Amazon Relay Requirements 2026

• Amazon Relay generally requires carriers to have valid interstate DOT authority active for at least 180 days, a valid MC number, the correct FMCSA carrier classification, and an acceptable federal safety rating.
• Eligibility also depends on safety performance, including Amazon’s published BASIC thresholds, driver and vehicle violation rates, required insurance coverage, and successful driver verification.
• Getting approved is only the first step: carriers need to continuously manage roadside inspections, HOS, vehicle maintenance, driver qualification, insurance, and CSA performance to help protect ongoing Relay eligibility.

What Is Amazon Relay?

Amazon Relay is Amazon’s freight platform for motor carriers.

Approved trucking companies can use Relay to access Amazon freight opportunities, including spot loads and contracts, without using a traditional third-party freight broker.

But Relay isn’t an open load board where any trucking company with a truck and an MC number can immediately begin booking freight.

Amazon screens carriers according to its own standards for:

• Operating authority
• Safety
• Roadside inspection performance
• Insurance
• Driver eligibility
• Operational performance

And some of those standards are more restrictive than simply remaining legally authorized to operate under FMCSA regulations.

That distinction matters.

Being compliant enough to maintain your DOT authority does not automatically mean your company meets Amazon Relay’s requirements.

Let’s look at what Amazon currently requires.

What Are the Amazon Relay Requirements in 2026?

According to Amazon’s current carrier eligibility standards, applicants must satisfy requirements across several areas.

1. Your DOT Authority Must Be Active for at Least 180 Days

One of the first barriers for new trucking companies is authority age.

Amazon Relay requires:

• A valid USDOT number
• Interstate authority
• At least 180 days of active DOT authority
• A valid MC number

New carriers do not necessarily have to wait until day 180 to begin the application process.

Amazon allows companies to apply earlier and receive program updates while their authority matures. However, you generally cannot complete onboarding and begin hauling Relay freight until the DOT tenure requirement is satisfied.

Why the 180-Day Requirement Matters

New authority owners sometimes plan around Amazon Relay when calculating their first months of revenue.

That’s risky.

Getting your MC authority activated doesn’t mean Amazon freight will immediately become available.

The first six months should instead be used to establish the compliance foundation that Amazon will eventually evaluate:

• Maintain insurance
• Avoid roadside violations
• Keep vehicles properly maintained
• Manage driver qualification
• Comply with Hours of Service regulations
• Establish good inspection history

Your first 180 days aren’t simply a countdown.

They’re your first compliance record.

2. You Need the Correct FMCSA Operating Authority

Amazon requires the business to have a Carrier entity type that is authorized for:

Property and For Hire

If your FMCSA registration or operating authority doesn’t accurately reflect your operation, your Relay application may run into problems even if you have an active USDOT number.

This is one reason motor carriers should periodically verify their FMCSA registration information instead of assuming that an old filing is still accurate.

Changes to company information may also trigger separate FMCSA update requirements.

3. Your FMCSA Safety Rating Must Be Acceptable

Amazon Relay currently accepts carriers whose FMCSA Safety Rating is:

• Satisfactory
• None
• Not Rated

A problematic federal safety rating can therefore affect more than your relationship with FMCSA.

It can also limit your access to private freight networks such as Amazon Relay.

For fleets trying to diversify freight sources, maintaining a strong safety program becomes a business-development issue as much as a regulatory one.

4. Amazon Relay Has Specific BASIC Score Requirements

Amazon evaluates Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories—better known as BASICs—when screening carriers.

Amazon currently publishes the following Relay thresholds:

Amazon states that its standards are stricter than corresponding federal intervention thresholds.

This is one of the most important Amazon Relay requirements for carriers to understand.

A fleet doesn’t need to lose its operating authority before its safety performance starts affecting its commercial opportunities.

Why BASIC Scores Can Become an Amazon Relay Problem

CSA performance is built over time from inspection and violation data.

That means a pattern involving:

• Speeding
• Hours of Service violations
• Brake defects
• Lighting problems
• Tire violations
• Driver qualification problems
• Drug and alcohol compliance
• Other roadside violations

can eventually affect more than your CSA profile.

It can affect whether private shippers want your company in their freight network.

For Amazon Relay carriers, compliance performance and revenue opportunity are directly connected.

5. Amazon Now Uses Driver and Vehicle Violation Rates

This is particularly important for 2026.

Amazon Relay also evaluates roadside inspection data using separate driver and vehicle violation rates.

The current thresholds are:

• Driver violation rate: 35% or lower
• Vehicle violation rate: 50% or lower

Amazon calculates these metrics using FMCSA roadside inspection information from the previous 12 months.

Out-of-service violations receive additional weight when Amazon calculates the rate.

These standards began affecting new Relay applicants in late 2025 and expanded to existing Relay carriers in February 2026.

So this isn’t merely an onboarding requirement anymore.

It’s an ongoing eligibility requirement.

