Short answer
An Amazon Relay dispatcher searches and books loads on the carrier's Relay account, assigns them to invited drivers, watches live load tracking and handles problems in transit. The carrier stays responsible for its account and performance score. Carriers can dispatch in-house, hire a dispatch service, or use tools that alert and book by rules.
What does an Amazon Relay dispatcher do?
A Relay dispatcher finds and books loads on the carrier's account, puts each load on a driver, and watches it through delivery. When something goes wrong in transit, the dispatcher handles it, and when the score takes a hit, the dispatcher files the dispute. The job is booking, assigning, tracking and protecting the score.
The day usually looks like this:
- Search and book. Work the Relay load board, saved searches and Post A Truck to keep every truck covered.
- Assign drivers. Amazon says carriers manage their drivers and decide which ones get Amazon loads.
- Watch the trip. Follow live tracking and step in when a load stalls.
- Handle disruptions and disputes. Carriers can dispute performance score impacts when something happens in transit. Amazon decides every dispute.
- Keep the paperwork straight. The carrier stays responsible for drug and alcohol testing, Hours of Service and medical certification.
If you're searching "box truck dispatch" or "dispatchers for box trucks", the same job applies. Box trucks and tractors book on the same board, through the same account. See our guides to Amazon Relay box truck loads and Relay power only.
How do drivers get set up under a Relay carrier?
Drivers can only create a Relay profile by invitation from a Relay-approved carrier, and there are no shared accounts. Amazon verifies each driver with the front and back of their CDL plus a selfie, usually within 48 hours, and runs background checks. Drivers then use the Relay app on iOS or Android.
What a dispatcher needs to stay on top of:
- Send the invite from the carrier account. Each driver gets their own profile.
- Get verification done early. The CDL and selfie review is typically done within 48 hours, so don't promise a driver a load before they clear it.
- Expect selfies on the road. The app asks for periodic selfies during loads, for example at pickup or drop-off.
- Keep the app open with location on. Amazon's app usage metric checks that drivers keep the Relay app running and location services on for the whole trip.
That last one matters more than most dispatchers think. App usage is one of the four metrics in the Amazon Relay performance score, and a driver who closes the app can pull the whole score down.
What can a dispatcher see in Relay load tracking?
Relay's load tracking shows owner-operators, fleet managers and dispatchers each trip in real time, updated about every 30 seconds. It includes disruption signals, a route view, weather, trip playback, and the driver's contact details and status. It only works while the driver keeps the app open with location services on.
From Amazon's load tracking page, here's what that gives you:
| Tracking feature | What a dispatcher uses it for |
|---|---|
| Live position, about every 30 seconds | Seeing if a driver will make the check-in time |
| Disruption signals | Catching a stalled trailer before it becomes a score hit |
| Route view and weather | Planning around delays on the way |
| Trip playback | Backing up a dispute with what actually happened |
| Driver contact and status | Reaching the driver fast when plans change |
Should you hire a dispatch service or dispatch yourself?
It depends on your time and your margins. Dispatch services commonly charge either a percentage of each load or a flat fee, so compare that with what it costs to do it in-house. Either way, the carrier stays responsible for its Relay account, its drivers and its performance score.
| Dispatch yourself | Hire a dispatch service | Dispatch with tools | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who books | You or your office | The service | You, with alerts or rules-based booking |
| Cost | Your time | A percentage of each load or a flat fee | A software subscription |
| Who answers for the score | The carrier | Still the carrier | The carrier |
| What to watch | Burnout from watching the board | What they book in your name | Rules set too loose |
Two things to check before you bring in a service:
- Amazon doesn't publish rules about outside dispatch services. Read Relay's terms yourself before you bring one in. Nothing here says Amazon allows or bans them.
- Every booking is yours. If a dispatcher books a load a driver can't make and it gets cancelled close to pickup, the acceptance penalty lands on your account.
How does a dispatcher protect the Relay performance score?
Book only what your drivers can run, get them there on time, and keep the app on. Amazon scores four metrics (on-time, acceptance, app usage and disruption-free), and your overall score is the lowest of the four. One weak metric sets the grade, and the grade decides access to contracts and early loads.
Per Amazon's grade guide and the score page:
- Acceptance. Cancelling a booked load counts against you, including loads that expire. The closer to pickup you cancel, the bigger the penalty. Decide early.
- On-time. Loads have to arrive by the planned time at origin and destination, measured from the check-in timestamp. Build slack for traffic and Hours of Service.
- App usage. Drivers keep the Relay app running with location on for the whole trip.
- Disruption-free. Stationary trailers and loads with no assigned driver count against you. Assign every load to a driver.
The score covers your last six weeks of hauls, and Amazon gives a daily prediction of your upcoming score in the account. Check it every morning. Our scorecard guide goes deeper on grades and disputes.
What load boards do Relay dispatchers use?
For Amazon freight, the only board is the Relay load board. Amazon tenders its loads only through Relay, not on third-party boards. Amazon says it's open 24/7 and free to search and book, with filters, saved searches, email alerts and mobile push notifications for a dispatcher working several trucks.
Useful board features for dispatchers:
- Filters for origin, destination or radius, equipment type, trailer status, load type, driver type, max stops, trip length, rate range and pickup and delivery windows.
- Saved searches, one per truck or lane.
- Reload and return-trip suggestions to keep a driver moving after the first load.
- Post A Truck to post availability up to two weeks ahead with a minimum rate per mile.
Good loads still get booked within seconds, which is why many dispatchers add a refresher or an auto-booker.
Where does NudoIQ help a Relay dispatcher?
NudoIQ is a Chrome extension that runs inside your signed-in Relay load board tab. It watches the board for you, alerts you on loads that match your rules, and can book them with a cap and a profit floor. It's an independent tool, not made by or affiliated with Amazon.
What a dispatcher gets:
- Alert, Search and Autobook modes with lane and price rules. Autobook stops at your max-books cap (set it to the trucks you can cover) and won't book under your profit floor.
- Telegram alerts when a load lands, so you're not tied to the screen.
- Lane Intelligence: the posted price next to that lane's 90-day history. It's decision support, not a guarantee.
- Net profit on every load card: the rate minus driver pay, fuel, maintenance and deadhead to pickup.
- Driver dispatch by text or email when you assign a load, plus an HOS overview.
It's $49.99 a month for every feature, the same price for one truck or twenty. Start with a 7-day free trial, no card needed to start, and cancel anytime. NudoIQ is rated 5.0 on the Chrome Web Store.