Guide · Custody
Chain of custody in the pharma cold chain: every handoff sealed and on the record.
When a shipment arrives warm, the first question is where it happened. Without a custody record, nobody can answer.
Chain of custody is the documented record of who held a shipment, when, and in what condition, from dispatch to delivery.
What each handoff should record
| Field | Why |
|---|---|
| Who handed over and who received | Accountability at every step |
| Time in and time out | Dwell time at each cross-dock |
| Seal number and condition | Proof the shipper was not opened |
| Temperature at handoff | Where any rise began |
| Dry ice top-up, if any | Whether cover was restored |
| Photos or notes | Evidence of damage or delay |
How to set it up
- Map every handoff on each lane: warehouse, carrier, hub, airline, last mile.
- Give each handoff a short, fixed set of checks.
- Record seals at dispatch and verify them at every handoff.
- Time dwell at each cross-dock and alert when it runs long.
- Keep the custody record with the temperature trace on the same shipment.
Why it matters
- Investigations start from evidence, not phone calls.
- Partners know their handoffs are recorded.
- QA can decide disposition faster.
How UltraCold does it
UltraCold runs −60 °C and −80 °C shipments from freezer to freezer in three phases with their own controls: 22 at dispatch, 22 in transit and 24 at delivery. Any FAIL at dispatch holds the shipment, and release needs QA and warehouse to sign independently; the system refuses the same person twice. Two loggers are watched live: drift beyond ±2 °C around target raises an alert, and a breach of the configured hard limits for 30 minutes becomes an NCR with a 4-hour QA disposition deadline. Dry ice is calculated per lane from lane time and ambient profile, with exhaustion risk flagged at two hours of cover. Every cross-dock records seal and dwell time, a 12-trigger ladder escalates from the control tower to senior management, and everything is kept in a five-year audit log.
Questions
What is chain of custody in the cold chain?
The documented record of who held a shipment, when and in what condition, from dispatch to delivery, including seals, dwell times and temperatures at each handoff.
What should be checked at a cross-dock?
Seal number and condition, time in and out, temperature, any dry ice top-up and the names of the people handing over and receiving.
See it on your own data. UltraCold — −80 °C, signed off at every step. Book a 30-minute working session with an engineer.