Now just over three years into his first trucking business, Anibal Cortez had never thought of joining the transportation industry before he left banking to become a box truck owner-operator. Not only has his box truck business grown—he’s expanded into CARB’s Clean Truck Check testing. Based out of San Bernadino, California, business is booming.
We talked to Anibal about helping other carriers navigate compliance while building a business through Relay’s opportunities, giving him the freedom to be present for his family.
How did you get started with Amazon Relay?
I have a friend that started a family-opearted business with Relay before me. We’d talk about his operations, and the flexibility Relay’s opportunities offered.
I wanted more balance and control over my time. My son has special needs and requires specialized therapy and frequent appointments. Managing that schedule is too much of a burden to put on my wife alone. So, once my friend started sharing his experience with Relay, and I saw he was having success, it made me curious. He runs a box truck company, so he laid out the growing pains they’d already experienced. Plus, you don’t need a CDL to operate box trucks compared to tractors, so it was quicker to get up and running.
He was persistent and encouraged me to become my own boss and to provide a better life for myself and my family. I am very thankful for that. Life doesn’t stop, but with Relay, now scheduling is easier to manage.
What was your initial experience with Amazon Relay?
Working at a bank, paperwork was pretty much all I did, so filing for the business and maintaining accounting came naturally. But with Relay, you already get weekly invoices—everything’s paperless.
I explored other load boards at the beginning because Amazon is performance driven. When you’re brand new, you don’t get access to all of Amazon’s loads. You have to prove that you can run consistent with Amazon’s standards for on-time, disruption-free loads, and earn a score based on that every six weeks. But that’s just the process.
Once I understood that, I went out as much as I could. After I built my first Relay performance score over the trial period, I could create the schedule that I wanted and see a wider variety of loads.
“Once I understood all the booking options available, I could commit more capacity to Relay and better strategize my business. Relay requires putting in the work upfront for opportunities down the road.”
Tell us about scaling your operations with the help of Relay’s opportunities.
It felt like divine intervention. When I first started, I wasn’t planning on adding more drivers or trucks. I was just trying to make it work. Then a buddy I’d known since third grade was looking for something on the side. So, I brought him on board to run nights, allowing me to do day routes. Relay has loads available 24/7, so you just schedule what you want, when you want.
The same thing happened when i added a truck—it was all about timing. My buddy that helped set up my business introduced me to a guy offering a great deal on a box truck, just when a church brother of mine was leaving work and looking for an opportunity. Again, connections are everything. Because of networking and Relay’s flexible scheduling, the business started lining itself up.
Tell us more about Relay’s scheduling flexibility.
Working at a bank is hard. It’s a different type of stress, all mental. A lot of things can go wrong super quick. If something spontaneous happened in my personal life while working at the bank, taking time off wasn’t always an option. But now, with Relay, I simply assign a load to another driver.
Running a trucking business, I understand that if I don’t haul, I don’t make money, but I also know that if I can’t work the morning, I can find a load on Relay in the evening, and vice versa. On the other side of the coin, make sure you cover whatever you committed to. If you don’t haul on time and disruption free, your Relay performance score takes a hit, and that makes it difficult to see the widest options for future loads.
As someone new to the industry, what made you decide to expand into CARB certification testing?
I wasn’t planning on getting into clean transportation policy, either. My friend attended church with a few leaders from CARB (California Air Resources Board). Through conversations with them, I learned about the Clean Truck Check regulations that would start happening—zero-emission vehicles, needing to pay the annual compliance fee and submit the required passing emissions test to operate in California.
I already had financial stability by booking constantly with Relay, and that gave me the freedom to pursue this side business. It took another year for CARB requirements to take effect, so Relay’s scheduling flexibility provided a great opportunity to take online courses and learn the ins and outs. By the time the state enforced CARB, my side business was already up and running.
How do you plan your loads & routes on Relay to maintain steady work?
The majority of loads I run are spot loads so I can move my schedule around. Live loads or ones that need to hit the road soon tend to pay better because there’s more urgency than a contract.
Relay’s Post A Truck feature caters to my needs because I list truck availability depending on me and the drivers, what they’re willing to haul and how much. I can instantly match with a similar load, or if something comes up, I take the post down.
Different seasons call for different strategies. Amazon’s peak time is different than flow time. So, I don’t limit myself to one particular tool—I also watch Relay’s load board. I’m fluid, adjusting for whatever the day is calling for. If a load’s a tad bit out of my typical criteria—whether that’s an extra hour or a couple more miles—and business is slow, I’ll simply grab it.
“By combining Relay’s load variety and booking options, I can easily fill scheduling gaps.”
How do Relay’s opportunities support your goals for Eben Ezer Express going forward?
I ultimately want to step back from behind the wheel and have a dispatch team to find loads. My dream is to work from home, have a fleet that runs smoothly, and not be far from family. My wife has relatives outside the country, and we want to spend time with them. It’s hard when you’re not earning to take that time off. But life is too precious and short to be away from the ones you love. Relay helps that vision—I can access it anywhere I get a signal.
I also have to expand my CARB business because carriers are going to start needing testing four times a year. So, Relay’s ability to manage things remotely adds even more convenience.
“Relay has given me hope that the way I want to operate my business is achievable. But you can’t reap if you don’t sow. I’ve got to put in the loads.”
Do you see your trucking business as a generational wealth opportunity?
If this continues and my kids want to take it on, that’d be great. My adult son is finishing his time in the Marines this June. Because of my success through Relay’s opportunities, he’s already considering trucking—whether that means adding a truck to my fleet or starting his own business. He’s already completed a couple loads with me and is now going through the process.
My children have shown interest in the business because of my success through Relay’s opportunities. They’re now exploring the possibility of expanding the business or starting their own ventures using similar Relay opportunities.
But I want to support whatever my kids want to do, however they need me. Whether that’s financially, emotionally, or just being present. Through Relay, I can make the money and stay in control to always be there for them.
Interested in hauling Relay loads?
Start your Relay application on desktop or our 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. For more about our efforts against fraud and cargo theft, see our trustworthy transportation page.
