A courier that accepts biological samples
UN3373 Category B specimens, lab samples and diagnostic material, UK-wide
Most parcel and pallet networks refuse anything with a UN number on the box, whatever is inside it, which is why laboratories end up ringing round for a van. We take UN3373 Category B biological substances packed to P650 on a dedicated vehicle — collected within 60 min, run direct with no hub and no sorting, with photograph, signature and timestamp at both ends. We do not carry Category A infectious substances and we hold no refrigerated vehicle of our own, and we will tell you that before you book rather than after.
Why the networks say no and we say yes
A parcel network moves your consignment through a hub with tens of thousands of others. It cannot inspect what is in each box, so the tariff takes the simple route and excludes anything labelled — a UN3373 diamond on the outer is enough for a refusal, even though the substance inside is specifically exempted from most of the dangerous goods regulations when it is packed correctly.
A dedicated vehicle has no hub and nothing else on board, so none of that applies. The sample is loaded at your bench or your reception, driven to the laboratory, and handed over. It is the simplest possible chain of custody and, for anything time-critical, also the fastest.
What we carry
- Routine and urgent pathology: blood, serology, haematology, biochemistry.
- Swabs, tissue, histology and cytology samples between collection point and laboratory.
- Veterinary samples from practices to diagnostic labs.
- Research material and reagents moving between university, hospital and commercial sites.
- Diagnostic kits, consumables and laboratory equipment alongside the samples themselves.
What we will not carry
We carry UN3373 Category B biological substances packed to packing instruction P650 on a dedicated vehicle, direct, with photograph, signature and timestamp at both ends. We do not carry Category A infectious substances, refrigerated or frozen transport in our own vehicles, organ or transplant material. Ask us before you book and we will tell you which it is, in writing.
Plenty of couriers will take the booking and work it out afterwards. On a patient sample that is not a commercial risk, it is a clinical one — a repeat biopsy, a delayed diagnosis, a re-bled patient. We would rather lose the job at the first phone call.
Common questions
Which couriers accept biological samples?
Fewer than people expect. Most parcel and pallet networks exclude anything bearing a UN number in their tariff, regardless of quantity or what is actually inside, because a hub cannot manage segregation across thousands of mixed consignments. A dedicated courier does not have that problem: with nothing else on the vehicle there is nothing to segregate from. We accept UN3373 Category B specimens packed to P650.
What is UN3373 and does my sample fall under it?
UN3373 is "Biological substance, Category B" — human or animal material being transported for diagnosis or investigation that is not in a form likely to cause permanent disability or life-threatening disease. Most routine pathology, blood, serology, swabs, tissue and veterinary samples fall here. Category A infectious substances (UN2814, UN2900) are a different consignment entirely and need a carrier with the full ADR certificate — we are not that carrier.
What packaging do you need?
P650 triple packaging: a leak-proof primary receptacle, a leak-proof secondary container with enough absorbent material to take the whole volume, and a rigid outer marked with the UN3373 diamond and the proper shipping name. The packaging is the sender’s responsibility under the regulations; we will tell you plainly if what we are shown does not meet it rather than carry it anyway.
Can you keep samples cold?
Not in our own vehicles — we hold no refrigerated vehicle on our fleet and no calibrated temperature loggers, so we will not claim a cold chain we cannot evidence. If your samples travel in your own validated cool boxes with your own monitoring, we carry them direct and unopened, which is usually what a short transit needs. If the consignment genuinely needs monitored refrigerated transport, say so and we will arrange a partner vehicle or tell you to use a specialist.
How fast can you collect?
Within 60 min across West Yorkshire and most of the North, and the same day across the rest of mainland UK. Dispatch is 24/7, including weekends and bank holidays, because pathology does not stop at five.
Do I get proof the sample arrived?
Photograph, signature and timestamp at collection and at delivery, in your own login the moment it is signed for — not chased by phone a week later. The vehicle is tracked live for the whole run, so the chain of custody is unbroken and you can see where the sample is at any point.
Tell us the UN number and the packaging and we will tell you yes or no
One call settles it, and you get the answer in writing before anything is collected. Scheduled laboratory rounds are priced per route and cost less than booking each run.