Is Amazon Relay Worth It? How Relay Pays and What It Costs to Run

By Will Kremer, Truck Insurance Agent · Last updated September 19, 2026

Is Amazon Relay worth it? We insure a lot of carriers who haul exclusively for Amazon, and many of them are wildly successful. We also know that no two trucking companies are the same, so the honest answer depends on one number: your cost per mile. This guide covers how Relay pays, what the insurance works out to per mile, every other cost to count, and how to compare a Relay load against your own numbers. For the coverage itself, see our Amazon Relay insurance requirements.

The short answer Amazon Relay is worth it when the rate you’re offered covers your all-in cost per mile, counted against every mile you drive, including the empty ones. Plenty of carriers make Relay their whole business and do very well. Insurance is one of the costs you can pin down exactly: at 96,000 miles a year, Relay insurance works out to roughly $0.11 to $0.19 a mile for a box truck and $0.15 to $0.21 a mile for a tractor.

Key takeaways Amazon doesn’t publish average pay. You see the live rate at booking, with fuel surcharge included, and you’re paid weekly. Know your cost per mile before you book: every cost for the year divided by every mile you drive. Insurance per mile = your annual premium divided by your annual miles. Compare against all miles, including the empty miles to and from the load. Every operation is different. What’s profitable for one carrier isn’t automatically profitable for another.

How Amazon Relay pays

Amazon’s guide to Relay rates explains how pay works, though it doesn’t publish average rates. Live rates are shown when you book. The rest works like this:

• Rates move with demand. Amazon says seasonal demand and regional market conditions affect the rates.
• Fuel is built in. Rates include a fuel surcharge that adjusts with fuel prices.
• You can set a floor. Post A Truck lets you set a minimum payout and get matched with loads that meet it.
• Contracts or spot. Contracts lock in rates for weeks or months; spot loads pay whatever the market pays that day.
• Weekly pay. Amazon pays carriers weekly for completed loads.

You’ll find per-mile pay estimates for Relay all over the internet. We don’t repeat them, because the rate that matters is the one in front of you when you book, and whether it works depends on your costs, not someone else’s average.

Start with your cost per mile

The way we tell every carrier to judge Relay is the same way you’d judge any freight: know what it costs you to run one mile. The formula is simple. Add up everything you spend in a year to run the truck, and divide by the miles you drive in that year.

Insurance is a good place to start, because it’s a number you can pin down exactly: your annual premium per truck divided by your annual miles. Here’s what that looks like for the Relay policies we write, at 96,000 miles a year:

Your own number will differ. Insurers rate the radius you run and the miles you drive, so a local box truck typically costs significantly less to insure than an over-the-road one, and new authorities tend to pay more than established carriers. Use your actual premium and your actual miles. If you don’t have a premium yet, a quote gives you the real figure for your operation.

Every cost to count

Insurance is only one line. To get a true cost per mile, total up all of these for the year and divide by your miles:

Fixed costs

• Truck payment or lease.
• Insurance: auto liability, cargo and physical damage, plus the general liability and trailer interchange Relay requires.
• Plates and registration. IRP apportioned plates apply to trucks over 26,000 pounds or with three or more axles; many box trucks renew standard plates instead.
• Heavy vehicle use tax. The IRS Form 2290 tax applies at 55,000 pounds and up, which usually means tractors, not box trucks.
• Unified Carrier Registration: $46 a year for a carrier with one or two trucks at the current fee.
• Compliance and admin: ELD subscription, drug and alcohol testing program, DOT medical card, phone and data, accounting.
• Parking or a yard, if you pay for one.

Variable costs

• Fuel, plus quarterly IFTA fuel-tax filing if the truck is over 26,000 pounds or has three or more axles.
• Maintenance and repairs, including the liftgate on a box truck.
• Tires, tolls and DEF.
• Driver pay, or your own paycheck if you drive.
• Money set aside to replace the truck when it wears out.

Relay adds a few items of its own: the pallet jack and straps box truck carriers bring to every load, which we cover in our Amazon Relay box truck requirements. And because Amazon pays weekly, Relay freight may not need factoring to keep cash moving.

Get my real insurance number or call 855-281-2924 A Relay-ready quote gives you the insurance line of your cost per mile.

How to compare a Relay load to your numbers

Once you know your all-in cost per mile, judging a load is straightforward:

1. Count every mile the load takes, not just the loaded miles. The drive to the pickup and the trip back empty cost you the same per mile as the paid miles.
2. Divide what the load pays by those total miles. That’s what the load really pays you per mile.
3. Compare it to your cost per mile. If it’s higher, the load covers your costs and pays you something on top.
4. Weigh the rest: time, how the load fits your week, and whether a contract’s steady rate beats chasing spot loads.

Some Relay loads show a flat payout instead of a per-mile rate. The same math works: divide the payout by the total miles. Whether a given load is worth taking is your call, because every trucking operation is different. A load that’s profitable for a carrier with a paid-off truck may not be for one with a new truck note, and the other way around.

So, is Amazon Relay worth it?

For a lot of carriers, yes. We have many clients who haul exclusively for Amazon and have built strong businesses on it. What they have in common is that they know their numbers: they know their cost per mile, they book loads that cover it, and they keep their insurance and safety scores in the shape Amazon requires so they stay on the platform.

If you’re still getting set up, start with our guide to getting approved for Amazon Relay, and see our box truck insurance cost guide for how premiums are built.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Amazon Relay pay?

Amazon doesn’t publish average pay. Rates are shown live when you book, change with demand and region, and include a fuel surcharge. Contracts lock in a rate for weeks or months, while spot loads follow the market. Judge each rate against your own cost per mile.

Does Amazon Relay pay for fuel?

Relay rates include a fuel surcharge that adjusts with fuel prices, so fuel is built into the rate you see rather than paid separately.

When does Amazon Relay pay?

Amazon says it pays carriers weekly for completed loads.

Is Amazon Relay worth it for box trucks?

It can be. Many box truck carriers make Relay their main freight. Most box truck loads are local, and local box trucks typically cost less to insure than over-the-road ones. Work out your cost per mile and compare it to the rates you’re offered.

How do I calculate my cost per mile?

Add up everything it costs to run the truck for a year, including the truck payment, insurance, fuel, maintenance, tires, registration and your own pay, then divide by the total miles you drive that year, empty miles included.

How much is Amazon Relay insurance per mile?

Divide your annual premium by your annual miles. At 96,000 miles a year, the Relay policies we write work out to about $0.11 to $0.19 a mile for a box truck and $0.15 to $0.21 a mile for a line-haul tractor. Your radius, miles and record will move your own number.

Get the insurance number right first

Your cost per mile is only as good as the numbers in it, and insurance is one you can know exactly before you book a single load. Call us with your DOT number, your truck and how you plan to run Relay, and we’ll give you a real premium to plug into your math. The owner of this agency ran her own trucks before she wrote a single policy, so we get why the numbers matter.

Get your quote → or call 855-281-2924.

About the author Will Kremer, Truck Insurance Agent A truck insurance agent at Trucking Insurance Services since 2011, Will Kremer specializes in owner-operators, new ventures, and fleets, and helps truckers pick the coverage that fits how they actually run.

Insurance-per-mile figures divide the annual Relay premiums we place by 96,000 miles a year and are estimates for general guidance only; your premium and miles will differ. How Relay pays is summarized from Amazon’s published rates guide. Registration and tax thresholds are summarized from IRS, IFTA, IRP and UCR sources; confirm the current rules for your truck. Trucking Insurance Services LLC — 380 Dahlonega St #212, Cumming, GA 30040 — 855-281-2924