Short answer
You sign up for Amazon Relay at relay.amazon.com or in the Relay app, using an Amazon account. Amazon's application has five steps: DOT number, company details, one-time password verification, equipment inventory and payment information.
Where do you apply for Amazon Relay?
On relay.amazon.com or in the Relay app. Amazon's get started page says: "Start your application by signing in with your existing Amazon shopping account or creating a new one." Its how to become a carrier post says you can also "create a new account with a different email address."
Amazon says you can submit everything "in as little as 20 minutes" on the site or the app, and the app lets you "track your application's progress on the go."
Check the address first. Amazon's email scams post says Relay's own sites have "relay.amazon.com" at the beginning of the URL. Our Relay login guide shows how to spot a fake page.
Canada? Amazon points you to relay.amazon.ca. See our Amazon Relay Canada guide.
Who can apply for Amazon Relay?
Trucking companies. Amazon says: "Trucking businesses of any size are eligible to sign up with Relay if they meet our safety, insurance, and other qualifications."
There's no fleet size minimum. Amazon adds that "you can always update your equipment inventory after approval."
New authority? The Relay FAQ says to apply even if your DOT authority hasn't been active for 180 days, and "we'll keep you updated on key program news while you wait to join our network."
The full list is in our Amazon Relay requirements guide. Insurance minimums are in the insurance requirements guide.
What are Amazon's 5 application steps?
Amazon lists them in this order:
- DOT number. "Make sure to match your application details to the FMCSA database, down to the last dash." Amazon says: "We'll confirm your information instantly so you can continue with the rest of your application."
- Company details.
- One-time password verification.
- Equipment inventory. The trucks and trailers you run. You can update it after approval.
- Payment information. How Relay pays you. Amazon doesn't publish the field list.
Amazon doesn't describe a separate application for box trucks, and it mentions no application fee.
How does the owner identity check work?
Amazon checks your company and the people who own it. The FAQ says carrier identity verification confirms "your business entity and the identity of all beneficial owners (anyone with more than 25% ownership)."
Amazon's get started page names Persona under its identity verification process and links Persona's privacy policy. The FAQ adds: "We will seek your consent before collecting your Facial Recognition Information."
What happens after you apply?
- Review. The FAQ says an application "will typically be approved or rejected within 1-3 weeks." Our approval time guide covers delays and reapplying.
- No word after 2 weeks? The FAQ says to check that your FMCSA contact information matches your Relay application details, "down to the dash or comma." To ask about your application, click Contact Us on the top right of your application page. Our Relay contact guide lists every route.
- Approval. "After you're approved, you'll receive an email with instructions to access your Relay account."
Got a rejection? See Amazon Relay application denied for what to fix before you reapply.
What do you do first after approval?
The FAQ lists three first steps:
- Take Relay 101 "(about 10 minutes)". Our Learning Center guide shows where it is.
- "Add your drivers and equipment to your Relay profile." You invite each driver. See Amazon Relay for drivers and our background check guide.
- Start booking loads on the Relay load board.
Amazon says your company "may also get access to more types of booking as your company's performance score and tenure grows."
Our free Relay load calculator shows a load's net, net per loaded mile and break-even rate from its pay, miles and your costs.
Is there an Amazon Relay invite code or onboarding phone number?
Not that Amazon publishes.
- Invite code. Amazon doesn't publish one. No public relay.amazon.com page we checked mentions a carrier invite or referral code. The only invites Amazon describes go from carriers to their drivers: "Drivers can only create Relay profiles through invitations from Relay-approved carriers."
- Phone number. The FAQ says: "Amazon Relay doesn't have an official contact phone number." Use Contact Us on your application page.
- Load board sign-up. There isn't a separate one. The FAQ says: "If you are interested in hauling loads for Amazon, sign up and book directly on relay.amazon.com."
- Badge. Amazon publishes no Relay badge process.
What if you don't have trucks yet?
Relay is for carriers with their own equipment. For people starting from zero, Amazon points to Amazon Freight Partner, with "no trucks or trucking experience needed." Our Amazon Relay vs Amazon Flex guide compares Amazon's programs.
What doesn't Amazon publish about signing up?
- A carrier invite or referral code
- An onboarding phone number
- The full field list for "company details"
- What happens if the instant FMCSA check fails
- Whether you can save an application and finish later
- A Relay badge process
Where does NudoIQ fit?
Once you're booking, NudoIQ is a Chrome extension for the Relay load board. It refreshes the board, sounds an alert on the page when a load clears your minimums, and shows net profit on each load from costs you set once. It's independent, not affiliated with Amazon, and it never asks for your Amazon password. Try it 7 days free, no card needed to start, then $49.99 a month. See how the NudoIQ extension works.