Carriers of any size can now gain peace of mind associated with contracted volume with short-term contracts
Short-term contracts with Amazon Relay now bridge the gap between spot work and long-term contracts, with a self-service program that empowers carriers of all sizes to secure work over short durations at competitive rates. Carriers can choose contracts via Amazon Relay from several weeks to months in the future. Each contract includes a full week of driver work over each week of the contract, and as long as the carrier does not cancel the contract or reject work, the payout is guaranteed. This means that even if Amazon does not use the contracted capacity, the carrier is still paid 100% of the contract value, rather than just a standard cancellation fee.
Until now, carriers had only two options when it came to finding work: using load boards that offer last-minute spot work which results in hit-and-miss usage of available drivers, or long-term contracts, typically better suited for larger carriers with the capacity to respond to the RFPs.
With Amazon Relay, carriers have enjoyed access to a wide selection of tens of thousands of loads weekly on the Relay load board. Amazon Relay’s short-term contracts adds a new way for carriers to get work: Carriers can use Amazon Relay to access a steady supply of short-term contracts with transparent and guaranteed pricing in advance—providing certainty of revenue. These short-term contracts are available in a robust mix of driver configurations spanning multiple operating geographies.
“The short-term contract program has been a huge benefit to my company. The system is extremely user friendly. I take advantage of the Favorites feature, allowing our team to select contracts that have already been marked as a favorite. This has allowed our company to expand from 8 to 12 regions with the addition of new trucks and drivers, double our capacity, and look forward to more growth. Additionally, the staff is extremely helpful when I have questions.” – Bob Caraballo, Omega-mile
Changing the contract game for carriers
With contract durations as short as a week or as long as five weeks, a carrier can secure a predictable work schedule and guaranteed payouts on contracts as long as carrier does not cancel the contract or reject the work. Contracts provide a small fleet owner peace of mind with a good balance of certainty of work for their drivers and freedom to optimize the fluctuations in the industry.
“Short-term contracts are a great fit for our company. It gives our drivers firm job stability with a full week of work, week after week. Additionally, short-term contracts have made us a more attractive carrier as we now can offer guaranteed work to drivers in not only the Houston region, but other regions such as Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio, allowing us to easily expand our business as a whole. From a financial perspective, short-term contracts have allowed us to see what our actual revenue will be for the next several months in advance, thus allowing us to better plan our business.” – James Burleson, Grace Freight LLC
For drivers, the result is work that provides a predictable workweek months in advance. That means carriers are better able to retain drivers, and drivers can enjoy a more balanced lifestyle.
Book work in advance with complete transparency
With one-click contract booking, Amazon Relay brings the ease of using Amazon.com to finding work for thousands of small fleet owners. Through relay.amazon.com, carriers can see contract duration with start and end dates, driver count, blocks per week, block rate, and total contract value for each listed contract, and can accept a contract with just one click.
New contracts are released every week and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Payment is deposited directly in their bank account within 7 days of completing the workweek.
This program not only streamlines the business of running a trucking company — it minimizes risk. It gives carriers a commitment for future work with competitive rates, so carriers can rest easy, knowing that they will have enough business for the duration of the contract.
For more information about Relay, including how to sign up as a carrier, please visit https://relay.amazon.com/