Get loads
How to get box truck contracts and direct shipper freight
Updated
Steady box truck work comes from Amazon Relay and from local shippers that hire carriers without a broker. Relay takes 16-foot and 26-foot box trucks with a working tuck-under liftgate once your authority is 180 days old. A direct shipper sets its own terms, so you negotiate the rate, the insurance and when you get paid.
At a glance
- Amazon Relay authority age
- 180 days of active interstate authority
- Relay box trucks
- 16-foot or 26-foot with a working tuck-under liftgate
- Relay insurance
- $1 million auto including $50,000 trailer replacement, $100,000 cargo, $1 million general liability per occurrence ($2 million aggregate)
- Relay pay
- Weekly, paid the Friday after each Sunday to Saturday cycle
- Cost to join Relay
- No subscription fee
Amazon Relay box truck loads
Amazon Relay is Amazon's load program for carriers it approves. Joining has no subscription fee, and these are its published requirements as of October 2026.
| Requirement | Relay's rule |
|---|---|
| Authority | USDOT number with interstate authority active at least 180 days, a valid MC and authority to haul property for hire |
| Box trucks | 26-foot or 16-foot, with a working tuck-under liftgate |
| Auto liability | $1 million per occurrence, including $50,000 trailer replacement coverage |
| Cargo | $100,000 |
| General liability | $1 million per occurrence, $2 million in total |
| Workers' comp | Required where you operate, plus $100,000 employer's liability |
| Safety rating | Satisfactory, None or Not Rated |
| Safety scores | Unsafe Driving and Hours of Service under 60%. Vehicle Maintenance, Driver Fitness and Controlled Substances/Alcohol under 75% |
| Inspection violations | Driver violation rate of 35% or less. Vehicle rate of 50% or less |
| Pay | Weekly. Loads completed before 11:59 p.m. Saturday are paid the following Friday |
You can apply before day 180, but you can't haul Relay loads until you get there. Approved drivers also go through identity verification and a background check. The full rules are on the Amazon Relay page.
While you wait out the 180 days, some brokers publish much shorter waits. They're listed in how to get loads with new authority.
Finding shippers that hire directly
Two habits help you find them:
- Call the shippers and equipment dealers near your base that move the kind of freight your truck hauls.
- Plan the load home before you take the load out.
What changes when you haul direct
| Broker load | Direct shipper load | |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance | The broker's published rules, most often $1 million liability and $100,000 cargo | Whatever the shipper asks for, on top of the federal minimum |
| Who you bill | The broker | The shipper, on your own invoice |
| When you're paid | The broker's terms, 3 business days to 35 days on published pages | Whatever you negotiate |
| Credit check | Broker credit scores on load boards and at factoring companies | You check the shipper yourself |
| Authority | Your MC | Your MC for freight that crosses state lines |
Federal rules require $750,000 in liability for general freight in trucks rated 10,001 pounds or more, and $300,000 when every vehicle in your fleet is lighter. A shipper's cargo ask is its own call, since federal rules set no cargo minimum for general freight. Hauling another company's freight across state lines for pay still requires your own operating authority in most cases.
Get the paperwork right from the first load. Brokers' own pay terms list what proves the job: your invoice, the bill of lading (BOL) and proof of delivery (POD).
Ask a direct shipper to sign the same papers. If you factor, ask your factoring company before the first load whether it will buy that shipper's invoices.
Compare with a broker load. Pick a broker or program and your truck to see its published requirements and the federal rules for your equipment. What does this load need
Load boards that list box truck freight
- DAT and 123Loadboard publish equipment codes for small trucks.
- Truckstop's straight van filter covers box trucks.
- Load Work and Sylectus are built around cargo vans and box or straight trucks, and Sylectus is a carrier-to-carrier expedite network.
- Direct Freight's search has box truck and cargo van filters, and it doesn't require an MC number.
See box truck loads and hotshot loads for more.
Check Relay against your MC. The load-ready check reads your authority date and insurance and shows whether Relay will take you now or when you reach 180 days. Load-ready check
Frequently asked questions
How do box truck owners get contracts with Amazon?
Amazon Relay takes 26-foot or 16-foot box trucks with a working tuck-under liftgate once your interstate authority has been active at least 180 days. You can apply before day 180, but you can't haul Relay loads until you get there.
What insurance does Amazon Relay require for box trucks?
Relay asks for $1 million in auto liability per occurrence with $50,000 trailer replacement coverage, $100,000 cargo and $1 million general liability per occurrence with $2 million in total. It also requires workers' comp where you operate, plus $100,000 employer's liability.
How does Amazon Relay pay?
Weekly, with loads completed before 11:59 p.m. Saturday paid the following Friday.
Do I need my own MC to haul for a direct shipper?
Yes, for freight that crosses state lines. Hauling another company's freight across state lines for pay still requires your own operating authority in most cases.