When the 2008 economy crashed, Noe Herrera made a bold pivot—from electrical work to trucking. What started as a survival move became a thriving family business. Today, his business runs 23 semi-trucks, hauls 250,000 miles monthly with the help of Amazon Relay, and is aiming to double his fleet to 50 trucks in the next few years.
We sat down with the California-based carrier to hear how he built his business, what keeps him moving forward, and how Amazon Relay became part of N&H Trucking’s growth. As one of the top earners in the Relay’s mileage bonuses for collision-free driving, we also discussed how Relay’s earning opportunities continue to evolve.
Tell us about your early experiences with trucking.
When the economy crashed, the construction market was bad, and my electric company ran out of savings. My brother called to say he was starting trucking classes for his CDL and invited me to join. We got our CDLs in a month, bought a semi-truck each, and after eight months, I decided to go for it and open my own company. My dad was already a truck driver, so when I opened my company, he also bought a truck to join us.
But back then, we didn’t have a secure source of income like we can earn with Relay. Brokers would rip you off. We weren’t making the money we needed, so we shut that business down and I went back to my electric career. I liked the trucking industry, so I took another shot and opened my current business with my cousin. After a couple years of still not producing the profit we thought it would, he decided to branch out on his own.
My wife and I kept looking for better opportunities to succeed in this field. That’s when we found Amazon Relay.
“Before Relay, I was stuck. I didn’t have something secure. I was always worried about load cancellations, but I still needed to pay drivers. Without steady work, it was hard to grow. But Relay has helped with secure payment every week.”
Tell us how business changed when you found Amazon Relay.
I decided to take the opportunity and haul Relay’s power-only loads, and quickly realized it could be more financially sustainable.
We immediately saved on trailer repairs not needing our own equipment. I also loved that there are no factoring fees, and we don’t have to wait 30 days to get paid. Relay’s payments are weekly. Plus, Relay’s contracts provide a reliable source of loads. My wife saw all this earning potential, so I registered her in truck driving school, and in a month, she left her job as a chef and was in the truck with me.
How did your wife become your business partner?
Before Relay, I was away from home five to six days a week running loads, and she was staying with our daughters. We wanted more time as a family. So she and I ran Relay’s team loads, which cut my time away in half. Relay’s load variety and ability to set our schedule gave us that flexibility.
Our success is also because my wife and I push each other forward to do better. We wanted to earn enough to hire drivers and just do the business side. That way we could spend as much time with our daughters as possible. And with the help of Relay’s growth opportunities, we were able to make that happen in 2018. Now we just do dispatch.
What growth did you experience when you started hauling with the help of Amazon Relay?
My business exploded. We went from 7 to 23 trucks in a year and a half. We can set our schedule ahead of time, which means we already know we have something to do. We already know what loads are coming, we know we have them until the end of the month, which gives us predictable income. That’s why I prefer Relay’s contracts rather than wait to create a schedule with the load board.
During Amazon’s peak season, I ran some blocks myself because the drivers I had at the time were not able to cover them all and I didn’t want to lose all that opportunity.
What other earning opportunities do you enjoy about Relay?
Relay offers safety bonuses for each collision-free mile as long as you use an approved dash cam. We’ve been earning a decent amount so far, so eventually I want to reward the drivers with part of that and further incentivize safety.
We got Motive dash cams because I wanted more visibility of driving performance. The dash cam sends alerts when drivers are following too close to a truck, speeding, etc. All the notifications come to me. I call the driver right away and tell them to be safe on the road. Then I send a text message to all drivers so they all know what to watch for.
Relay carriers can get free hardware with an annual Motive contract, including an ELD and AI Dashcam.
How have your operations evolved with the help of Relay’s opportunities?
Behind the scenes, it’s my wife, one of my younger daughters doing invoicing, an employee at night, and myself. I manage safety, booking, and dispatch during the day. But it’s a family business. Even though my daughter has her own ambitions, I’m teaching her everything in case one day I’m not here anymore. And this way the girls can manage it if they want to. They’ll always have something that’s already been started. It’s about legacy.
I want minimum 50 trucks in the next three to four years, and I see that earning potential possible with the help of Relay’s load availability. I also want my own shop with maintenance on site.
How has Relay helped you achieve your definition of success?
I’ve always wanted my own business. I don’t like to work for someone else. I don’t like to have a cap on how much money I can make. With Relay, there isn’t one. If I put in the effort and work, I want to get the reward. That’s what drives me.
See what Relay offers your business
Whether you’re looking to fill your drivers’ schedules or scale your fleet, Amazon Relay has loads of opportunities to help you build the business you want. See if you meet Relay’s carrier requirements, then you can apply to join Amazon’s freight network. Start your Relay application on your desktop or in our app on iOS or Android.
To see how much your company could potentially earn with Relay’s safety mileage bonuses, use the calculator below.
Amazon Relay beta safety rewards calculator
Calculate your company's potential collision-free mileage reward.
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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.
