5 min read
*Original publish date: July 21, 2022. Last Updated: June 23, 2026
Imagine this: you run a business, and an important piece of equipment breaks down. You need a replacement part ASAP, but the part is in stock across the country. Or you're part of a clinical trial, and a critical specimen has to get from Singapore to San Diego. It is held up in customs and needs dry ice replenishment.
How do you get the part quickly? How do you ensure the specimen maintains its integrity? The answer: a network of logistics companies, airport courier services, and TSA-certified drivers.
In fact, airports are major logistics hubs, and courier services impact aircraft operations every day. Couriers even deliver critical aircraft parts, called aircraft on ground (AOG) parts, required for maintenance, which minimizes flight delays.
In either case, airports are busy places with heightened security, controlled access points, unpredictable traffic patterns, and specific regulations, policies, and procedures that govern the pickup and delivery of items. When transporting items to, from, or within U.S. airports, it is vital to use a courier service with experienced TSA-certified drivers. These drivers are intimately familiar with the airport, have undergone a background check, certification, and training from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and are authorized to perform critical services that support airport security and safety.
In this post, we will discuss the importance of using an airport courier service with TSA-certified drivers and what they can do for you.
A TSA-certified driver is someone who has undergone the necessary training and certification from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and is authorized to perform specific services critical to airport security and safety. These drivers ensure that items are transported safely and securely to, from, and within airports.
A TSA Security Threat Assessment (STA) is a security screening process used to determine an individual's eligibility to receive unescorted access to secure or restricted areas in airports. Once approved, the STA is valid for five years. STA screening is required for all TSA-certified drivers to ensure they are not a security threat. Each TSA-certified driver is issued and identified by an STA number.
TSA-certified drivers are authorized to deliver / tender items onto a passenger or cargo plane. In contrast, non-certified drivers are prohibited from transporting anything to the airport that will board a flight. As a result, TSA drivers can save valuable time.
Airport courier services may vary between providers and the specific airports in their service area. While not all services require TSA-certified drivers, there are core services that most experienced airport couriers provide including:
As you can see, airport courier services with TSA-certified drivers play a vital role in airport operations. They ensure that items are correctly monitored, loaded, and unloaded from airplanes. They also play an important role in handling material awaiting to be cleared by customs and delivered to the right destination safely and timely.
If you are looking for an airport courier to transport your items to, from, or within Washington, DC, and Richmond area airports, Excel Courier can help. We are a courier service and logistics company with over 35 years of experience in the transportation of items to and from airports. Excel Courier has over 200 drivers, more than half of whom are TSA-certified drivers. Check us out on Veroot. Our experienced TSA-certified drivers have years of experience navigating the airports in our Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD, Harrisburg, PA, and Richmond, VA service areas including:
Contact us to learn more about our services. Need help right away? Request a free quote today.
A TSA-certified driver has completed the required security screening, training, and credentialing needed to access certain airport cargo facilities and handle secure shipments. These drivers can retrieve or tender freight at airport cargo terminals while following airport security requirements and chain-of-custody procedures.
An airport courier service is ideal when you need time-critical shipments moved to or from an airport cargo terminal. Common examples include tendering outbound freight, delivering export shipments before a flight cutoff, transporting medical or life science materials, handling aircraft-on-ground (AOG) parts, or coordinating same-day air cargo transfers.
Yes. A TSA-certified courier can often access airport cargo facilities and retrieve shipments that require approved personnel for release. This helps reduce delays, maintain shipment security, and speed up the movement of freight from the airport to its final destination.
Airport courier services frequently transport medical specimens, pharmaceuticals, aircraft parts, critical manufacturing components, legal documents, high-value electronics, and other time-sensitive freight. Many businesses use airport couriers when delays could impact operations, patient care, or customer commitments.
The Excel Team : Oct 2, 2025 3:57:01 PM
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