Short answer
Amazon Relay freight auctions let carriers bid on 3 to 6 month contracts for one-way lanes. To bid you complete Amazon's 15-minute auctions course and hold a C+ grade or better (B for reefer, B+ for some box truck loads). The leading bid at close wins, performance score breaks ties, and the winning rate is locked for the whole contract.
What do you win in an Amazon Relay auction?
A lane, for months. Amazon's auctions guide says winning gives you 3 to 6 months of one-way contracts on dedicated lanes. Amazon's rate-setting guide adds the key line: "if you win, that rate is locked in for the entire contract."
There are two kinds:
- Open auctions show the leading bid, so you can see where you stand.
- Domicile-based auctions tender lanes between a starting domicile and an ending domicile, each a greater city area. If a lane is cancelled, Amazon says it "may be able to swap it" with other lanes between those domiciles.
Most auction lanes are one-way, which is the big difference from round-trip contracts.
What equipment can bid in Relay auctions?
Each auction type has its own equipment minimum:
| Auction type | What you need |
|---|---|
| 53 ft power only | At least one day cab or sleeper |
| 53 ft required | At least one trailer |
| Box truck | At least one 26 ft or 27 ft reefer box truck |
| Reefer | Trailer-required grocery contracts, at least one 53 ft or 48 ft reefer |
| Hostler and shuttling | Short power only moves of trailers within or between Amazon yards |
Requirements also vary by contract, such as trailer count and required drivers. Read each auction's details before you bid.
Who is eligible for Amazon Relay auctions?
You need all of these:
- Onboarded to Relay, with the 15-minute auctions course completed in the carrier portal.
- A grade of C+ or above to view and bid. Reefer loads need B, and some box truck loads need B+.
- A trailer pool of 1.5 times the trailers needed for daily routes on a contract day, dropped 24 hours before scheduled pickup and maintained to industry standards.
- Enough equipment, Relay tenure and CARB compliance for California routes. Amazon's grades page lists all three.
You earn a grade after ten or more Relay loads in the last six active weeks. Our scorecard guide explains how the grade is set.
How do you bid on an Amazon Relay auction?
One auction at a time
Bid on a single auction in the portal. You can see the time remaining and the leading bid before you commit.
Many auctions at once, by spreadsheet
- Filter the contract search down to the auctions you want.
- Download the spreadsheet.
- Enter your bids.
- Upload the spreadsheet back.
With a minimum bid
You can set a minimum bid. As prices drop, Relay lowers your bid automatically, but never below the limit you set. Set that limit from your own costs before the auction starts, not in the moment.
What should go into an auction bid?
Amazon gives three rules:
- Bid your base rate only. Fuel and tolls are paid after the load and are not part of the bid.
- Bid the full load volume for the lane.
- Don't overbid (overcommit). In plain terms, don't bid on more volume than your trucks, drivers and trailers can actually cover.
Before you bid, count trucks, drivers and trailers for every lane at once, not one lane at a time. Winning three lanes you can't cover together is the risk Amazon warns about, and the penalties are below.
What happens after you place a bid?
You see the leading bid price, how many bids share the lead, and how yours compares. If you lose the lead, you have two choices:
- Raise your bid, or
- Withdraw. Withdrawing ends your access to that auction, and you get one withdrawal per auction.
How are Amazon Relay auctions awarded?
The leading bid at close wins. If bids match, Amazon says your "performance score will determine which company wins." Awards also weigh performance and other factors, so a strong grade helps in a close race.
After you win, you get an email to accept or reject the contract. Once you accept, Amazon tenders weekly loads for the length of the contract.
What are the penalties in Relay auctions?
Two, and both come from Amazon's guide:
- Overcommitting may lead to contract termination or suspension from future auctions.
- Frequently rejecting awarded contracts may lead Amazon to remove your auctions access.
Once the contract runs, its weekly loads are tendered to you, and Amazon says a score can take a hit any time a carrier rejects tendered loads. See what happens if you cancel a load on Amazon Relay.
How are auctions different from contracts?
Contracts are built on a domicile, a fixed rate and round trips, and new ones need a B grade. Auctions use a domicile or a specific lane, open bidding and mostly one-way trips, and most need C+. Our guide to Amazon Relay contracts and blocks has the side-by-side table, and the Amazon Relay loads guide covers every way to get work.
Does NudoIQ bid in Amazon Relay auctions?
No. NudoIQ does not bid in auctions, book contracts or touch blocks. You do all of that in Relay.
Where it can help is the homework before you bid. A bid is a base rate locked for months, so it pays to know what a lane has been paying on the spot board. NudoIQ is a Chrome extension that runs inside your signed-in Relay load board tab, and it's an independent tool, not made by or affiliated with Amazon. Its Lane Intelligence, the first button under a load card, shows that load's posted price next to the lane's 90-day history, with a target rate, an expected range and a confidence level.
Two cautions. Spot prices are all-in (base rate, fuel surcharge and tolls), while an auction bid is base rate only, so don't copy a spot number straight into a bid. And Lane Intelligence is decision support for judging a price, not a guarantee and not a bid recommendation. Your bid comes from your own costs.
Try it with a 7-day free trial, and cancel anytime. NudoIQ is rated 5.0 on the Chrome Web Store.