GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jun 23, 2026

Chain-of-Custody Logistics

A pharmaceutical company ships temperature-sensitive vaccines across three countries and must prove on arrival exactly who held custody at each stage and under what conditions.

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Last updated: 23 June 2026Published: 19 June 2025

Source: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/chain-of-custody.asp

Category

Logistics Concept

Reading time

1 min

Words

115

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Definition & Explanation

A pharmaceutical company ships temperature-sensitive vaccines across three countries and must prove on arrival exactly who held custody at each stage and under what conditions. Chain-of-Custody Logistics provides that proof by documenting every transfer of goods from origin to consignee, recording responsible parties, timestamps, and protective measures applied at each handoff. It is standard practice wherever tampering, contamination, or loss carries serious legal or financial consequences—pharmaceuticals, high-value electronics, forensic evidence, and controlled substances are the most common domains. Unlike basic track-and-trace, chain-of-custody records go beyond location data to capture handling conditions, packaging integrity, and environmental parameters throughout the journey. In the event of damage, the documented chain allows precise identification of where the breach occurred.