Amazon Relay truck requirements, driver checks, and violation rates
Getting your company approved is the first gate. After that, Amazon looks at every truck you list, every driver you invite, and every roadside inspection those trucks and drivers collect.
Written by Rigo Diaz
Relay's truck and driver limits
Amazon Relay truck requirements depend on the equipment: day or sleeper cab tractors for power-only loads, 48- and 53-foot trailers, 16- or 26-foot box trucks with a working tuck-under liftgate, and UIIA-compliant containers. Cargo vans don't qualify. Each driver must also pass Amazon's identity and background checks, and your roadside violation rates must stay within Amazon's limits.
Most carriers prepare for Relay as a company: authority age, safety scores, insurance. Those decide whether you get in. What decides whether you stay in is narrower and more daily: the trucks you put on Amazon loads, the drivers you invite into the app, and what happens to both at roadside.
I spent more than six years in risk management before I founded Simplex, and I have led it for more than 25 years since. The risk I watch for here is quiet: a carrier that qualified on day one can lose access later through a slow build-up of light, tire, and logbook violations that nobody was counting. This guide covers the equipment Amazon accepts, what each driver goes through, and how the violation rates work. For the company-level requirements, see our guide to Amazon Relay requirements for new carriers.
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Key takeaways
Equipment comes from a fixed list
Amazon accepts day and sleeper cab tractors, 48-foot trailers, 53-foot dry vans and reefers, 16- and 26-foot box trucks with a functional tuck-under liftgate, and UIIA-compliant containers. Cargo vans can't be used.
Power-only still means your inspection
Most Relay loads are power-only, so your driver pulls Amazon's trailer. Federal rules still require the driver to be satisfied that its brakes, lights, tires, and coupling are in good working order before driving.
Every driver is checked one by one
Drivers join only by your invitation, verify their identity with a license photo and a selfie, and pass a background check through Amazon's approved provider before hauling.
Amazon's checks don't replace yours
The driver qualification file, annual driving record review, Clearinghouse queries, and drug and alcohol testing remain the carrier's job under federal rules.
Violation rates are a rolling test
Amazon divides 12 months of roadside violations, with out-of-service violations counted twice, by your inspections. Drivers must stay at or below 35% and vehicles at or below 50%, and there is no appeal.
In this articleContents
What are the Amazon Relay truck requirements?
Amazon Relay truck requirements are a list of accepted equipment types, not a minimum truck age or fleet size. The Relay FAQ lists these:
| Equipment | Accepted | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Tractors | Day cab or sleeper cab | For power-only loads, where Amazon supplies the trailer |
| Box trucks | 16-foot or 26-foot | Dock height, with a functional tuck-under liftgate |
| Trailers | 48-foot trailer, 53-foot dry van, 53-foot reefer | For trailer-required loads; reefers must meet FDA's Sanitary Transportation rule |
| Containers | 20-foot, 40-foot, and 45-foot high cube | Drayage from rail and sea ports, UIIA compliant |
| Cargo vans | Not accepted | Amazon says cargo vans can't be used for Relay loads |
There is no fleet size requirement. You list your equipment inventory in the application, and you can update it after approval. Amazon's published list names types and sizes, not model years. Relay's truck requirements page adds that most loads are power-only.
Box trucks: the liftgate and the weight rating
For a box truck, Amazon's own requirement is simple: 16 or 26 feet, dock height, with a tuck-under liftgate that works. The federal rules depend on the weight rating on the door label, not the length.
In interstate commerce, a truck rated at 10,001 pounds or more is a commercial motor vehicle under 49 CFR 390.5T, so medical certification, a driver qualification file, and hours of service apply. A CDL is required only from 26,001 pounds under 49 CFR 383.5. Our guide to CDL vs non-CDL requirements walks through the difference.
Reefers: the FDA rule comes with the trailer
Amazon requires reefers to meet every regulation under FDA's Sanitary Transportation rule. Among other things, it requires food that needs temperature control for safety to be transported under adequate temperature control.
