A weather delay shouldn’t be a surprise — it should be a phone call. Severe weather is going to slow down any courier service eventually; what separates a good one is whether your facility hears about it before a specimen is late, not after.
Proactive communication beats a missed pickup
When conditions are deteriorating, a courier team should be reaching out to affected facilities ahead of the scheduled pickup window, not waiting for someone to call asking where the driver is.
Rerouting around road closures and hazards
A courier with real-time route visibility can shift a run around a closed road or hazardous stretch rather than sitting stuck, which matters most for STAT and time-sensitive specimens.
What to ask your courier about weather protocols
- Who calls whom. Does the courier notify you proactively, or do you have to call in?
- How STAT runs are prioritized. When volume has to be triaged during a storm.
- Backup routing plans. Whether drivers have alternate routes mapped for known hazard areas.
- Regional weather experience. Winter storms in the Northeast and Midwest, hurricanes in the Southeast — different regions need different plans.
Ask about our weather protocols
Red Fox Medical Courier serves facilities across weather-diverse regions, from Gulf Coast storms to Northern winters. Request a quote to ask about our weather-delay process.
Related reading: what Wisconsin clinics need to know about winter logistics.