Amazon Relay — the honest breakdown

What Amazon Relay actually is

Amazon Relay is Amazon's contracted middle-mile freight platform. It moves inventory between fulfillment centers, sort centers, delivery stations, and to select 3rd-party warehouses. It's the single largest source of predictable, weekly, quick-pay freight available to box truck operators today.

Roughly 40–60% of my carrier revenue comes from Relay lanes. The other half is spot + direct shippers, which pay higher per mile but are less predictable.

Application requirements

Amazon Relay has real requirements. Meet all of them before applying — Amazon flags "reapplied after denial" carriers.

Company requirements:

• Active MC number (not pending — must be active in SAFER)
• Active USDOT
• $1,000,000 auto liability minimum
• $100,000 cargo minimum
• 90+ days in operation (some regions relax this, most don't)
• Clean SMS BASIC scores (no red on FMCSA)
• W-9 with your LLC name

Truck requirements (26' box):

• 26' box, 3,000 lb-capacity liftgate (or dock height)
• Roll-up door (barn doors accepted at some sites)
• GPS/ELD device compatible with Amazon Relay app (Motive, Samsara, KeepTruckin all work)
• DOT-compliant with current annual inspection

Driver requirements:

• Valid state-issued license appropriate to GVWR
• Clean MVR for the last 3 years
• Background check (Amazon runs it — expect a criminal check and MVR pull)
• Smartphone with Relay app installed

The sign-on process

1. 1Apply at relay.amazon.com/carriers. Provide MC, DOT, and company info.
2. 2Wait for onboarding email (2–15 business days).
3. 3Complete carrier packet: upload COI, W-9, MVR consent, agreement to Terms of Service.
4. 4Add trucks and drivers to Relay Fleet.
5. 5Complete Relay app onboarding video (short — 15 minutes).
6. 6Get access to Load Board and Tours.

Total time from application to first available load: usually 3–4 weeks.

The three types of Amazon Relay work

1. Spot loads (Load Board)

• Post-and-pray. You browse loads on the Relay Load Board, bid or accept them, run them once.
• Rates: $1.40–$2.20 per mile all-in, typically. Higher in undersupplied markets.
• Pay: net 7 days after delivery, or 24 hours if you use Relay Fast Pay (2% fee).
• Best for: filling gaps in your week, deadhead reduction, learning the network.

2. Tours (multi-stop scheduled routes)

• Amazon assigns you a multi-stop route between facilities. Usually 2–5 days, out-and-back or a small loop.
• Rates: $1.30–$1.90 per mile. Usually lower per-mile than spot, but you know your revenue for the week.
• Better utilization (less deadhead).
• Best for: filling 3–4 days per week with predictable revenue.

3. Dedicated lanes / RTP (Relay Trailer Program)

• Recurring weekly lane, same origin-destination, same days.
• Rates: $1.10–$1.70 per mile, but the utilization is nearly 100%.
• Requires application and approval; often given to carriers with 60+ days of good performance.
• Best for: the backbone of your weekly revenue.

Real rates I've earned (2025–2026)

For reference, from my own dispatch records:

Notice: short in-town loops pay best per mile but have high fixed cost per stop (waiting, dock time). Long spot loads pay lower per mile but move fast. Tours split the difference.

The metrics that get you deactivated

Amazon runs a scorecard. Falling below thresholds gets you deactivated with little warning. The critical ones:

Six-month deactivation if you fall into "Poor" tier. Warning + probation if "Fair." All Star and Great tiers get first pick of premium tours.

How to protect your scorecard

1. 1Arrive 30 min early to every appointment. Amazon docks are strict — 5 min late = a mark.
2. 2Never cancel a load you accepted. If you can't run it, do everything (extend hours, hire a driver for the day, sublet) to make it happen. Cancellations kill your acceptance rate.
3. 3Use the Relay app end-to-end. Check in on arrival, upload PODs, log delays through the app (not by phone). Amazon rates carriers who use the app higher.
4. 4Report delays via the app in real time if they're the shipper's fault. Amazon can shift the delay off your record if you document it.
5. 5Never no-show. A single no-show = automatic warning. Two = probation.

The Relay economics — a realistic week

Sample week for a solo owner-op running Relay only:

That's ~$17,000/month gross running Amazon only, working 6 days a week. Solid, but the ceiling is here — Relay alone doesn't scale you past $20k/mo on one truck.

When Relay stops making sense

• Once you have 3+ trucks and enough direct-broker relationships.
• If your local market is oversupplied on Relay (rates go to $0.90–$1.10/mi in some cities).
• If you want to run < 40 hours/week (Relay tours are typically 50+ hr weeks).

Most successful single-truck operators run 60–70% Relay, 30–40% spot / brokers. The Relay is the base, the spot is the upside.

Action items

• Confirm your MC is active and > 90 days old before applying
• Verify $1M / $100k COI
• Apply at relay.amazon.com/carriers
• Install Relay app immediately on approval
• Take the first 3 spot loads at ANY rate to build initial scorecard
• Aim for 6-week 100% on-time performance before applying to Dedicated

Next: Load boards — DAT, Truckstop, 123Loadboard.