Power-only: an Amazon trailer, your inspection
On a power-only load you pull a trailer you don't own, but the duty to check it is still your driver's. Under 49 CFR 392.7, no commercial motor vehicle may be driven until the driver is satisfied that its brakes and trailer brake connections, lights and reflectors, tires, coupling devices, and wheels and rims are in good working order. 49 CFR 396.13 adds that the driver must be satisfied the vehicle is in safe operating condition.
That walk-around matters to Relay because vehicle violations found at roadside feed Amazon's vehicle violation rate. It is also why Amazon's insurance list includes $50,000 of trailer replacement coverage within auto liability.
What does Amazon require of each Relay driver?
Each driver must be invited by an approved carrier, verify their identity, and pass Amazon's background check before hauling a Relay load. Amazon's driver eligibility page describes four steps:
- Invitation and profile. Drivers can create a Relay profile only through an invitation from an approved carrier, and they enter commercial driver's license and contact details in the Relay app. Accounts can't be shared.
- Identity verification. The driver submits the front and back of their license and a selfie. Amazon typically reviews it within 48 hours.
- Background check. It starts in the driver's app and runs through Amazon's approved provider, which looks for past criminal or motor vehicle record violations. Amazon won't accept checks from other providers.
- Selfie checks on the job. The app asks for periodic selfies, for example at pickup or drop-off. A driver who declines can't haul Relay loads, and repeated failed checks can affect both the driver's and the carrier's access.
Amazon doesn't publish the pass or fail criteria for its background check, so you can't pre-screen against them. Owners are checked too: carrier identity verification confirms the business and every beneficial owner with more than 25% ownership.
What Amazon's checks don't cover
Amazon's checks sit on top of your federal duties, not in place of them. Amazon itself says carriers manage drug and alcohol screening, hours of service, medical certification, license verification, and ongoing driver qualification.
- A driver qualification file for every driver, under 49 CFR 391.51. Our DQF checklist lists what goes in it.
- A driving record inquiry and review at least once every 12 months, under 49 CFR 391.25.
- For CDL drivers, a full Clearinghouse query before they start and a query at least once a year, under 49 CFR 382.701.
A driver who passes Amazon's background check can still be unqualified under federal rules, and the reverse is also true. Run both, and keep the federal file current between Relay loads.
How are Amazon Relay violation rates calculated?
Amazon adds your non-out-of-service violations to your out-of-service violations, which count twice, and divides by your total inspections over the past 12 months of FMCSA data. It runs the formula separately for drivers and vehicles, according to its violation-rate explainer.
| Metric | Limit | What it counts |
|---|---|---|
| Driver violation rate | At or below 35% | Driver-related violations per driver inspection, out-of-service violations counted twice |
| Vehicle violation rate | At or below 50% | Vehicle-related violations per vehicle inspection, out-of-service violations counted twice |
Amazon considers violations in Unsafe Driving, HOS Compliance, Vehicle Maintenance, Controlled Substances, and Driver Fitness. New carriers have been screened since October 31, 2025, and existing carriers since February 2026.
A worked example
Say your drivers had 10 inspections in the past 12 months, with two ordinary driver violations and one out-of-service violation. That is 2 plus 2, divided by 10: a 40% driver violation rate, over Amazon's 35% limit.
Your trucks had 10 vehicle inspections with three ordinary violations and one out-of-service violation: 3 plus 2, divided by 10, or exactly 50%. That still passes, but one more brake or tire violation would not. In a small fleet, a single out-of-service order moves the rate a lot.
Amazon says carriers with three or more inspections that exceed its limits may lose access to Relay loads, and, as with BASICs, there is no appeal process.
How do you keep your trucks and drivers inside Relay's limits?
Treat every roadside inspection as a Relay event, because each one changes the rates Amazon reads. Four habits do most of the work.
- Read your inspections as they post. Approved carriers see their violation rates in Relay's Safety Scorecard. Before approval, FMCSA's SAFER Company Snapshot lists your inspections and out-of-service rates for the past 24 months, a different calculation built from the same roadside data.
