Amazon Relay Requirements: The 2026 Carrier Checklist
Amazon Relay gives carriers direct access to Amazon's freight network — no broker calls, instant booking, 2-day pay options. Approval is checklist-driven: meet every requirement below and onboarding takes days; miss one and the portal rejects you without much explanation. Here is the complete 2026 checklist and the fixes for each common rejection.
Published July 17, 2026 · O Trucking Editorial Team
$1M
Auto Liability Required
$100k
Cargo Coverage Minimum
“Satisfactory” or None
Required Safety Rating
2–7 days
Typical Onboarding Time
Amazon Relay is not a broker relationship — it is a marketplace with hard gates. The system checks your FMCSA data and insurance filings automatically, which means approval is mostly determined before you ever click apply. Run through this checklist first and fix gaps in advance; if you want the earnings side, our Amazon Relay pay-per-mile analysis covers what the loads actually pay.
The 2026 requirements checklist
| Requirement | Minimum standard |
|---|---|
| Operating authority | Active DOT number and interstate MC authority in good standing |
| Entity type | Carrier authority — freight forwarders and broker-only authority are not eligible |
| Safety rating | "Satisfactory" or unrated; a Conditional rating is an automatic rejection |
| Behavioral (BASIC) scores | Below FMCSA intervention thresholds — Unsafe Driving, HOS, and Vehicle Maintenance are the ones Relay watches |
| Auto liability insurance | $1,000,000 combined single limit |
| Cargo insurance | $100,000 minimum |
| General liability | $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate |
| Workers' comp | Per your state's statutory requirement |
| Certificate holder | Amazon listed as certificate holder; insurer must submit via Relay portal |
| Equipment | 53ft dry van trailers for most contracts; box truck program available in limited markets |
Onboarding: what happens after you apply
- Create the Relay account with your MC/DOT — the portal pulls your FMCSA record instantly.
- Insurance verification: your agent submits the COI with Amazon's exact certificate-holder language. Wrong wording is the #1 onboarding delay — send your agent the portal template verbatim.
- Compliance screening (safety rating, BASICs, authority age) runs automatically over 2–7 days.
- Driver setup: drivers download the Relay mobile app; every driver hauling Amazon freight needs an app identity.
- First loads: new carriers start with one-way spot loads. Consistent on-time performance unlocks round-trip blocks and contract lanes where the real money is.
Why carriers get rejected (and the fixes)
- Conditional safety rating: request an FMCSA rating upgrade after corrective action — until it clears, Relay is closed to you.
- High BASIC scores: clean inspections dilute percentiles over time; challenge incorrect violations through DataQs. Check your current scores with our carrier lookup tool.
- Insurance shortfalls: $750k liability is legal for general freight but fails Relay's $1M gate. Quote the upgrade before applying; for a small fleet it is often cheaper than a week of lost Relay revenue.
- Brand-new authority: Amazon does not publish a minimum authority age, but sub-90-day authorities see far more rejections. Run other freight first, keep inspections clean, and reapply — rejected carriers can reapply after 30 days.
Worth knowing: Relay performance is scored (on-time, app usage, acceptance). Scores below threshold get load access restricted, so protect your metrics from load one — reject freight you cannot cover rather than falling off it.
Is Relay worth building your operation on?
Relay works best as a base layer, not a whole business: rates are transparent but rarely premium, one-way spot loads can strand you in weak markets, and Amazon adjusts programs unilaterally. Strong operators blend Relay blocks with spot and direct freight to keep average rates up — exactly the mix a dispatch service manages. Pair this checklist with the pay analysis and decide with real numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What insurance does Amazon Relay require?
Auto liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit, cargo coverage of $100,000, commercial general liability of $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate, and workers’ compensation per state law. Amazon must be listed as certificate holder and the COI must be submitted through the Relay portal by your insurer or agent.
Can new carriers get Amazon Relay?
Amazon publishes no minimum authority age, but very new authorities (under roughly 90 days) are rejected far more often. Most carriers succeed after building a short clean-inspection history. Rejected carriers can reapply after 30 days.
Does Amazon Relay accept box trucks?
Yes, in limited markets through the box truck program, which uses lower insurance minimums than the 53ft trailer program. Availability varies by metro; the standard Relay network is built around 53ft dry van capacity.
Why was my Amazon Relay application rejected?
The four most common causes are a Conditional safety rating, BASIC scores above FMCSA intervention thresholds, insurance below the $1M/$100k minimums, and authority type problems (broker or forwarder authority instead of carrier authority). All four are fixable, and you can reapply 30 days after a rejection.
How long does Amazon Relay onboarding take?
With paperwork ready, most carriers clear onboarding in 2–7 business days. The most common delay is a certificate of insurance issued with wrong certificate-holder wording — give your insurance agent the portal’s template exactly as written.
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