Beyond the Sedan: Can You Use a Box Truck for Medical Courier Work?
When most people think of medical couriers, they picture compact cars zipping in and out of hospital docks, carrying time-sensitive specimens or prescription medications. And for good reason, the medical courier space is dominated by smaller vehicles due to the nature of the work: speed, flexibility, and tight loading zones.
But what happens when the delivery isn’t a vial of blood, but a hospital bed, an X-ray machine, or pallets of medical supplies?
Welcome to the under-discussed side of medical courier logistics: the role of box trucks and larger vehicles.
Why Most Medical Couriers Use Smaller Vehicles
The majority of medical courier work is highly time-sensitive and involves small, lightweight items like:
- Lab specimens
- Blood or plasma
- Prescriptions
- Surgical tools
- Pathology samples
This work often involves frequent stops at hospitals, labs, outpatient centers, and pharmacies. These locations typically have limited loading zones, require quick entry/exit, and are not suited for large vehicles. That’s why sedans, SUVs, and cargo vans are the preferred choice for most courier companies.
When a Box Truck Does Make Sense in Medical Logistics
While small vehicles handle high-frequency routes, there is a growing need for larger-scale, high-volume medical transport, and this is where box trucks shine.
Here are some examples where a box truck or straight truck is not just suitable, but preferred:
- Hospital & clinic relocations
- Bulk deliveries of medical supplies (gloves, gowns, bandages, etc.)
- Transport of durable medical equipment (DME) like wheelchairs, oxygen tanks, hospital beds
- Delivery of imaging and diagnostic equipment
- Medical furniture and fixtures
- Long-haul inter-facility delivery routes
Some health systems are centralizing procurement and warehousing operations, which means supplies are moving in bulk from central hubs to individual facilities. These types of contracts may require a 26-ft box truck or a liftgate-equipped vehicle.
What You Need to Enter This Space
If you already own a box truck and are curious about entering the medical delivery industry, here’s what you’ll need:
1. Certifications
- HIPAA Certification – Even if you’re not directly handling patient data, most facilities require this.
- Bloodborne Pathogen Training – Required for certain contracts involving medical samples (not always needed for equipment or bulk supply delivery).
2. Proper Insurance
- Commercial Auto Insurance
- General Liability ($1M is common)
- Cargo Insurance
- Workers Comp (depending on your setup)
3. Business Setup
- LLC or corporation
- EIN and business bank account
- Capability statement if you plan to contract with larger organizations or government entities
4. Specialized Equipment (if needed)
- Liftgate
- Pallet jack or dolly
- Straps, blankets, and securement systems for delicate equipment
- Insulated containers (for limited temperature-sensitive loads)
Who Contracts This Type of Work?
You won’t usually find these opportunities on gig apps. Instead, look for:
- Medical courier companies with specialized divisions (e.g., Dropoff, MedSpeed, Expedited Courier Group)
- Hospital systems with centralized distribution
- Medical supply manufacturers and distributors
- Government healthcare contracts (VA, DOD, FEMA logistics)
- 3PLs and freight forwarders who serve the healthcare sector
Tip: Start with your local hospitals’ procurement departments or look on SAM.gov for federal opportunities.
The medical courier industry is broader than most people think. While smaller vehicles dominate fast-paced, lab-focused routes, box trucks fill a crucial gap in equipment and bulk supply logistics.
Want help getting started? I offer 1:1 coaching for those entering the courier and logistics space, including how to structure your business, get certified, and find contracts. Let’s connect!