Short answer
Amazon Relay loads are posted only on the Amazon Relay load board, which is open 24/7 and free to search and book. Carriers book spot loads (one-way or round trip), reserve blocks, take short-term contracts, bid in auctions or use Post A Truck. Most Relay loads are power only, and higher-graded carriers get first access to new loads.
Where do Amazon Relay loads come from?
Amazon tenders its Relay loads only through the Amazon Relay load board. It does not post them on third-party load boards. The board is open 24/7, free to search and book, and lists thousands of loads at any time. Volume nearly doubles during peak seasons like Prime Day and the holidays.
Amazon describes the board in its load board guide. Each listing shows stop locations, arrival and departure times, the payment breakdown and the load requirements. For how the board itself works, see our Amazon Relay load board guide. You need an approved carrier account first, covered in Amazon Relay requirements.
What types of loads are on Amazon Relay?
Amazon Relay offers one-way loads, round trips, blocks, spot freight, short-term contracts and auctions. Round trips start and end at the same domicile and usually need only a tractor. One-way loads need a box truck or your own trailer. Blocks reserve your truck and driver for a set time, and contracts book weeks of loads in advance.
Amazon breaks these down in its overview of trucking work on Relay:
| Load type | What it is | Equipment needed |
|---|---|---|
| Round trip | Begins and ends at the same domicile | Usually just a tractor (power only) |
| One-way | A single haul; book backhauls or head hauls to cut deadhead | A box truck or your own trailer |
| Block | A chunk of time you reserve trucks and drivers for Relay, paid even if Amazon doesn't use the full block | Depends on the block |
| Spot | Last-minute loads you book instantly at the listed price | Depends on the load |
| Short-term contract | Full or partial weeks of loads, booked in advance | Depends on the contract; box truck contracts exist |
| Auction | Contracts of up to 6 months, bid in bulk by spreadsheet; the winning rate is locked for the contract | Depends on the lane; most bids need grade C+ or better |
Amazon also lists three driver setups: a 13-hour solo (one day of loads, including 11 hours of drive time), a 37-hour solo (two days, with the 10-hour rest break taken outside base cities), and team (two drivers trading off).
If you want several loads in a row, how to book multiple loads on Amazon Relay walks through the options.
What equipment do you need for Amazon Relay loads?
Most Amazon Relay loads are power only: you bring the tractor and Amazon provides the trailer. Relay also supports 26 ft and 16 ft box trucks with a working tuck-under liftgate, 48 ft and 53 ft dry vans, 53 ft reefers that meet the FDA Sanitary Transportation Rule, and 20, 40 and 45 ft high-cube containers.
Amazon's truck requirements page says it plainly: "The majority of Amazon Relay loads are power-only." Amazon says hauling its trailers cuts facility wait time and trailer maintenance cost. More on that in our Amazon Relay power only page.
The details by equipment:
- Tractors. Day cab and sleeper tractors. Power only covers most of the board.
- Box trucks. 26 ft and 16 ft, dock height, with a working tuck-under liftgate. Cargo vans can't be used. Box truck contracts exist, including 8-hour and 13-hour solo contracts with round trips. See Amazon Relay box truck loads.
- Your own trailer. Needed for one-way loads if you don't run a box truck. 48 ft or 53 ft dry van.
- Reefer. 53 ft reefers must meet the FDA Sanitary Transportation Rule.
- Containers. 20, 40 and 45 ft high cube, UIIA compliant.
There's no fleet size requirement to haul for Relay. Our analysis of FMCSA inspection records found that about 70% of carriers hauling Amazon freight run 1-5 power units.
How do you get loads on Amazon Relay?
You get loads on Amazon Relay by searching and booking on the load board, posting your truck with Post A Truck, bidding in auctions, or pitching a price through Relay Assistant on eligible urgent loads. Spot loads book at the listed price. Your performance grade decides how early you see new spot loads and which auctions and contracts you can reach.
The four ways in, from Amazon's guide to setting your own rates:
- Load board. Search, filter and book spot loads at the listed price.
- Post A Truck. Post your equipment and driver availability up to two weeks ahead and set a minimum rate per mile. Available for power only, box truck and live loads.
- Auctions. Bid in bulk on contracts of up to 6 months. Most bids need a C+ grade or better.
- Relay Assistant. On eligible urgent listings, top-performing carriers can pitch a price 24/7. Amazon may counter.
Final rates reflect market conditions in every case.
How do you book Amazon Relay loads faster?
Good Amazon Relay loads get booked within seconds, so speed comes from setup: tight filters, saved searches, reload suggestions and Post A Truck to get matched before loads reach the board. A strong grade helps too, because high-performing carriers get first access to new loads. Many carriers add a refresher and alerts on top.
Filters and saved searches. The board filters by origin and destination or radius, trailer status, equipment type, load type, driver type, maximum stops, trip length, rate range, and pickup and delivery windows. Save your most-used searches so you aren't rebuilding them every time.
Reload and return-trip suggestions. The board suggests return trips, replacements for cancelled loads and more loads to keep a driver moving.
Post A Truck. Per Amazon's Post A Truck guide, you can include or exclude cities, pick one-way or round trip, and set distance or duration limits. A "match outlook" shows High, Medium or Low odds based on the previous six weeks of loads. Matched carriers get first access to freight in their window before it reaches the load board.
Your grade. Carriers graded A+, A and B+ get early access to new spot loads, which appear at staggered times by grade. Our Amazon Relay scorecard guide explains how to protect it.
Refreshers and alerts. The board itself auto-refreshes new matches every 30 seconds, and Amazon offers email alerts and push notifications. Carriers who want faster reloads use an auto refresh extension or an auto booker that books loads matching their rules.
How are Amazon Relay load rates shown?
Every Amazon Relay spot rate is all-in: a base rate, a fuel surcharge that tracks fuel prices, and tolls. You book at the listed price. Distance (including deadhead and trip direction), equipment type, load characteristics like live loads, seasonal demand and regional market conditions all move the rate. Amazon pays weekly.
Amazon covers this in understanding Relay rates. Pay varies by lane, timing and equipment, so the same lane can pay differently at different hours. To judge whether a rate is worth taking, see how much Amazon Relay pays.
How can NudoIQ help you catch Amazon Relay loads?
NudoIQ is a Chrome extension that runs inside the Amazon Relay load board in your browser. It refreshes the board every 1 to 5 seconds with random jitter, alerts you or books when a load matches your rules, and shows lane rate history and net profit on each load card. Bookings and rates are never guaranteed.
You set the price and lane rules, a profit floor and a max-books cap, and pick Alert, Search or Autobook. Autobook stops at the cap and the profit floor. Telegram alerts tell you when a load lands. The backhaul finder searches loads from where your current load ends, pointed back toward home.
It's $49.99 a month for every feature, the same for one truck or twenty (pricing). 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.