What to Record in a Medical Courier Cold-Chain Log

1. Identify the shipment and logger

Make it possible to match each reading to the correct delivery. Record the shipment or run reference, cargo category, driver and vehicle, package or container, and the logger or probe identifier. Include the required temperature range and identify where that requirement came from, such as the shipper's written instructions or the product labeling.

2. Timestamp each event

Record the date, clock time, and time zone for pickup, each custody handoff, each manual reading or logger interval, discovery of an exception, notifications, delivery, and closeout. Keep the logger's original timestamps and UTC context when available; note any time adjustment used to reconcile device and local event times.

3. Record temperature with context

For every manual reading, include the exact value and unit, capture time, measurement point, and device or logger ID. Record the sampling cadence required for that shipment and retain the logger export when automatic readings are used. For U.S. records, make units explicit, including °F when Fahrenheit is used; preserve the device's original values and units as well.

Do not assume one temperature range or recording interval applies to every cargo. Use the range and cadence specified for the shipment.

4. Document each handoff

At pickup, transfer, and delivery, record who released the shipment and who received it, when and where the transfer happened, and the package condition. Keep the signature, scan, or other evidence required by the operator's or client's process, and reference it in the log so it can be found later.

5. Document exceptions without erasing the original record

Preserve the original out-of-range value and add a separate exception note. Record when it was discovered, the duration and minimum or maximum when available, the location, and package condition. Note the action taken, who was contacted and when, and the disposition or release decision with its recorded source. Keep a clear correction trail if an entry needs to be amended; do not overwrite the first record.

6. Close out and retain the record

Attach or reference the logger export, reconcile event times with device times, and record the final disposition and reviewer. Retain the log and supporting evidence for the period required by the applicable instructions, agreement, and rules. Keep related records together or use stable references that make them easy to retrieve.

7. U.S. operating note

Storage ranges, logging cadence, and retention periods depend on the cargo and its governing instructions. Check the product or package labeling, shipper and receiving facility SOPs, customer agreement, and applicable federal and state requirements. This general guide does not set a universal threshold or interval and does not certify regulatory compliance.