Step by Step Guide on How to Become a Medical Courier
STEP 1: Understand What Medical Couriers Do
Medical couriers specialize in transporting time-sensitive, often biohazardous materials, including:
- Lab specimens
- Blood and plasma
- Pharmaceuticals
- Medical records
- Surgical tools
- Durable medical equipment (DME)
This niche pays better than standard courier work but has stricter requirements around chain of custody, temperature control, and HIPAA compliance.
STEP 2: Get Certified & Prepared
Before you look for contracts, make sure you meet basic compliance expectations:
Recommended Certifications & Requirements:
- HIPAA Certification (required for transporting sensitive health information)
Bloodborne Pathogens Training (required for lab specimens)
MOST CONTRACTORS PROVIDE THIS TRAINING SO YOU DO NOT NEED IT BEFORE YOU START - TWIC Card (for airport or port access, optional but helpful) www.tsa.gov
STEP 3: Set Up Your Courier Business Properly
To compete for contracts, you need a professional setup:
- LLC or Corporation
- EIN from IRS
- Business Insurance (General liability, commercial auto, cargo insurance, etc.)
- Driver Screening – background check, drug test, clean MVR
- Temperature-controlled containers or coolers (for medical samples)
STEP 4: Find Contract Opportunities
Direct Bidding & RFP Sites
- SAM.gov – register to bid on federal courier contracts (set up a UEI and complete entity registration)
- GovWin – federal and state opportunities
- Bonfire or BidNet – local RFP listings
Private Sector & 3PL Platforms
- LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics (contract out courier work — check careers or vendor sections on their sites)
- Cardinal Health – Courier Jobs
- AmerisourceBergen / World Courier
- MedSpeed – Careers & Contract Opportunities
- MedsHaul, Dropoff, Stat Overnight, Lab Logistics, Associated Couriers – all work with ICs
Search:
“[Company Name] courier vendor application” or “[Company Name] become a courier partner”
STEP 5: Sign Up for Load Boards or Final Mile Networks
Platforms that often have medical courier work:
Note: You’ll need clean credentials, insurance, and in some cases, proof of certifications (especially HIPAA or BBP).
STEP 6: Network & Cold Outreach
Many medical courier contracts are local and don’t hit public platforms. Try this:
- Create a 1-page capability statement or flyer
- Visit or call local:
- Independent labs
- Hospitals
- Clinics
- Pharmacies
- Nursing homes
- Dental offices
- Home healthcare agencies
- Pitch yourself as a reliable, certified, small courier able to offer HIPAA-compliant service with personal attention.
STEP 7: Consider Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) or Subcontracting
If you're not ready to bid directly:
- Subcontract under larger courier services like Lab Logistics, XPO Health, BeavEx, MedSpeed, or Sonic Healthcare USA
- Join GPO networks (e.g., Vizient, Premier) if your business grows and can service hospital systems
STEP 8: Build a Repeatable System
Once you land your first medical contract:
- Standardize pickup/dropoff procedures
- Maintain logs for temperature, delivery time, and chain of custody
- Set expectations for your drivers (uniforms, ID badges, gloves, protocols)
- Use route-optimization tools like Circuit or Routific to manage deliveries
Medical courier work is high-trust, high-reliability, and high reward. Once you're certified, professional, and consistent, contracts become easier to secure.
If you have additional questions, please leave them in the comments and I will answer them for you.