Lab courier service

A lab courier built around your cutoffs.

Atlas has carried specimens for Texas labs since 1979. Reference, clinical, molecular, esoteric and pathology labs use us for scheduled pickup routes, STAT runs and cold-chain transport in Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio, with a live dispatcher on the line 24 hours a day.

LAB 01 · ROUTES

Scheduled lab routes

Daily pickup networks for hospital collection sites, patient-service centers, physician offices and draw stations.

Design a route →
  • Route designWe work back from your analyzer schedule and receiving cutoffs, so samples reach your bench when you need them.
  • CadenceDaily, multi-daily (AM / PM / late), overnight, or custom.
  • ConsistencyDedicated drivers where possible. Your collection sites see the same faces, same vehicles, same windows.
  • CoverageUrban and suburban coverage across Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio.
LAB 02 · STAT

STAT specimen pickup

Redraws, add-ons, frozen sections and anything else that cannot wait for the next route.

Dispatch now →
  • ResponseSub-60-minute pickup standard in all four metros, with sub-30-minute STAT-priority lanes for hospital customers.
  • RoutingDirect-drive, no consolidation, no interim stops.
  • PathologyIntra-op frozen sections, surgical specimens, slides, blocks and consult material between hospitals, pathology groups and reference labs.
  • After hoursNights, weekends and holidays, run by full-time night drivers.
LAB 03 · HANDLING

Chain of custody & cold chain

Every specimen accounted for from the draw site to your receiving bench.

Ask about compliance →
  • ScanningBarcode scan at pickup, in transit and at drop. API-ready status pushes to your LIMS.
  • TemperatureRefrigerated, ambient, frozen and cryogenic transport in validated containers with data loggers. Refrigerated vehicles on high-volume lanes.
  • CustodyCustody transfers logged at pickup and drop, tamper-evident packaging supported.
  • Driver trainingBloodborne pathogens · HIPAA · hospital access protocols · defensive driving · annual recertification.
  • ReportingOn-time performance, missed stops and exception reports. Monthly ops review for high-volume accounts.
Common questions

Lab courier questions.

What lab managers ask us before they switch couriers. Anything else, dispatch answers live at 713-683-8100.

What does a lab courier do?

A lab courier picks up patient specimens from hospitals, clinics, physician offices and patient-service centers and delivers them to the lab on time, at the right temperature and with a record of every handoff. Atlas runs scheduled lab routes and STAT specimen pickups.

Which labs does Atlas work with?

Reference, clinical, molecular, esoteric and pathology labs, and the hospital systems that send to them, in Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio.

How are lab routes scheduled?

Routes are built backwards from your lab cutoff times and analyzer schedule. They can run daily, several times a day (AM, PM and late), overnight, or on a custom schedule, with the same driver where possible.

Can Atlas pick up a STAT specimen?

Yes. Sub-60-minute pickup is the standard in all four metros, with sub-30-minute STAT-priority lanes for hospital customers. STAT runs are direct-drive, with no consolidation and no interim stops.

Can Atlas carry refrigerated, frozen or cryogenic specimens?

Yes. Atlas runs refrigerated, ambient, frozen and cryogenic transport in validated containers with data loggers, and refrigerated vehicles on high-volume lanes.

Can Atlas send pickup status to our LIMS?

Yes. Routed work is barcode-scanned at every stop, and status can be pushed to your LIMS by API.

How do we start lab courier service?

Call dispatch at 713-683-8100, email [email protected], or request service on the contact page. Most new accounts are running pickups the same week.

Map your lab routes with us.

Send us your collection sites and cutoff times and we will sketch a route plan on a 20-minute call. No obligation.

Request a route plan → Or call 713-683-8100