What Does That Mean for Existing Amazon Relay Carriers?

A company may qualify for Relay today and develop compliance problems later.

For example, repeated:

• Brake violations
• Tire defects
• Lighting violations
• HOS violations
• Driver qualification problems
• Other inspection violations

can change the carrier’s safety profile.

That is why fleets relying heavily on Amazon freight should not think about Relay compliance only when completing the initial application.

Amazon Relay eligibility needs to be managed continuously.

6. Amazon Relay Insurance Requirements

Insurance is another major part of Relay eligibility.

Amazon currently requires carriers to maintain minimum coverage that includes:

Commercial General Liability

At least: $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate

Auto Liability

At least: $1,000,000 per occurrence

Amazon also requires $50,000 in trailer replacement coverage as part of its published requirements.

Cargo Insurance

At least: $100,000

Workers’ Compensation

Required in jurisdictions where the carrier operates, when applicable.

Employer Liability

At least: $100,000 per occurrence

Insurance requirements should be reviewed carefully before applying.

A carrier can have insurance sufficient to satisfy FMCSA’s minimum federal requirements while still lacking a coverage type or limit required by a particular shipper or freight program.

How Much Does Amazon Relay Insurance Cost?

There isn’t one fixed Amazon Relay insurance price.

Premiums depend on factors such as:

• Authority age
• Driver history
• Fleet size
• Equipment
• Operating radius
• Cargo
• Claims history
• Safety record
• Coverage limits

Amazon itself notes that newer carriers generally pay more than established fleets with cleaner operating histories.

This is another area where planning before your 180-day eligibility date can help.

Waiting until you’re ready to apply to discover that your insurance package doesn’t meet Relay requirements can delay onboarding.

7. Drivers Must Complete Amazon Relay Onboarding

Carrier approval doesn’t automatically approve every driver.

Amazon requires carriers to invite drivers to establish profiles within the Relay app.

Drivers must then complete Amazon’s verification process.

Current onboarding includes:

• Driver profile creation
• Commercial driver’s license information
• Driver identity verification
• Driver’s license verification
• Selfie/identity verification
• Background check

Amazon states that all drivers onboarding to Relay must satisfy its standardized background-check requirements before hauling Relay freight.

The carrier still remains responsible for its normal federal driver-compliance obligations.

Those can include:

• CDL verification
• Medical qualification
• Drug and alcohol testing
• Clearinghouse requirements
• Driver Qualification Files
• Hours of Service compliance
• Ongoing driver monitoring

Passing Amazon’s onboarding process doesn’t replace FMCSA compliance.

Getting Approved Is Only Half the Amazon Relay Compliance Problem

This is where many articles about Amazon Relay requirements stop:

1. Get your DOT number.
2. Wait 180 days.
3. Buy the right insurance.
4. Apply.
5. Done.
6. Not quite.

Amazon also expects carriers operating within its network to maintain safety and performance standards.

That means carriers should think about Relay eligibility in two stages.

Stage 1: Qualifying for Amazon Relay

Before onboarding, verify:

• DOT tenure
• Operating authority
• FMCSA registration
• Safety status
• BASIC performance
• Inspection violation rates
• Insurance
• Driver eligibility

Stage 2: Staying Eligible for Amazon Relay

After approval, continuously monitor:

• Roadside inspections
• Driver violations
• Vehicle violations
• CSA/BASIC performance
• HOS compliance
• Vehicle maintenance
• Driver qualification
• Insurance renewals
• Amazon performance requirements

The second stage is where proactive compliance becomes particularly valuable.

Common Reasons Carriers May Have Trouble Meeting Amazon Relay Requirements

There isn’t always one dramatic event behind a compliance problem.

Sometimes it’s an accumulation of smaller issues.

Common examples include:

New Authority

Your USDOT authority simply hasn’t reached Amazon’s 180-day minimum.

There is no compliance shortcut for this requirement.

Use that period to build a strong safety record.

High Unsafe Driving BASIC

Speeding and other unsafe-driving violations can quickly affect a carrier’s safety profile.

Driver coaching and safety policies need to happen before violations accumulate.

Vehicle Maintenance Problems

Brake, tire, lighting, and other equipment violations can affect both CSA performance and Amazon’s vehicle violation metric.

A weak preventive-maintenance program can therefore threaten freight access.

Hours of Service Violations

Poor ELD practices, log inconsistencies, and HOS violations can affect the HOS Compliance BASIC and driver inspection performance.

Driver Qualification Problems

Expired medical certificates, licensing issues, and incomplete driver qualification processes can create Driver Fitness exposure.

Insurance Gaps

Your insurance may be legally sufficient for FMCSA but not satisfy every Relay coverage requirement.

Repeated Roadside Inspection Violations

Even when individual violations don’t result in an immediate shutdown, repeated inspection problems can push Amazon’s driver or vehicle violation metrics beyond its limits.

