Short answer
Power only on Amazon Relay means the carrier brings the tractor and Amazon provides the trailer. Amazon says the majority of Relay loads are power only, and round trips usually need only a tractor. Day cab and sleeper tractors both qualify. One-way loads need your own trailer or a box truck.
What does power only mean on Amazon Relay?
Power only means you bring the tractor and Amazon provides the trailer. In Amazon's words, the majority of Relay loads are power only. You hook to an Amazon-owned trailer and haul it. Amazon says this cuts facility wait time and trailer maintenance costs for carriers.
What it means day to day:
- No trailer to buy for most Relay work. A day cab or sleeper tractor is enough for power only loads.
- You're pulling Amazon's equipment. Amazon's insurance rules include $50,000 of trailer interchange coverage for semi operators. See our insurance requirements page.
- You still need an approved carrier account. Our Amazon Relay requirements checklist covers authority, safety and equipment.
Which Amazon Relay loads are power only?
Amazon says round trips, which start and end at the same domicile, usually need only a tractor. That makes round trips the core of power only work. One-way loads are different: Amazon says they need a box truck or your own trailer, so a tractor alone won't cover them.
How the main work types line up for a tractor with no trailer:
| Work type | What it is | Power only fit |
|---|---|---|
| Round trip | Starts and ends at the same domicile | Usually tractor only |
| One-way | Head haul or backhaul to cut deadhead | Needs your own trailer (or a box truck) |
| Block | A chunk of time you reserve trucks and drivers for | Paid even if Amazon doesn't use the full block |
| Spot freight | Last-minute loads booked right away on the board | Filter by equipment and trailer status |
| Contract | Full or partial weeks of loads, booked ahead | Needs a B grade or better for new contracts |
On the Relay load board, use the equipment type and trailer status filters so you only see loads your tractor can take.
Should you run a day cab or a sleeper on Relay power only?
Both qualify. Relay supports day cab and sleeper tractors, and the right one depends on how long your driver stays out. Amazon describes three setups: 13-hour solo (one day of loads, 11 hours of drive time), 37-hour solo (two days, with the 10-hour break taken outside base cities) and team.
- 13-hour solo: one day of loads. If you run a day cab, start here.
- 37-hour solo: the 10-hour break happens away from base cities, so plan where your driver sleeps before you book.
- Team: two drivers trade off.
Amazon doesn't say which cab type each setup requires, so check the load details. Federal Hours of Service rules (11 hours of driving inside a 14-hour window after 10 hours off) apply either way.
How do you get power only contracts and auctions on Relay?
Your performance grade decides it. Amazon says carriers need a B or better to book new contracts and C+ or better for most freight auctions. You earn a grade after ten or more Relay loads in the last six active weeks, so new carriers start on the spot board.
- Any grade: load board access, Relay Rewards eligibility and Post A Truck.
- C+ and up: freight auctions on high-demand routes. Auctions cover contracts up to 6 months, you bid in bulk by spreadsheet, and the winning rate is locked for the contract. Eligibility also depends on equipment count, tenure and CARB compliance.
- B and up: new contracts. A+ and A carriers also get contract price alerts.
- A+, A and B+: early access to new spot loads, which show up at staggered times by grade.
Drop below C+ and you can lose contracts you already booked. Our scorecard guide explains the four metrics behind the grade.
How does Post A Truck work for power only?
Post A Truck lets you post your tractor's availability and a minimum rate per mile, and Amazon matches loads to it. Amazon lists power only as eligible. You can post up to two weeks ahead, choose one-way or round trip, include or exclude cities, and set distance or duration limits.
From Amazon's Post A Truck guide:
- Match outlook shows High, Medium or Low odds from the previous six weeks of loads.
- Matched carriers get first access to freight in their window before it reaches the load board.
- Block orders (same start and end) pay in full even if Amazon doesn't use the whole block.
- Higher grades get priority matching.
Amazon books loads that match your criteria, so post only the hours your driver can actually run.
What does FMCSA data show about Amazon power only carriers?
Tractor-trailers carry almost all inspected Amazon freight. In our count of FMCSA roadside inspections that list Amazon as the shipper, 87.7% of rows are in the over 54,000 lb tractor-trailer class. And 43.1% of carriers hauling Amazon freight list tractors but no trailers in the FMCSA census.
More from the same public data, broken down on our Amazon Relay carrier data page:
- Compared with everyone else: the tractor-trailer class is 73.4% of all other 2025+ inspections.
- What carriers own: power only (tractors, no trailers) 43.1%; tractors and trailers 30.3%; box or straight trucks only 14.6%; other or none listed 12.0%.
- Trailers on 2026 inspections: Hyundai Translead (12,738), Great Dane (3,866), Stoughton (1,922), Wabash (1,283).
- Tractors on 2026 inspections: Freightliner (15,957), Volvo (6,448), Kenworth (1,302).
Two caveats. An inspection isn't a load: most loads are never inspected, so these counts are a floor. And Amazon on the bill of lading means Amazon freight, not proof the load was booked through Relay; it includes Amazon's own fleets and contract carriers.
How do you judge a power only rate on Relay?
Read what the price includes, then what it costs you to run. Amazon says a Relay rate is a base rate, a fuel surcharge that tracks fuel prices, and tolls. Distance (including deadhead and trip direction), equipment, live loads, season and regional demand all move it.
Check these before you book:
- Deadhead to the hook. Empty miles to pick up the trailer cost you fuel and hours.
- Trip direction. A round trip brings the tractor home. A load heading away from base can leave you hunting for the next one.
- Live loads. Check trailer status and the load details so you know what you're signing up for.
- Net after costs. Driver pay, fuel and maintenance come out first.
Pay varies by lane, timing and equipment, and Amazon doesn't publish typical rates. More in how much Amazon Relay pays.
When does owning a trailer help on Amazon Relay?
A trailer opens one-way loads. Amazon says one-way loads need a box truck or your own trailer, and one-ways are how you book head hauls and backhauls to cut deadhead. Without a trailer, you're working round trips, blocks and the power only loads on the board.
Relay supports 48 ft and 53 ft dry vans. A 53 ft reefer must meet the FDA Sanitary Transportation Rule, and 20, 40 or 45 ft high cube containers need UIIA. Before buying, count how many one-ways near your base you pass on today.
Where does NudoIQ help a power only carrier?
NudoIQ is a Chrome extension that runs inside your signed-in Relay load board tab. It refreshes the board on a 1 to 5 second interval with jitter, alerts you on matching power only loads, and can book them by your rules. It's an independent tool, not made by or affiliated with Amazon.
- Alert, Search and Autobook modes with lane and price rules. Autobook stops at your max-books cap and won't book under your profit floor. See our auto-booker guide.
- Net profit on every load card: the rate minus driver pay, fuel, maintenance and deadhead to pickup.
- Lane Intelligence: the posted price next to that lane's 90-day history. It's decision support, not a guarantee.
- Post A Truck helper and a backhaul finder that searches from where your load ends back toward home.
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.