For 10 years, Richard Loya worked in food service warehouses, then began delivering to restaurants across Southern California. The job was steady, but something was missing. He was stuck indoors and working overnight shifts. When friends who left to buy their own trucks told him about the freedom of owner-operator life, Richard started paying attention.
In 2020, he bought his first truck and started hauling power-only loads independently. Two years later, a friend introduced him to Amazon Relay, and he won Relay’s Performance Excellence Award in 2025. Today, Richard runs Classic Trucking LLC out of SoCal—a one-truck, power-only operation that’s built around what matters most to him: his family.
What made you transition to entrepreneur?
I always wanted to have my own business and get out of physical labor—I was delivering and offloading whole trailers throughout routes. Reefer loads were also strict on timing and scheduling. It was demanding, but it taught me discipline.
Since I was already working hard, I figured there was more money to be made and new experiences to have as my own boss. I met a carrier hauling with Amazon Relay. I liked the type of loads Relay had available. It’s mostly drop-and-hook, so you just wait for the trailer, and it’s not hard on the body. Relay also provided the freedom to choose my own schedule.
Tell us about your business philosophy.
My business philosophy reflects my life philosophy—strive to do and be the best you can and help others along the way. It comes from my upbringing. I was very fortunate to have both parents who sacrificed a lot for me and my sister. They led by example, teaching us to work hard and to be grateful and selfless.
Raised in Pomona, CA, I also grew up seeing a lot of people change their lives, turning negatives into positives through faith. I realized that life is about bettering yourself as a person by continuing to learn every day. My foundation of faith, family, and a drive to give back is how I run my business and how I show up every day on the road.
“On Relay, I mostly use the load board because spot loads give me the most flexibility to manage my personal life. I have a baby girl and if she needs an appointment, I can take a day off or start later if I need to.”
What’s your booking strategy for Amazon Relay?
I have 4-5 different saved searches set up on the load board. I’m checking every day, multiple times a day, at stops in between loads. I’m proactive—I book today for tomorrow, sometimes a few days ahead. I tweak my filters every now and then based on what’s available. When things are good, I adjust the minimum rate I’ll accept.
Your Relay performance score is based on on-time, disruption-free hauling, and it determines the type of load you can book and when. So I keep mine up to earn early access to loads. That way I can find times to trade off shifts with my girlfriend. She can have her own career, and we can share responsibility for our daughter.
What type of loads do you run on Amazon Relay?
All my routes are home daily. I mostly choose local spot loads off the load board. I run mornings across LA, Orange County, and the Inland Empire. The Ontario area has a lot of Amazon facilities close to me, so I book my loads from that domicile.
Sometimes I take early morning “blocks” when I’m able to so I can get paid for a set time, or overnight contracts that go a little further out but still make it back same day. I mainly do them during Prime week and Christmas season. There’s a good push then, a lot of loads available, and the money’s good.
“Because of Relay’s load flexibility, I can balance my schedule depending on what my family needs.”
What advice would you give to other carriers?
It’s important to find good mechanics that get your truck back on the road quickly. And speak to other successful carriers and see what they deal with. You don’t have to go through everything yourself.
Running a small business means dealing with unexpected challenges. I learned that the hard way when someone broke into my truck and stole the internal computer. I was out of commission for a month, and the costs added up quickly—expensive truck rental, missed contracts. It was a domino effect. I had to battle back, do everything to save my Relay performance score, since it determines what loads are available to me.
That resilience probably factors into why you won the Performance Excellence award.
It was a shock. I thought I’d be one of hundreds of carriers getting it out of thousands at RelayCon. Even back when I was working hard for a small broker, I didn’t need an award, but the acknowledgement would have meant something.
I’m just so grateful. We’re all out there doing our best—dealing with traffic, navigating the unexpected. It doesn’t always work out the same way for everyone. Everything I’ve done, it’s a team that makes it happen. I can’t take all the shine.
“Being acknowledged by a company like Amazon—they see what I bring to the table. With other load boards, you don’t get that.”
Tell us about your team.
My team is my family. My girlfriend, who’s a great mother, has shown support as she holds down the house for our family. She takes care of both our daughters while I’m hauling loads, especially when I run overnight contracts. She also works, so my mom and dad watch our baby girl every day when we’re both out. I couldn’t do what I do or earn this award without all three of them. My family’s resilience and willingness to do anything for each other is the core of my business foundation.
What does success look like for you?
The whole point of me doing everything is for my family—wanting something better, for them for later. It’s hard to judge success by money alone. Right now, my definition of success is raising my daughters to have good morals—to be loving, caring, all-around good people. You don’t have to compromise that part of your life to run a business well.
Success is also never forgetting where you came from and who helped you get where you are. I’m carrying forward the memory of a great friend and brother who passed away—Damon Kizzee—who was on the same entrepreneurial path as me. He encouraged me to get my truck, and reminded me how important family and faith are. His memory lives on and he’s still riding with me. I have his philosophy and business name, “Lessons & Blessings,” on my truck. So I’m moving forward with his positivity and support. Any success I have will also be his.
“You can’t always control what happens, so you can’t get hung up on it. You can only do your best. That in itself is success. You never lose if you never quit.”
What are your ambitions for your business?
I want to eventually grow my business and add more trucks when the time is right for my family. I hope to keep the business growing for years, using Relay’s opportunities along the way, and build a solid foundation that I can eventually pass down and leave for my daughters to take over.
For now, I’m focused on being present for my girlfriend and daughters. I hope through the business doing well I can pay back my parents for the years of support they gave me. I want to make enough to create fun experiences and memories with my entire family. Relay’s opportunities help provide more freedom and flexibility in my life to give my family more time, energy, and love.
Grow your business with Amazon Relay’s opportunities
Learn more about how Amazon Relay’s load board and contracts can help you balance flexibility and growth. Check if your business meets Relay’s carrier requirements. Then start your Relay application on your desktop or in our app on iOS or Android.
Disclaimer: Amazon does not tender loads through any third-party load boards. Any Amazon loads posted on third-party load boards will only be tendered directly to approved and onboarded carriers via the Relay web portal or Relay mobile app. If you are interested in hauling loads for Amazon, sign up and book directly on relay.amazon.com. For more about our efforts against fraud and cargo theft, see our trustworthy transportation page.
