Amazon Relay safety score: the Safety Scorecard and CSA limits

What is the Amazon Relay safety score?

It's not one number. Amazon added a Safety Scorecard that sits next to Relay's performance score. Amazon's Safety Scorecard post says "you can view your BASIC percentiles and FMCSA safety rating right in your Relay account."

Here's what Amazon says it shows:

• Trends. "Track how your safety scores change month-over-month."
• Violation data. Amazon says it turns complex safety data into "clear, actionable insights."
• A pass or fail check. "Instantly see if you meet Relay's carrier requirements to haul freight with a simple Yes/No indicator."
• Free courses "on winter driving, fatigue management, and other critical topics."

Amazon's violations post says where to find it: "Approved Relay carriers have a Safety Scorecard in their account on the Relay portal or app."

A change is coming. In its 2026 improvements post, Amazon says: "This year, we're combining safety, compliance, and actions on the same page." It hasn't said when that ships.

The performance score is a separate scorecard. Our Relay scorecard guide covers that one.

What CSA scores does Amazon Relay require?

Relay uses your public FMCSA BASIC percentiles. Per the Relay FAQ, Unsafe Driving and HOS Compliance must be below 60%, and Vehicle Maintenance, Controlled Substances / Alcohol and Driver Fitness below 75%. Your FMCSA safety rating must be "Satisfactory," "None," or "Not Rated." The full list sits in our Amazon Relay requirements guide.

Amazon's CSA post says: "Our standards are 5% lower than federal thresholds, which means our demands for safety are stricter."

A few CSA basics from the same post:

• "Lower scores indicate higher safety."
• "Only five of the seven CSA BASIC categories are public." Relay doesn't use the crash indicator ("Since this is private data, Relay doesn't monitor this metric") or the hazmat BASIC.
• SMS scores are built "factoring in the last 24 months of data," and "newer violations weigh more (3x points for 1-6 months)."
• "Each month, Relay reaches out to carriers when their CSA score ranking nears a threshold."

You can see your own private data too: "You can check your private CSA score data by registering for a Personal Identification Number with your DOT or Motor Carrier number."

How does Amazon Relay calculate violation rates?

On top of BASICs, Relay checks two violation rates. From the violations post:

• Driver violation rate: "Must be at or below 35% to haul with Relay."
• Vehicle violation rate: "Must be at or below 50% to haul with Relay."

The formula, in Amazon's words: "We add non-OOS violations to OOS violations (which are weighted twice as much to reflect their higher risk), then divide by total inspections." OOS means out-of-service. Amazon says the same formula applies to driver and vehicle rates.

The rates use "FMCSA inspection data over the past 12 months." Five categories count: Unsafe Driving, HOS Compliance, Vehicle Maintenance, Controlled Substance and Driver Fitness.

New carriers have been screened "starting October 31, 2025." For carriers already on Relay, Amazon said: "We'll start enforcing these limits for existing carriers in February 2026."

What happens if you go over Relay's safety limits?

You can lose access. Amazon says: "Carriers with three or more inspections that exceed our violation limits may lose access to Relay loads."

Amazon doesn't explain what "three or more inspections that exceed" means in practice. It also doesn't publish a grace period or a path back after losing access.

If your account is already blocked, our account suspended guide covers what Amazon checks to keep a carrier active.

Turned down at application? Our guide to an Amazon Relay application denied covers what Amazon checks and when you can reapply.

Can you appeal an Amazon Relay safety score?

No. Amazon's violations post is direct: "Like BASICs violations, we won't offer an appeal process." Our Relay disputes guide lists what you can and can't dispute on Relay.

So the work happens before the inspection, not after.

How do you keep your Relay safety numbers in range?

Amazon puts it on the carrier: "Carriers are responsible for flagging their most common violations and introducing targeted solutions." Its tips:

• Do pre-trip inspections, keep up with maintenance and keep clean maintenance records.
• Coach drivers on speed, HOS compliance and controlled-substance policies.
• "Keep driver documentation (e.g. license, medical card, etc) current and available for inspection."
• Filter loads by transit time and distance to give hours of service a buffer. Our hours of service guide covers the rules.
• Update your MCS-150 more often than you have to. Carriers "have to update every two years," but Amazon says "we recommend a six-month cadence."
• Take the free safety courses. Our Learning Center guide shows where they live.

Safety rewards are a separate program. Amazon says the collision data used for them "won't affect your Relay performance score." Details are in our Relay rewards guide.

Who checks Relay carrier compliance?

The FAQ says: "Amazon uses a variety of tools, including our internal compliance teams and a third-party compliance monitoring service, to validate and continually monitor carrier compliance."

Amazon doesn't name the third-party service.

What doesn't Amazon publish about the safety score?

• Screenshots or field names of the Safety Scorecard
• How often violation rates refresh
• What "three or more inspections that exceed" means in practice
• A grace period or reinstatement path after losing access
• The name of the third-party compliance monitoring service
• How safety status feeds the A to F performance grade
• When the merged scorecard ships

Where does NudoIQ fit?

NudoIQ won't change a safety score. Safety comes from your trucks and drivers. Once you're clear to haul, NudoIQ is an independent Chrome extension for the Relay load board that shows net profit on each load, from costs you set once. It's free for 7 days with no card needed to start, then $49.99 a month.