A Michigan-based carrier, Timi Bro Trucking LLC has not only scaled from one to six trucks since 2018—they’ve also introduced on-site mechanics operations. We talked to owner Hussein Al Tameemi about building his thriving power-only trucking business with the help of Amazon Relay’s contract opportunities.
What was your experience with trucking before Amazon Relay?
I had my own trucking business in my country, Iraq. During that time, I worked with the U.S. military as an interpreter. After four years, I leveraged that position to come to the U.S. in 2016. We chose Michigan because it’s built around the transportation industry. So, I could explore the same passion, but with new opportunities. I have a degree in mechanics and wanted to rebuild my business here to create a successful future for my family, especially my kids.
I spent four months as a driver, just to practice U.S. laws and learn everything about FMCSA. Then I drove two years over the road as an owner-operator contracted under another company. Once I had my own operating authority, I signed up for Amazon Relay right away.
“Amazon Relay offers security for the type of work you want, and they’re an honest company to work with. It was always my goal to haul with them once I came to the U.S.”
Tell us about getting up and running with Amazon Relay.
It was so clean and straightforward. Amazon Relay is always inventing newer technologies to make hauling loads simpler and safer. The Relay app features, for example. My company’s drivers love that there’s no need for paperwork and directions are handheld. No headaches.
That applies to the business side of things as well. My son does payroll—he loves it because he can work remotely and have the time to focus on college.
Which Relay opportunities have you taken advantage of to grow your business?
We run Amazon Relay’s power-only, short-term contracts. It’s 99% of our business because our schedule depends on our drivers’ needs. They have families and want steady work. Amazon Relay’s contracts allows us to provide the drivers with their schedule ahead of time. We can plan their financial stability in advance and how long they’ll be on the road a few weeks out.
Because of Relay’s flexibility and steady opportunities, I’m not driving anymore. My focus can be on the office and growing the business, improving our future. We’ve built a team for scheduling, safety, and e-logs, and we have people to monitor our upcoming trips. The better we do, the more we can do.
Tell us about scaling up with the help of Relay’s opportunities.
We have six trucks and six drivers now, but we were slow to build a strong base because we wanted quality over quantity. We don’t hire drivers with less than two years of experience, and they must have driven over the road with no accidents or tickets. Amazon Relay has high performance standards, so we hire drivers who are familiar with the expectations. We can only maintain access to contracts if we’re meeting those expectations.
How will you continue to take advantage of Relay’s opportunities?
By the beginning of next year, we want to explore more of Amazon’s new lanes, like less-than-a-truckload and railroad. Those loads can keep us local, so our drivers can get home daily, and we’re able to retain our talent.
“Drivers are the most important thing. They need to be happy, because we can’t do anything without them. Relay’s reliable opportunities allow us to give them stability.”
How have Relay’s safety rewards helped your business?
The per-mile safety bonuses are perfect because we demand collision-free hauling anyway. Now it means additional income that we pay to drivers. It’s made the drivers more excited to do their work. We give all those extra earnings back to them, depending on our company’s driver of the week, or driver of the month. We already have our own incentive programs in place, with prizes for clean inspections, etc. But now on top of that, we get to add the monthly Relay safety rewards for more motivation.
What advice do you have for carriers considering Relay?
We have maintenance operations on-site now and I wish I’d already had that facility started before my hauling business. Maintenance is the most challenging, expensive, time-consuming part of this industry. And breakdowns can cause disruptions that decrease your Relay performance score if you’re not prepared with an extra truck and driver. Your performance score determines what you’re able to book, so I would encourage carriers that want the most opportunity with Relay to always have trucks well maintained. Succeeding with Relay is all about planning ahead.
Amazon Relay carriers can access exclusive trucking discounts on fuel, vehicle rentals, insurance, tires, and more. The average carrier saves 23% of operating costs with Amazon Relay.
Join Relay
Start your Relay application on desktop or our app on iOS or Android to join Amazon’s freight network. But first, check out Relay’s carrier requirements to make sure hauling for Amazon is the right fit for your business.
Curious about safety rewards? Calculate your potential earnings below.
Amazon Relay safety rewards calculator
Calculate your company's potential collision-free mileage reward, up to 400,000 miles.
0 - 50,000 miles
50,001 - 200,000 miles
200,001 - 300,000 miles
300,001 - 400,000 miles
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.
