Revenue on Relay Is a Volume and Efficiency Game
You can't negotiate rates on Relay, so the levers available to you are utilization, load selection, and operational efficiency. Carriers who do well on Relay aren't necessarily running the highest-paying individual loads — they're running more loads with less dead time, fewer service failures, and lower per-mile operating costs. That's the frame for everything below.
Prioritize Block Work
Blocks are recurring scheduled work — the same lane, same days, same times, running repeatedly. They require you to commit to coverage in advance, which is exactly why Amazon pays a premium for them over one-off trips. If you have reliable drivers and predictable equipment availability, blocks should be the foundation of your Relay operation.
The math is straightforward: a driver running a committed block every week is generating consistent, predictable revenue you don't have to re-book. Compare that to a driver running spot trips where your dispatcher has to find a new load every time. Block work reduces dispatcher overhead, increases driver predictability, and usually yields better rates than equivalent spot trips on the same lane.
Watch the Load Board Timing
High-value loads disappear quickly. On Relay's load board, loads for the next 24–72 hours are visible and claimed first-come, first-served. Carriers who book early get the better loads; what's left at the last minute tends to be loads with lower rates or awkward pickup windows.
Have your dispatcher check the load board at least twice daily — early morning and early afternoon. Some carriers assign a dedicated person to monitoring load board updates in peak periods. The loads that look marginal at noon might look a lot better at 4pm if that's what's available for tomorrow. Don't wait until the day before to figure out what your trucks are running.
Reduce Deadhead Miles
Every empty mile you run is revenue you didn't earn. On Relay, this means being deliberate about where your loads drop and what's available to pick up nearby. If you consistently run a lane that drops at a facility with no outbound loads available, you're building deadhead into your cost structure every cycle.
Study the load board for your typical drop locations. If loads rarely originate from your typical drop points, either adjust your lane preferences or plan to supplement Relay with broker loads for the repositioning move. Some carriers use a Relay load to get into a market and pick up a broker spot load for the return — the mixed approach can be more profitable than trying to run Relay exclusively in lanes that don't have balanced freight.
Manage Your Performance Score
Amazon tracks carrier performance through a score that affects load access. Carriers with poor scores see fewer load options — in extreme cases, access to certain load types or facilities can be restricted. The key performance metrics Amazon tracks include:
- On-time pickup — arriving at the origin facility within the pickup window
- On-time delivery — arriving at the destination within the delivery window
- App compliance — drivers using the app correctly for check-in and load progression
- Cancellation rate — loads cancelled after booking
Cancellations are particularly damaging. If a driver can't make a load, notify through the portal as early as possible. Last-minute cancellations hurt your score significantly more than early ones. Build a policy with your drivers that any potential inability to make a load gets communicated immediately — not the morning of.
Right-Size Your Fleet for Relay Volume
Running more trucks than you have Relay work to fill means you're paying truck costs against revenue that isn't there. If Relay is your primary freight channel, size your active truck count to the load volume you're consistently seeing in your lanes. It's better to run three trucks at high utilization than six trucks where half are sitting waiting for loads.
This is especially relevant in slow periods. In soft freight markets when Relay rates are more competitive, carriers are tempted to add equipment. Add cautiously — Amazon's load volume in any given lane fluctuates with their own distribution network changes, and what looks like consistent volume one quarter can thin out when Amazon opens a new facility that changes how freight flows.
Use Relay as One Layer, Not the Whole Stack
The carriers generating the best margins on Relay typically aren't 100% Relay. They use Relay for stable volume and predictable cash flow while supplementing with broker loads when market rates are above Relay's posted rates. This hybrid approach gives you the consistency of Relay's weekly ACH payment while capturing upside when spot rates spike.
Track your effective rate per mile across both channels. If broker spot rates in your lanes are consistently $0.20/mile above Relay, that's meaningful. If broker rates are below Relay plus the added broker friction, Relay wins. The answer changes by lane and by market condition — know your numbers.