Safety and performance drive success in transportation. That’s why your Amazon Relay performance grade opens doors – the higher your grade, the more opportunities you’ll have to book loads and access them early, which can help you grow your trucking business.
Understanding Relay’s performance score
Your performance score shows how your company executes Relay loads across four key metrics. We calculate it every six weeks using your most recent hauling data. Your overall score equals the lowest of these four metrics:
- On-time: Delivering loads by your planned arrival time
- App usage: Following app steps and keeping location services on during transit
- Acceptance: Booking and completing loads without rejections (carrier cancellations)
- Disruption-free: Executing loads without interruptions (stationary trailers and loads without assigned drivers)
Your performance score converts to a letter grade each week that determines which opportunities you can access. You’ll be eligible for a grade after completing ten or more Relay loads in the last six active weeks.
Relay Rewards (all grades)
Your performance grade helps determine your Relay Rewards tier, using your company’s lowest score from the previous month (Relay engagement and tenure also influence your tier).
Rewards include cash bonuses, deals and discounts, exclusive booking offers, dedicated office hours, and branded Amazon swag. All new carriers start in the lowest tier, but the more you haul, the more opportunities you have to unlock additional rewards.
Post A Truck priority (all grades)
All carriers can use Post A Truck to post upcoming capacity and get automatically matched with loads that meet their criteria. It’s the first place new loads hit Relay, giving you earlier access to what’s available during the timeframe you set. Higher grades get priority. If an A+ carrier and a B+ carrier both post for the same load, the A+ carrier gets matched first.
Auctions for competitive bidding (C+ and above)
Carriers with a C+ grade or higher can participate in freight auctions for high-demand routes (reefer auctions require a B). Auctions are posted multiple times a week. Eligibility to bid also depends on your equipment count, Relay tenure, and CARB compliance for California routes.
When multiple carriers win with the same bid, we consider performance scores in the award decision.
Contracts for consistent routes (B and above)
Carriers with a B grade or higher can access and book new contracts – commitments to execute routes during specific periods in exchange for pre-determined payouts. Contracts are offered in weekly increments, providing more predictable revenue. Carriers with A+ or A grades also qualify to receive contract price alerts.
As a heads up – drop below C+, and you risk losing the contracts you’ve already booked. On-time performance helps Amazon offer competitive delivery times and maintain customer trust. That’s why we reward carriers who consistently deliver safely and on time with more opportunities to grow their business.
Early access to loads (A+, A, B+)
High-performing carriers get first pick of new spot loads and contracts. Every week, trips become available in staggered times on Relay’s load board and contracts marketplace based on your grade. Load board visibility is dynamic as new loads are posted, while contracts have set booking windows.
Start building your performance score today
New to Relay? Don’t worry about your initial grade. Focus on executing your first loads well, and your performance score will reflect your recent hauls within a few weeks
Ready to apply? Amazon Relay empowers you to achieve your business goals through consistent performance. The sooner you start hauling with us, the sooner you can build the track record. Check if your business meets Amazon’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.