How Simplex Group Can Help You Meet Amazon Relay Requirements

Amazon decides which carriers are accepted into Relay.

No third-party compliance provider can guarantee Amazon approval.

What Simplex Group can do is help your company manage many of the regulatory and operational factors Amazon evaluates.

DOT and FMCSA Compliance

Simplex Group helps motor carriers maintain the federal registrations and compliance processes required to operate.

That can include guidance around:

• USDOT compliance
• Operating authority
• FMCSA registration
• MCS-150 updates
• Compliance documentation

Accurate FMCSA records are especially important because Amazon verifies carrier information during onboarding.

CSA and Safety Compliance

If Amazon freight is important to your business, waiting until your BASIC scores become a problem is a poor strategy.

Simplex Group can help carriers identify safety issues and establish compliance processes designed to reduce future exposure.

That can include reviewing areas such as:

• Unsafe Driving
• HOS Compliance
• Vehicle Maintenance
• Driver Fitness
• Controlled Substances/Alcohol Compliance
• Roadside inspection performance

The goal isn’t to manipulate a score.

It’s to fix the operating practices producing the violations.

Driver Qualification and Compliance

Amazon’s driver onboarding process doesn’t replace your responsibilities as a motor carrier.

Simplex Group can help fleets manage driver compliance requirements and maintain more organized Driver Qualification Files.

That becomes increasingly important as the fleet grows and more drivers are assigned to Relay loads.

Hours of Service and ELD Compliance

HOS violations can directly affect one of Amazon’s BASIC thresholds.

Simplex Group helps fleets develop better Hours of Service compliance practices and identify driver logging problems before patterns become more serious.

Drug and Alcohol Compliance

Controlled Substances/Alcohol is another BASIC category Amazon evaluates.

Motor carriers must maintain compliant drug and alcohol testing programs independently of Amazon’s own driver screening procedures.

Simplex Group can help carriers navigate these FMCSA requirements.

Commercial Trucking Insurance

Simplex Group can also help carriers evaluate commercial trucking insurance options and coverage requirements.

If Amazon Relay is part of your freight strategy, the insurance discussion should include Relay’s required coverage—not merely federal minimums.

An Amazon Relay Compliance Checklist

Before applying—or if you’re already hauling Amazon loads—review these questions:

Authority

• Has your DOT interstate authority been active for at least 180 days?
• Is your MC number valid?
• Is your FMCSA entity classification correct?
• Are you authorized for Property and For Hire?

Safety

• Is your FMCSA Safety Rating Satisfactory, None or Not Rated?
• Is Unsafe Driving below 60%?
• Is HOS Compliance below 60%?
• Is Vehicle Maintenance below 75%?
• Is Controlled Substances/Alcohol below 75%?
• Is Driver Fitness below 75%?

Roadside Inspections

• Is your driver violation rate 35% or lower?
• Is your vehicle violation rate 50% or lower?
• Are you reviewing roadside inspection results regularly?
• Are you correcting recurring violation patterns?

Insurance

• $1M Auto Liability?
• $100K Cargo?
• $1M/$2M Commercial General Liability?
• Required trailer coverage?
• Workers’ Compensation where required?
• At least $100K Employer Liability per occurrence?

Drivers

• CDL verified?
• Medical certification current?
• DQ file complete?
• Drug and alcohol program compliant?
• HOS records compliant?
• Amazon Relay identity verification completed?
• Amazon Relay background check completed?

If several of those questions are difficult to answer, your problem may be bigger than the Relay application.

Your compliance system probably needs attention.

Preparing for Amazon Relay Before Your Authority Reaches 180 Days

If you’re a new carrier, the 180-day waiting period can actually work in your favor.

Use it strategically.

During your first six months:

1. Keep your FMCSA registration accurate.
2. Maintain continuous insurance coverage.
3. Build complete Driver Qualification Files.
4. Establish your Drug & Alcohol Testing Program.
5. Monitor Hours of Service closely.
6. Implement preventive vehicle maintenance.
7. Review every roadside inspection.
8. Challenge incorrect inspection information through the appropriate FMCSA process when justified.
9. Monitor your CSA performance.
10. Verify Relay insurance requirements before applying.

The objective should be to arrive at day 180 with a clean compliance foundation—not to start thinking about compliance on day 179.

Want to Haul Amazon Relay Loads? Build the Compliance Foundation First.

Amazon Relay can provide valuable freight opportunities for both small carriers and growing fleets.

But access to those opportunities depends increasingly on measurable safety and compliance performance.

Having an MC number is only the beginning.

Your authority history, roadside inspections, BASIC performance, drivers, equipment and insurance can all affect whether your company qualifies—and whether it remains eligible.

Simplex Group helps trucking companies manage these requirements before compliance issues begin limiting their freight opportunities.

If you’re preparing to apply for Amazon Relay or concerned that your current safety performance could affect your Relay account, talk to Simplex Group about your DOT compliance, safety and insurance needs.

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