How UltraEx started—and why it matters today
In 1981, Ernie Walker founded UltraEx as a bike-messenger service in San Francisco, delivering urgent documents and small parcels for law offices, banks, and architectural firms. Even then, the work was urgent, contracts that couldn’t wait, documents that couldn’t be emailed (because email didn’t exist yet), materials that needed to arrive within hours, not days.
As technology evolved, from fax machines to electronic document delivery, UltraEx adapted. Even though the methods of delivery changed, we built our business around a crucial fact: some things just can’t be transmitted digitally. Mission-critical deliveries still require a trusted human being, a tracked vehicle, and the kind of accountability that only comes from a company that’s been in business for over four decades.
Through strategic mergers and acquisitions, we grew from local document courier work to larger-scale logistics supporting medical supply, construction, and government contracts. But our foundation never changed: when the stakes are high, we deliver.
Today, 45 years later, Jessica Walker runs UltraEx with the same commitment her father established in 1981. We specialize in the deliveries that matter most, where patient lives depend on our timing, where confidential materials require our security protocols, and where organizations need a logistics partner they can actually count on.
For Current Customers:
“My dad built this business on one principle: when someone trusts us with a delivery, we don’t let them down. I’m honored to carry that forward.”
— Jessica Walker, CEO
Why UltraEx isn’t like other logistics companies
We’re not trying to be Amazon, FedEx, or UPS. Here’s why that’s good news for you:
Typical Delivery Services
- Focus on volume and acceptable loss rates
- Independent contractors who can decline jobs
- Automated customer service and voicemail systems
- One-size-fits-all security
- Optimize for efficiency over relationships
UltraEx
- Focus on zero-failure deliveries
- 100% W-2 employees who can’t say no to urgent jobs
- 24/7 real people in our physical office
- Customized security protocols per client need
- Optimize for your success, not our volume
The independent contractor model works great for toasters leaving their warehouses. But when a specimen absolutely must reach the lab before the testing window closes, when an organ delivery can’t be delayed, when confidential prototypes require badged personnel—you need W-2 employees with uniforms, company vehicles, and the kind of accountability that only comes from true employee oversight.
The proof is in the performance
45+ Years
Serving Northern California since 1981
99%+
Our internal KPI for delivery excellence
24/7/365
Real people answering calls, not voicemail
100%
W-2 employee-based team
Thousands
Of critical deliveries completed daily
Zero
Margin for error in patient care
Trusted by organizations across Northern California
Healthcare Systems
Major hospital networks, regional labs, specialty pharmacies, VA facilities
Technology Companies
R&D labs, manufacturing, prototype development, marketing departments
Government Agencies
Military contractors, defense logistics, public health organizations
Modern technology meets proven expertise
Real-Time Tracking
GPS monitoring, digital signatures, scan-to-scan accuracy for complete visibility
Proprietary Platform
Complete documentation from pickup to delivery—essential for compliance and security
Chain of Custody
Trained staff handling PHI and sensitive medical information properly
Temperature Control
Proper handling for specimens and medications requiring specific conditions
Northern Californian Experts
We know the routes, campuses , and roads we need to stay on time.
HIPAA Compliance
Trained staff handling PHI and sensitive medical information properly
Serving all of Northern California
Service Area:
San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, Greater Northern California region
Why Regional Focus Matters:
Some materials are too sensitive for digital transmission and too valuable to trust to typical delivery services. We handle deliveries where as few as ten specific team members with special badges are authorized for pickups, where materials must be delivered to a specific person with photo ID confirmation, and where chain of custody is not optional. It is the whole point.
The principles that guide us
Reliability Above All
When we commit to a delivery window, we meet it. Your schedule becomes our priority.
Zero Negativity
We focus on what UltraEx does well, not what competitors do poorly. Our work speaks for itself.
People Matter
From our W-2 team to your organization’s staff, we believe logistics should make people’s lives easier—not harder.
Stakes-Appropriate Service
We understand the weight you carry. Your packages are more than just parcels—they’re patient care, intellectual property, and organizational trust.
(800) 882-1000
(24/7 Dispatch)
info@ultraex.com
Available 24/7