Transportation of the Deceased

Today, it is not uncommon to die in one city and to be buried in another. Death may occur while away on vacation or while working out-of-town. The decedent may have retired and/or relocated but is being returned to her hometown as a final resting place. There are many reasons this may occur.

Obviously, the first call service is needed immediately. However, the most expedient approach may be to select a primary service provider and rely on them to make all the transportation arrangements. For example, the primary service provider may be a funeral home in the final destination city. They would arrange for a "first call" service to transport the deceased from the place of death to a local site for care and preparation prior to inter-city transportation. The two funeral service providers will then coordinate the arrangements to transport the remains to the destination city. Funeral service providers will then coordinate the arrangements to transport the remains to the destination city.

Funeral homes and other funeral service providers can arrange transportation between cities for the deceased, even if overseas, through airlines and specialty transport companies. If the deceased will be embalmed in the destination city, or will not be embalmed at all, an appropriate method of refrigeration will be necessary during transportation. The remains may be packed in ice or placed in a refrigerated container. Refrigeration should not be necessary if the body has been embalmed prior to transportation.

Companies that transport human remains typically work within the industry, so their services are not generally available directly to consumers. This is due to certain requirements for transporting human remains, such as embalming or packing the body in ice. Arranging transportation is best left to professionals.

See related topics:

Funeral Planning Steps
Who to Call When Someone Dies
Making Funeral Arrangements
Selecting Funeral Products
Making Cemetery Arrangements
Third Party Services
Paying Funeral Costs
Estate, Financial and Administrative Matters
Claiming Death Benefits
Obtaining Death Certificates

Go to Learn About Funerals — Index of Topics.