatchers learn them once, so every run after that is routine.
Hospitals and health systems
STAT specimens between campuses, OR instrument trays, blood products and inter-facility transfers, with the pickup and drop-off logged against each department.
Clinical and reference labs
Daily collection routes from physician offices and draw sites, timed so specimens reach the bench inside their stability window.
Specialty and retail pharmacies
Same-day prescription delivery to patients, refrigerated biologics and pharmacy-to-pharmacy stock transfers with signature capture at the door.
Biotech and clinical trials
Trial kits, investigational product and research samples between sponsors, sites and labs, with temperature logs kept for the study file.
Medical device companies
Loaner sets and implants delivered to surgery centers ahead of the case, then picked up and returned for reprocessing.
Clinics, hospice and home health
Supplies, equipment and medication to outpatient clinics, care homes and patients at home, often on a fixed weekly route.
Dental and imaging centers
Dental lab cases, impressions and imaging media moved between offices and labs on a pickup schedule that fits the practice.
Blood banks and tissue programs
Blood, plasma and tissue moved in validated containers, with handoffs recorded so the custody record has no gaps.
Chain of custody and HIPAA-aware handling
A medical courier is part of your compliance record. If a specimen is questioned later, you need to show who had it, where and when. Every Marvin run produces that record automatically.
Drivers keep patient paperwork sealed and out of sight, never open a package, and hand off only to the named recipient or an authorized staff member. Requisition forms travel in the bag, not on the dashboard.
If something goes wrong in transit, such as a road closure, a temperature excursion or a recipient who is not at the dock, dispatch calls your contact right away with options instead of leaving the package in the vehicle.
Drivers are trained on chain of custody and bloodborne pathogen handling. Privacy obligations for handling patient material are set out by the HHS Office for Civil Rights, and our procedures follow that guidance on every run.
- Pickup scanTimestamp, GPS position and the name and signature of the person releasing the shipment.
- In-transit recordLive location every few minutes and, for cold chain runs, a temperature reading logged throughout the trip.
- Handoff recordRecipient name, signature, delivery photo and timestamp, sent to you as an ePOD the moment the run closes.
- Audit copyRecords kept on file and available on request for inspections, accreditation reviews and internal audits.
Medical courier services: California service coverage
Marvin Transportation serves California’s healthcare logistics needs from the Bay Area biotech corridor to the San Diego medical research district. Our medical courier network covers every hospital campus, clinical lab, specialty pharmacy and outpatient clinic across California’s major metros and surrounding communities.
Northern California SFO Hub
- San Francisco (UCSF, CPMC, St. Mary’s)
- Oakland (Highland, Kaiser)
- San Jose
- Palo Alto (Stanford)
- Santa Clara
- Redwood City
- Walnut Creek (John Muir)
- Concord
- Sacramento
- Davis (UC Davis Health)
- Stockton
- Modesto
- Fresno
- South San Francisco
- Marin County
- Sonoma County
Southern California LAX Hub
- Los Angeles (Cedars-Sinai, UCLA, USC Keck)
- Long Beach
- Burbank
- Pasadena (Huntington)
- Santa Monica (Providence)
- Torrance (Torrance Memorial)
- Orange County (CHOC, Hoag)
- Anaheim
- Irvine
- San Diego (Scripps, Sharp, UCSD)
- Riverside
- San Bernardino
- Loma Linda
- Ontario
Key corridors and airports
- I-5 Medical Corridor
- US-101 Peninsula Healthcare Route
- I-580 East Bay
- I-880 Kaiser Corridor
- I-405 South Bay Medical
- I-10 Inland Empire Healthcare
- SR-91 Riverside Medical
- SFO Air Cargo (Medical)
- LAX Air Cargo (Medical)
- OAK Cargo
Medical courier services questions
Can’t find your answer? Dispatch picks up 24/7.
Call (323) 673-7397Are Marvin Transportation’s medical couriers HIPAA compliant?
Yes. Marvin Transportation follows HIPAA-compliant protocols for all medical deliveries. Our drivers are trained in patient information privacy, proper handling of medical records and specimens, and chain-of-custody documentation requirements. We do not open, inspect or duplicate any medical materials in transit.
Can you transport temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals and blood products?
Yes. Our fleet includes temperature-controlled vehicles and we use validated cold pack, dry ice and active temperature control options. We handle CRT (15-25°C), refrigerated (2-8°C), frozen (-20°C) and cryogenic specimens. Temperature logs are provided with every cold chain delivery.
Do you handle STAT medical deliveries in California?
Yes. Our 24/7 dispatch center handles STAT medical courier requests around the clock. We typically achieve pickup within 60-90 minutes of dispatch in major California metros (Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento). STAT deliveries are tracked in real time and escalated if any delays occur.
Are your drivers trained in biohazard specimen transport?
Yes. Marvin Transportation couriers handling biohazardous specimens are trained in UN3373 Category B biological substance transport requirements, including secondary containment, proper absorbent packaging, correct labeling and handling procedures. Category A (UN2814/UN2900) requires additional coordination, so please contact us to discuss requirements.
Which hospitals and health systems do you serve in California?
We serve healthcare facilities across California including UCSF, Stanford Health Care, Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, Cedars-Sinai, UCLA Health, USC Keck, CHLA, Providence, Sharp HealthCare, Scripps Health and hundreds of outpatient clinics, specialty pharmacies and clinical labs statewide.
Do you provide STAT medical courier service in Los Angeles?
Yes. From our LAX Hub in Inglewood, Marvin Transportation provides 24/7 STAT medical courier service throughout the Greater Los Angeles area. We serve Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, UCLA Health System, USC Keck Medical Center, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), Providence Health facilities, PIH Health, Torrance Memorial Medical Center and hundreds of outpatient clinics, urgent care facilities and specialty pharmacies across Los Angeles County, Orange County and the Inland Empire.
Can you transport dry ice shipments for pharmaceutical and lab deliveries?
Yes. Marvin Transportation handles dry ice packaging and transport for pharmaceutical and laboratory shipments requiring frozen (-20°C) or ultra-cold (-60 to -80°C) temperatures. We coordinate dry ice quantities appropriate for transit duration, document temperature throughout delivery and provide excursion reports if any deviation occurs. We serve pharmaceutical distributors, specialty pharmacies, biotech labs and clinical trial sites requiring cryogenic transport across California.
Are you approved to deliver controlled substances in California?
Marvin Transportation’s drivers follow DEA-compliant chain-of-custody procedures for Schedule II-V controlled substance transport, including locked containers, dual-signature verification, tamper-evident packaging and complete transfer manifests. We work with hospital pharmacies, specialty pharmacies and pharmaceutical distributors requiring DEA-compliant delivery in California. Please contact us at (323) 673-7397 to discuss your specific controlled substance logistics requirements.
Related Marvin Transportation services
Specialist pages for the medical courier work we run most.
Need a reliable medical courier in California?
24/7 medical courier dispatch for STAT, scheduled and same-day medical deliveries. STA-cleared drivers, temperature-controlled fleet.
- SFO Hub245 S Spruce Ave, South San Francisco, CA 94080
- LAX Hub1101 W Hillcrest Blvd, Inglewood, CA
- Emailsales@marvintransportation.com · Available 24/7