The Relay Driver Is Your Primary Interface With Amazon
Your carrier score on Relay is almost entirely determined by what your drivers do — or fail to do. On-time pickup, on-time delivery, correct app usage, and professional behavior at facilities all flow through your driver team. As a carrier, you're accountable for the performance of every driver under your MC authority on the platform. Driver management isn't HR overhead; it's revenue protection.
App Training Before the First Load
The Amazon Relay driver app isn't complicated, but the first time at an Amazon facility is not the moment to figure it out. Run new drivers through the full app flow before they run their first Relay load:
- How to view assigned loads
- How to initiate check-in when approaching a facility (geofence triggers)
- How to navigate the dock assignment process
- How to mark a load as delivered at the destination
- What to do if the app has a connectivity issue at a facility
That last point matters. Some Amazon facilities have spotty cellular coverage in trailer yards. Drivers need to know that the app should be opened and load data cached before pulling into the yard, and that they should move to an area with signal if check-in isn't working rather than abandon the app process.
Setting Expectations Around Pickup Windows
Amazon's on-time pickup is measured against the appointment window in the app. If your driver is late to the facility, even by 15 minutes, it counts against your on-time metric. Most drivers who have trucking experience outside of Relay come from environments where being "close" to a pickup window was fine. Relay measures it precisely.
Build buffer into your dispatch planning. If a load has a 7:00 AM pickup, your driver should be at the facility by 6:45 at the latest. Account for parking lot capacity at busy facilities — some Amazon FCs have crowded yards in the early morning hours and finding a spot to stage takes time. Local knowledge of specific facility layouts is valuable; drivers who have run a lane before should brief drivers who haven't.
HOS Planning for Block Work
Block work is predictable, which makes HOS planning more manageable than unpredictable spot freight. But predictability can breed complacency — it's easy for drivers to undercount cumulative hours on a consistent weekly block schedule.
For multi-leg blocks especially, calculate total on-duty time for the full block before the week starts. Include:
- Drive time for all legs
- Estimated yard time at each facility (typically 30–60 minutes for drop-and-hook)
- Any required pre-trip time
If a block regularly pushes drivers against their 14-hour clock, you have a structural problem that needs to be addressed with Amazon or through driver scheduling adjustments — not with drivers fudging their logs.
Cancellation Policy
Establish a clear internal policy on load cancellations. On Relay, cancellations close to pickup time are significantly more damaging to your score than early ones. Your policy should require drivers to flag any potential inability to make a load as soon as they know, not the morning of. "I've been sick since last night" is better communicated at 10 PM than 5 AM on load day.
For planned absences (vacation, appointments), your dispatch team should have loads covered or loads should be cancelled with maximum advance notice through the portal. Don't leave a load assigned to a driver who you know won't be available and hope something works out.
Facility Conduct
Amazon facility security and dock staff can flag driver conduct issues back to Amazon's carrier relations team. Drivers who are rude to gate guards, ignore safety rules in the yard (speed limits, pedestrian zones), or cause damage to trailers or dock equipment create problems that go beyond a single load. Some carriers have had accounts suspended or loads restricted because of repeated facility behavior issues by specific drivers.
Brief drivers on basic Amazon facility expectations: follow posted yard speed limits, do not enter restricted areas, treat dock and security staff professionally. These aren't remarkable standards — they're what any professional driver should be doing. Making them explicit with your team removes ambiguity.
Tracking Individual Driver Performance
Your carrier portal shows aggregate performance metrics, but for driver management you need load-level data broken down by driver. Match load completion data to driver assignment records (which you should have in your dispatch system) to calculate on-time rate, load count, and revenue per driver. Drivers who consistently miss windows or generate adjustment deductions need coaching. Drivers who perform well should be prioritized for block assignments — they're your most valuable operational asset on Relay.