subject: What Is Meant By Stat Service? [print this page] STAT service is a designation that a Chicago courier will use for any shipment that is of the highest priority. Typically, these shipments will need to be delivered immediately. Although they often contain medical supplies that could save somebody's life, that is not always the case. A STAT delivery can be anything that needs to be delivered virtually instantaneously. Because of the stresses it can put on the regular delivery process, and the unusually large amount of resources that must be dedicated to such a delivery, the cost for this service is very high.
Stat is a term that is commonly used in the medical field. It is derived from the Latin word that means immediately, and is used in emergency situations when time is of the essence. Because of its frequent use in medical centers to denote situations that are of the highest importance, the term easily transitioned to the courier business when used to describe medical deliveries.
The term STAT is not reserved to medical situations. It is applied to any delivery that needs to be made right away. The legal profession uses this designation often. There are many instances when a hard copy of paperwork must be delivered to a judge's desk by a certain deadline. Some contracts are also time sensitive and must be delivered within a certain period of time or be voided.
Because of the large number of resources required to make a STAT delivery, this service is much more expensive than regular overnight service. Usually, this type of delivery is done by a designated courier. This is a courier whose sole job is to make that delivery on time, versus a regular delivery driver who has a number of deliveries to make within a certain time window. No other package will be on that vehicle, making it very expensive for the courier service.
A Chicago courier that provides STAT service charges extra for this service. Designating one vehicle, and one or more employees, to make only one delivery is very expensive for a delivery company considering that most delivery vehicles make at least a dozen or more deliveries every day. Because it is much more expensive for the courier company, they always charge a much higher fee for the service. This fee can be worth the expense, however, especially in an emergency situation where the delivery of medical supplies can save a life.
