Shipping Guidelines
Important: Sample Shipping Guidelines
To ensure accurate testing results, please do not ship waterline samples on a Friday or on the day before a holiday. Samples must remain on ice and held at a low temperature throughout transit. Samples that arrive outside of their required hold time may yield inaccurate results, so proper timing and packaging are essential.
Please plan your shipments around the holidays below, and avoid shipping the day prior to each date.
Check your UPS drop-off time
For air packages, confirm your local drop-off cutoff so the package still ships the same day.
- Know your local drop-off cutoff, it can be earlier than your last pickup time.
- Ask about a scheduled pickup instead of a counter drop-off to guarantee same-day dispatch.
Air services can still be delayed by weather or mechanical holds, so build in buffer when possible.
Never ship on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday
Samples shipped on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday often sit in transit over the weekend, arriving after hold time has expired, which can affect the accurary of your results.
Never ship the day before a holiday
If our lab is closed the next day, samples shipped the day before may sit unrefrigerated far longer than their safe hold window allows.
2026 Holidays
| Holiday | Date |
| Indigenous Peoples Day | Mon, Oct 12 |
| Veterans Day | Wed, Nov 11 |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thu, Nov 26 |
| Day after Thanksgiving Day | Fri, Nov 27 |
| Christmas Eve | Thu, Dec 24 |
| Christmas Day | Fri, Dec 25 |
2027 Holidays
| Holiday | Date |
| New Years Day | Fri, Jan 1 |
| MLK Day | Mon, Jan 18 |
| President’s Day | Mon, Feb 15 |
| Memorial Day | Mon, May 31 |
| Juneteenth | Sat, Jun 19 |
| Independence Day (Obs.) | Mon, Jul 5 |
| Labor Day | Mon, Sep 6 |
| Indigenous Peoples Day | Mon, Oct 11 |
| Veterans Day | Thu, Nov 11 |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thu, Nov 25 |
| Day after Thanksgiving Day | Fri, Nov 26 |
| Christmas Eve | Fri, Dec 24 |
| Christmas Day | Sat, Dec 25 |
Questions about hold times or shipment timing?
Contact us before you ship, and we'll help you plan the right ship date.
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