Kiyia Malone and her husband Mark worked as mail carriers for 15 years when they noticed Amazon entering the postal delivery space. They decided to jump on the opportunity. For the past three years, they’ve grown their family-run box truck business with the help of Relay. We caught up with Kiyia about how she’s managed to help keep Xpressos, LLC profitable through Relay’s spot freight opportunities in California.
How did you get introduced to Amazon Relay?
My cousin Brandon was the first to build a business with the help of Relay. He was all about it. He showed us the money he was making, and it seemed less troublesome than what we were doing. We were tired of working 8am-2am as mail carriers, so we took the leap of faith.
My husband and I started with a leave of absence from our full-time jobs. Since we were used to driving box trucks, we purchased one and ran Relay loads together. Those routes still had us going to the post office, so it wasn’t a drastic change. But it offered more flexibility and independence, and we were our own bosses. We said we wouldn’t put in our resignations at our full-time jobs until it made sense. After 2-3 months of operating our own business, and not answering to somebody, we liked it. We went all in on our own transportation company.
“Right away, we found Relay to offer competitive rates and straightforward processes for our business.”
What resources were helpful to you when you started hauling with Relay?
When we went into trucking, my cousin Brandon had a meeting with us, including my son, to share what he learned as a carrier. My cousin walked us through his experience with Relay, how he was doing it, went over the load board. He’s my sensei to this day, and I still refer to him when I need help.
I also researched other box truck carriers on YouTube who provided transportation services through Relay. I saw what they went through when it was a good year or month, and how they managed when it wasn’t. It’s not going to be peak season every week. I learned about Relay’s performance score, and how your reliability affects the opportunities you can book and when. The complete picture.
How quickly were you able to expand?
It took us about 6-8 months to decide we were ready for more trucks. I’m used to physical work, so it didn’t make sense for my husband and I to ride in one truck when I could operate on my own.
We didn’t want to purchase another truck because of the cost of breakdowns, so we went the renting avenue. We found a rental company with low deposits and low mileage, with a long-term contract so rates wouldn’t change. We rented 3 other trucks to allow my son and brother to drive with us.
Tell us about co-ownership with your husband. What’s your dynamic like?
We’ve always been a team, more than anything. We met working together, and started in a truck together, so none of that is foreign to us. I do most of the booking and the financial part, but he’s just as good. If there’s a load he notices, he might call me to ask if we want to jump on it. We have a high level of communication.
What’s your favorite Relay feature?
My cousin loves contracts so that his schedules are built out for longer, but I prefer to choose loads week-by-week based on rates. That’s why my favorite tool is the load board. If I’m looking at a spot load for tomorrow and it’s paying pretty good, then I can book it without worrying if a truck breaks down. We can keep our equipment flexible.
But we started our business doing Post A Truck, so it’s dear to my heart. You list your own load criteria and instantly book matches. I like the awareness, being in charge of my schedule and where I’m going. And I love that PAT gives me similar loads all the time. That way I can have rapport with the facilities – by now I know everybody at the sites.
How has running your own transportation business allowed you to balance your priorities?
We now have the ability to say we’re not working today. If my aunt’s having a birthday party – okay, no loads for that day. That in itself is worth it. You’re not going to miss out on family because you’re not mandated to work.
It was scary, of course, walking away from security into a realm of uncertainties. But there hasn’t been a day that we have regretted that decision. We both felt we really didn’t have an option because of the wear and tear on our bodies, and our schedules causing us to miss our children grow up. Now I have a life and I didn’t for a long time.
“My only regret is I didn’t start my transportation business and begin using Relay sooner.”
What would you share with other carriers about your experience hauling loads through Relay?
First, do your research, but don’t be scared to take that leap. Even though my cousin was my mentor, and he was successful, this was still my decision, which requires me to do my own investigation. Especially because when my cousin introduced us to Relay, it was November, during high-volume events. I couldn’t base a business decision on what he was making at that time.
Second, I really believe it’s a necessity to become a driver before you run the logistics of a trucking company. You need to have an understanding of what your drivers are talking about. You know what they’re going through because you’ve experienced it.
What is your long-term goal for your business and when will you know you’ve achieved it?
Long-term, I hope to transition out of the business to finish my master’s to become a licensed therapist. That’s always been a desire of mine. So, I want to help my husband take over and make sure the business remains profitable. We’re getting older, so the next step is to get him out of the truck and hire more drivers. We hope this business is a forever thing.
My son has noticed how successful we are, and that we’re able to have a good work-life balance. Now he wants to get his own trucking authority to haul loads through Relay, so I’m guiding him under my wings to teach him how to eventually run his own business.
Achieve your business goals with the help of Amazon Relay
Want in? Start your application on desktop or in the Relay app on iOS or Android. But first, check out Relay’s carrier requirements to make sure hauling for Amazon is the right fit for your business.
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.
