Short answer
Amazon Relay is Amazon's own load board, free once you're approved, where Amazon tenders its loads directly to carriers. DAT is a paid subscription board where brokers and shippers post freight. Amazon doesn't tender loads through DAT.
What's the main difference between Amazon Relay and DAT?
Who posts the freight. On Relay, Amazon tenders its own loads straight to carriers, plus what Amazon calls "Newer load options like hostler and shuttle and third-party shipper loads." On DAT, brokers and shippers post loads for carriers to find.
DAT facts below are per DAT's website, checked October 14, 2026. Relay facts are from Amazon's own pages.
| Amazon Relay | DAT (per dat.com, checked October 14, 2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who posts loads | Amazon, plus some third-party shipper loads | Brokers and shippers |
| Cost to carriers | Free access | Plans from $59 a month for partial loads; $149 recommended for new owner-operators |
| How you get in | Approval: DOT, MC, safety and insurance limits | Buy a plan (dat.com lists no signup requirements) |
| Load volume | "Thousands of loads during regular periods" | "722,500 loads posted every business day" |
| Pay | Weekly cycle from Amazon | Each broker's terms; DAT shows brokers' average days to pay |
| Fraud checks (each company's own description) | Amazon's table: verified carriers, identity verification, fraud prevention | Company reviews and credit scores |
| Mobile app | Relay app | DAT One app in all plans |
How much does Amazon Relay cost compared to DAT?
Relay is free to use. Amazon's home page says Relay gives "trucking companies of all sizes free access to instantly book spot loads and contracts."
DAT charges a monthly subscription. Per DAT's pricing section, checked October 14, 2026, carrier plans were:
- DAT One Standard: $59 a month, with "up to 500 load searches and truck posts per month" (DAT recommends it for partial loads, like box trucks and sprinter vans)
- DAT One Enhanced: $149 a month (DAT's pick for new owner-operators)
- DAT One Pro: $169 a month
- DAT One Select: $259 a month, plus $169 per additional user
- DAT One Office: $339 a month, plus $169 per additional user
That day, DAT's page said that during its "Gear Up Event" it was giving "Best-Fit rates until October 23." Prices and offers change, so check DAT's site before you buy.
Amazon's brokers vs direct booking post says traditional load boards "Often require paid subscriptions." That's Amazon's general view of load boards and brokers, not a statement about DAT by name.
How do you get access to each one?
Relay requires approval first. The Relay FAQ asks for a DOT number active at least 180 days, a valid MC number, safety scores within Amazon's BASIC limits and insurance minimums. Our Amazon Relay requirements guide has the full list. After approval, access depends on how you perform: Amazon's comparison table lists "Performance-based access to loads" for Relay.
DAT's pages we checked on October 14, 2026 list plans to buy and don't publish signup requirements or a minimum authority age. DAT also sells operating authority services, factoring, a fuel card and insurance, per its product menu.
Who posts the loads, and does it matter?
On Relay, Amazon is the shipper. Amazon says it doesn't tender loads through any third-party load boards, and that Amazon loads "will only be tendered directly to approved and onboarded carriers via the Relay web portal or Relay mobile app."
Amazon's brokers post claims that brokers "take a finder's fee for each load (usually 13-15%)." That's Amazon's claim about brokers in general.
On DAT, you deal with brokers and shippers. Here's where DAT does well. Per DAT's load boards page on October 14, 2026, it offers "More loads than any other load board, plus company reviews and credit scores," and it says "more than 291 million loads & trucks posted annually." Per DAT's carriers page that day, carriers get "access to 722,500 loads posted every business day."
Amazon doesn't publish a load count that matches DAT's "posted every business day" number, so the two can't be compared directly. Amazon's peak season post forecasts 300 thousand loads per week by December 2026.
Amazon Freight, Amazon's own licensed broker, is covered in can brokers use Amazon Relay.
How does pay work on Relay and DAT?
Relay pays on a set schedule. The FAQ says: "Payment cycle runs weekly from Sunday-Saturday. Everything completed before 23:59 Saturday will be paid out the following week on Friday." Amazon also contrasts this with "30-60 day waits for payouts from logistics brokers," which is Amazon's claim about brokers in general. Our payments guide covers invoices and disputes.
DAT doesn't set one schedule; each broker pays on its own terms. Per dat.com on October 14, 2026, its plans show each broker's average days to pay and credit score, and DAT said: "On average, our brokers pay within 28 days." DAT also sells factoring (DAT Outgo) for faster payment, at a cost. Its Pro, Select and Office plans include DAT Assurance, where "Our team helps carriers with past-due freight payments," with credits of $250, $500 and $1,000 by plan.
For what Amazon says about factoring Relay loads, see Amazon Relay factoring.
How do Relay and DAT handle fraud?
Amazon's own comparison table lists four for Relay: "Verified carriers only," "No double brokering," "Identity verification" and "Fraud prevention." That's Amazon's description of its own board. Because Amazon doesn't tender loads through third-party boards, an "Amazon load" offered on another board wasn't tendered by Amazon.
DAT gives you tools to check the other side: company reviews and credit scores on brokers.
Our Amazon Relay fraud guide covers double brokering, fake loads and the red flags Amazon lists.
Which one fits your trucking business?
It depends on your situation, not on which board is "better."
- If you can't meet Relay's requirements yet, Relay isn't open to you until you do. DAT's pages don't publish entry requirements.
- If you qualify for Relay, access to Amazon's freight is free, with weekly pay and access tied to your performance.
- If you want broker freight from many shippers, that's DAT's market.
Whichever board a load comes from, run the numbers the same way. Our free Relay load calculator shows net, net per loaded mile and break-even rate from the pay, miles and your costs. For how Relay prices loads, see how much Amazon Relay pays and our Relay rates pages. Our Relay load board guide covers the board itself.
Weighing Amazon's own programs instead? See Amazon Relay vs Amazon Flex.
What doesn't either side publish?
- A Relay load count that matches DAT's per-business-day number
- One payment schedule for all DAT loads
- A rate comparison between the two
- Whether DAT requires a minimum authority age
We don't compare rates between the two, because neither publishes one.
Where does NudoIQ fit?
NudoIQ works only on Amazon Relay's website, not on DAT. It's an independent Chrome extension, not affiliated with Amazon, that shows net profit and lane price history on each Relay load, from costs you set once. It's free for 7 days with no card needed to start, then $49.99 a month.