- Challenge records that are wrong. If an inspection or violation is incorrect, request a review through FMCSA's DataQs system.
- Fix the repeat violation, not the single one. Group violations by type each month. Lights and tires point to the pre-trip and the shop; logbook violations point to coaching. Our Level 1 inspection checklist covers what inspectors look at.
- Keep driver documents current and in the cab. Amazon's own tips include keeping the license and medical card current and available for inspection.
The other score: performance
Amazon also grades carriers from F to A+ on a performance score built from the last six weeks of loads: on-time, acceptance, app usage, and disruption-free. Your score equals your lowest metric, and contracts are reserved for carriers graded B or above.
Drivers move two of those metrics directly: they must run loads in the Relay app with location on for the whole trip, and arrive on time at both ends.
Safety habits can also pay. Relay's safety rewards add $0.02 to $0.05 per collision-free mile for eligible carriers with a qualifying dash cam, per the Relay FAQ. If Amazon funds the camera, you must haul at least 12,000 Relay miles a year. Our compliance programs include CSA monitoring if you want a second set of eyes on the inspection side.
How Simplex helps keep Relay trucks and drivers eligible
Amazon checks the trucks, the drivers, and the inspections. We work on the records behind all three.
Inspections you see coming
Our compliance programs include CSA monitoring, mock audits, and HOS management, so a pattern of violations surfaces before it reaches Amazon's limits.
Driver files that stay current
We help carriers build and maintain driver qualification files, the federal half of putting a driver on a Relay load.
Coverage that matches the equipment
As a broker, we quote and place box truck insurance and other commercial truck coverage, and a licensed agent can check it against Amazon's list.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Amazon Relay background check requirements?+
Can I use a cargo van for Amazon Relay?+
What box trucks does Amazon Relay accept?+
Is there a truck year requirement for Amazon Relay?+
Do I need an MC number, or is a DOT number enough for Amazon Relay?+
How long does Amazon Relay approval take?+
Where this information comes from
Amazon sets the Relay equipment, driver, and violation-rate rules, and federal regulations set the duties that stay with the carrier. Everything below was checked on October 16, 2026.
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1
Amazon Relay — Frequently Asked Questions
Accepted equipment types, driver onboarding, approval timing, carrier identity verification, safety rewards, and the MC and DOT requirements.
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2
Amazon Relay — Driver eligibility requirements
Driver invitations, identity verification, the background check provider, periodic selfie checks, and the carrier's federal duties.
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3
Amazon Relay — How Relay uses roadside inspection violations
The driver and vehicle violation rate formula, limits, enforcement dates, and the no-appeal rule.
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4
Amazon Relay — Truck requirements
Power-only loads, dock-height box trucks with liftgates, no cargo vans, reefers under the FDA rule, and no fleet size minimum.
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5
eCFR — 49 CFR 390.5T, Definitions
The 10,001-pound commercial motor vehicle definition for interstate FMCSA rules.
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6
eCFR — 49 CFR 392.7, Equipment, inspection and use
The parts a driver must be satisfied are in good working order before driving.
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7
eCFR — 49 CFR 391.51, Driver qualification files
The driver qualification file every carrier keeps for each driver.
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8
FMCSA — SAFER Company Snapshot
Public 24-month inspection counts and out-of-service rates by carrier.
Written by
Rigo Diaz
Founder & CEO, Simplex Group
Founder and CEO of Simplex Group, with more than 25 years leading the company and helping trucking entrepreneurs navigate compliance, insurance, and the day-to-day demands of running a carrier. Before founding Simplex, he spent more than six years in risk management, experience that continues to shape how he approaches insurance, compliance, and carrier risk today.
Published · Updated
Related articles and services
Approval gets you in. Your inspections keep you there.
Relay checks the company once, but it checks your trucks and drivers every time an inspection posts. Carriers that keep their walk-arounds honest, their driver files current, and their violations counted rarely get surprised by a limit.
If you want help watching the inspections, driver files, and coverage behind your Relay account, talk to our team.