Every load you book needs to cover fuel, maintenance, and driver compensation—with enough left over to keep your business moving forward. That’s why Amazon Relay offers transparent pricing, weekly payments, and tools that help you make informed decisions for your business.
Note: Your Relay performance grade impacts which opportunities and load types you’ll see. Higher grades unlock access to contracts, auctions, and early access to all loads, giving you more options to increase your earnings.
What influences rates in the freight industry
Rates fluctuate. Demand shifts. That’s why being specific with your load search filters can influence the price you see. Relay provides transparent load details to help you understand if the rate will be right for your business, making your load search more efficient.
Here’s how you can filter Relay’s load board and contract marketplace by rate factors to evaluate opportunities:
- Distance (including length of deadhead, roundtrip, one-way)
- Equipment type and availability (e.g. reefer loads)
- Load characteristics (such as live load)
Seasonal demand fluctuations and regional market conditions will still impact the rates. So when considering any load, carriers should account for all-in business costs (fuel, maintenance, insurance) and total trip profitability beyond just rate per mile. See how other Relay carriers make Relay’s freight rates work for their business.
Relay shows you upfront freight rates
Whether you’re booking spot loads (single, immediate opportunities) or short-term contracts on Relay, you’ll see exactly what you’ll earn upfront. Before you commit to any load, there’s a clear breakdown of the payout:
- Base rate: This is your payment for hauling the load, not including fuel or tolls. It covers the transportation service you’re providing.
- Fuel surcharge: This additional amount helps offset your fuel costs. It adjusts based on current fuel prices and is added in accordance with Relay Program Policies.
- Toll charges: If your route takes you through toll roads, you’ll see this charge included in your total payout.
Amazon pays carriers weekly for completed loads. You can track your payment status and view invoices directly in your company’s Relay account.
You can also set your own freight rate
Beyond seeing transparent rates upfront, Amazon Relay gives you three flexible options to name your own price.
- Post A Truck: Set minimum payout requirements and get automatically matched with loads that meet your criteria. You specify your rate per mile, and loads come to you.
- Auctions: Place competitive bids on multi-week contracts. You offer the rate that works for your business, and if you win, that rate is locked in for the entire contract. Carriers need a C+ performance grade and above to bid – reefer auctions require at least a B.
- Relay Assistant: Top-performing carriers can negotiate rates on urgent spot loads through AI-powered chat. You can request a rate, and if approved, book the load right away.
Strategies to improve your bottom line
Here are ways Relay carriers have reported success maximizing earnings across different load types.
- Compare spot loads vs. contracts: Relay’s contracts allow you to lock in rates for weeks or months, providing payment stability. Contracts also help with planning driver schedules and business forecasting. While spot rates fluctuate with demand, these one-off loads offer flexibility. You can cherry pick spot loads to fill gaps in your schedule between contract commitments.
- Consider round-trip opportunities to minimize empty miles: Relay’s load board has a suggested reloads feature to help you find your next spot load from your current destination, reducing unpaid deadhead. Most Relay contracts are already roundtrip, starting and ending at the same location, while auctions offer one-way loads that are great for back hauls.
- Factor in provided vs. required trailer scenarios: Loads with Amazon trailers (“provided”) mean you only need your tractor, reducing your equipment costs and maintenance responsibilities.
Experience upfront freight rates
Check if your business meets Amazon’s carrier requirements. Then sign up to join thousands of carriers making informed decisions about their business profitability. You can 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.
