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Handcarry / On-Board Courier
On-board courier service for time-critical, high-value, and sensitive shipments. One person, one package, door to door — with unbroken chain of custody from origin to receiving desk.
When a shipment is too critical, too sensitive, or too regulated to enter a cargo stream, Strata Critical’s handcarry service deploys a dedicated courier who accompanies your package personally — from pickup through customs clearance to final delivery. No sort facilities, no cargo holds, no unmonitored handoffs. Your shipment travels with a person who has one job: getting it there.
Your Cargo is Our Personal Responsibility
On-board courier (OBC) — also known as handcarry or personal courier service — is the highest level of individual shipment security available in the logistics industry. A trained courier physically picks up your package, travels with it as carry-on or checked baggage on a commercial or charter flight, clears customs on arrival, and delivers it directly to your recipient.
Handcarry is ideal when:
One Courier. One Package. No Exceptions.
1
Pickup
2
Transit
3
Customs
4
Delivery
Not Every Urgent Shipment Needs a
Whole Aircraft.
Rule of thumb: If your shipment fits in a bag and can travel on a commercial flight, handcarry is often faster and more cost-effective than charter. If your cargo is large, restricted, or headed somewhere with limited airline service, charter is the answer. Strata Critical can advise which solution fits your specific situation.
Factor
Shipment size
Cost
Speed
Route flexibility
Cargo restrictions
Chain-of-custody
Best for
Handcarry / OBC
Small to medium (carry-on to checked bag)
Lower — courier + commercial airline cost
Next available commercial flight
Limited to commercial airline networks
Subject to commercial airline DG restrictions
Continuous, person-verified
High-value, small, regulated cargo that fits commercial
Air Charter
Any size — full aircraft capacity
Higher — full aircraft reservation
On-demand, no airline schedule dependency
Full flexibility — any airport, any time
Can carry restricted cargo under charter permits
Continuous, crew-verified
Large, restricted, or remote-destination cargo
The Cargo Categories Where Handcarry is the Standard
Every Handcarry Mission Produces a Complete Custody Record
Strata Critical’s OBC program generates timestamped, person-verified custody documentation at every stage: pickup, transit check-in, customs, and final delivery. For clinical and regulatory purposes, our documentation is formatted to support audit trails required by FDA, ICH guidelines, and sponsor SOPs.
Handcarry is ideal when:
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