FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AKRON, Ohio, (Feb. 4, 2004) – FedEx Custom Critical, Inc., North America’s largest provider of expedited time-critical shipments, now offers a validated solution for temperature-sensitive shipments through its latest service, TEMP-ASSURE Validated. This shipping option conforms to current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) and includes a validation master plan. It also sets standard operating procedures for the shipment of temperature-sensitive materials.

TEMP-ASSURE Validated was developed to address increasing concerns about the proper handling of temperature-sensitive materials. It also facilitates compliance for customers regulated by organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP).

Customers receive a validated service that includes thermal-mapped vehicles, redundant data retention and hard-copy data logs documenting the temperature of the cargo hold during a shipment. This service also includes validation procedures and protocols, ensuring optimal quality according to cGMPs.

In addition to thermal-mapped vehicles, specialized care-in-handling and temperature-control equipment, TEMP-ASSURE Validated vehicles are equipped with a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable data logger and temperature probes that record temperatures at different areas of the cargo box. 

According to Jim Snider, vice president and general manager of White Glove Services®, TEMP-ASSURE Validated provides a missing compliance link in the cold-chain, ensuring proper shipping temperature and record keeping while products are in transit. “Our objective was to address the regulatory and quality needs of our customers,” Snider said. “With this new service, we provide our customers with a validated shipping option that was painstakingly developed to address these needs.”

About FedEx Custom Critical
FedEx Custom Critical provides exclusive-use, time-specific shipment services throughout the U.S. and Canada and within Europe. Among its divisions are Surface Expedite, for nonstop, door-to-door transport of critical shipments; White Glove Services, for shipments that require special care in handling; and Air Expedite, which offers an array of air solutions to meet customers’ critical delivery times.

About FedEx Corp.
With annual revenues of $23 billion, FedEx Corp. is the premier global provider of transportation, e-commerce and supply chain management services. The company offers integrated business solutions through a network of subsidiaries operating independently, including: FedEx Express, the world's largest express transportation company; FedEx Ground, North America's second largest provider of small-package ground delivery service; FedEx Freight, the largest U.S. provider of regional less- than-truckload freight services; FedEx Custom Critical, North America’s largest provider of expedited time-critical shipments; and FedEx Trade Networks, North America's largest customs broker and a provider of international freight forwarding and trade facilitation services. FedEx ranked highest in the J.D. Power and Associates 2002 Small Package Delivery Service Business Customer Satisfaction Study^SM in the categories of air, ground and international delivery services. For more information, please visit www.fedex.com.