TL;DR
- Ask for the IATA certificate itself, with number and expiry, for every courier who actually flies and not just the company. A refusal to hand over a copy is where the conversation ends.
- Ask for their temperature excursion data with the records behind it. "We've never had an issue" is a warning sign, not a selling point, because nobody has a perfect record.
- Insurance floor: $5M general liability (prefer $10M), $2M professional liability, a biological specimen rider, and a certificate of insurance within 24 hours. If naming your clinic as additional insured costs extra, that's a red flag. If they won't do it at all, walk.
- A real emergency protocol sounds like this: automated alert inside 60 seconds, courier checks the dry shipper seal, backup shipper or divert if the seal is compromised, all parties notified within the hour, then a written incident report.
- Three current fertility clinic references, not one, not general medical transport clients, not contacts from three years ago. Ask them about volume, incidents, and response time on urgent moves.
- Scoring the five questions: 5 of 5 means run a trial transport, 4 of 5 means fix the gap before signing, 3 of 5 means keep looking, below that means don't use them.
Selecting a Cryo-Courier: 5 Critical Questions Clinics Must Ask
⚠️ 5 Non-Negotiable Questions
- Are you IATA compliant? Show me your current certificate.
- What is your temperature excursion rate? (Should be <0.5%)
- Can you add our clinic as additional insured? ($5M minimum)
- What happens if temperature rises above -145°C during transport?
- Can you provide 3 fertility clinic references?
Why These Questions Matter
As a fertility clinic, selecting the wrong embryo courier puts your patients' samples at risk and exposes your clinic to liability. These 5 questions cut through marketing claims to reveal the courier's true capabilities.
Question 1: IATA Certification
"Are you IATA compliant for dangerous goods? Can you show me your certificate?"
What to Look For:
- Certificate number and expiration date (must be current)
- Category B Biological Substances (UN 3373) training
- Annual recertification (not expired)
- ALL couriers certified (not just company)
Red Flags:
- ❌ "We're working on certification"
- ❌ Certificate expired >6 months ago
- ❌ Only owner/manager certified, not field couriers
- ❌ Refuses to provide certificate copy
Question 2: Temperature Excursion Rate
"What percentage of your transports experience temperature excursions above -145°C?"
Acceptable Answers:
- ✅ <0.5% excursion rate with data to back it up
- ✅ Detailed incident reports available
- ✅ Root cause analysis performed on every excursion
Warning Signs:
- ⚠️ "We've never had an issue" (no one has perfect record)
- ⚠️ Doesn't track excursion rates
- ⚠️ >1% excursion rate (too high for reproductive tissue)
- ⚠️ Blames excursions on equipment/clinics (not taking ownership)
Question 3: Insurance Coverage
"What are your liability limits? Can you add our clinic as additional insured?"
Minimum Requirements:
- General Liability: $5M (prefer $10M)
- Professional Liability: $2M minimum
- Biological Specimen Rider: Specific coverage for reproductive tissue
- Certificate of Insurance (COI): Must be able to provide within 24 hours
Critical Test:
Ask: "Can you add our clinic as an additional insured and provide a COI?"
- ✅ "Yes, we do this for all partner clinics" = Good
- ❌ "That will cost extra" = Red flag
- ❌ "We don't typically do that" = Walk away
Question 4: Emergency Protocol
"Walk me through your exact protocol if temperature rises above -145°C mid-transport."
What You Want to Hear:
- Automated alert within 60 seconds
- Courier immediately checks dry shipper seal
- If seal intact: continue monitoring, assess at next checkpoint
- If seal compromised: Deploy backup shipper or divert to nearest clinic
- Notify all parties (origin clinic, destination clinic, patient) within 1 hour
- Complete incident report and root cause analysis
Inadequate Answers:
- ❌ "That's never happened" (doesn't answer the question)
- ❌ "We'd figure it out" (no written protocol)
- ❌ "Temperature checks only at start and end" (can't detect mid-transport issues)
Question 5: Fertility Clinic References
"Can you provide contact information for 3 fertility clinics you currently serve?"
What to Ask References:
- How many transports have they done for you?
- Any incidents or temperature excursions?
- Response time for urgent/same-day transport?
- Quality of communication and coordination?
- Would you recommend them? Why or why not?
Red Flags:
- ❌ Can't provide any references
- ❌ Only provides 1 reference
- ❌ References are from 3+ years ago
- ❌ References aren't fertility clinics (general medical transport)
Bonus Questions (If Time Permits)
Question 6: Equipment Maintenance
"How often do you service your dry shippers? Can you show maintenance records?"
- ✅ Every 6 months by manufacturer or certified service center
- ✅ Complete maintenance logs available
- ✅ Validation testing before each use
Question 7: Incident History
"How do you define an incident, how many have you had, and will you show me the log?"
- ✅ Defines "incident" precisely, in writing
- ✅ Keeps an incident log and is willing to open it
- ❌ Quotes a headline percentage but cannot tell you what the denominator is
Question 8: TSA Coordination
"What happens on the day a checkpoint refuses visual inspection?"
- ✅ Pre-coordinates with TSA 24-48 hours before
- ✅ Has a written fallback — samples go back to the origin clinic rather than through the scanner
- ❌ Answers with a percentage instead of a procedure
Evaluation Scorecard
| Question | Pass | Fail |
|---|---|---|
| 1. IATA Certification | ☐ | ☐ |
| 2. Temperature Excursion Rate | ☐ | ☐ |
| 3. Insurance & COI | ☐ | ☐ |
| 4. Emergency Protocol | ☐ | ☐ |
| 5. Fertility Clinic References | ☐ | ☐ |
Scoring:
- 5/5 Pass: Excellent candidate - proceed with trial transport
- 4/5 Pass: Good candidate - address failed question before contracting
- 3/5 Pass: Marginal - significant concerns, seek alternatives
- <3/5 Pass: Do not use - too risky for your patients
✓ GuardianCryo passes all 5 critical questions with documented proof. Request our credentials package including chain-of-custody documentation, COI, shipper specifications, handling procedures and clinic references.
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GuardianCryo Compliance Team
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Our compliance team leads GuardianCryo's commitment to maintaining the highest standards in medical logistics, regulatory compliance and biological material transport.
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