Freight bidding (Amazon Relay’s auctions)

Are you ready to take control of your freight rates? With Amazon Relay’s freight bidding, you can secure 3-6 months of one-way contract work through auctions that give you a great opportunity for consistent backhauls. These open auctions provide full visibility into the leading bid, so you always know where your company stands on the loads you want.

How to Get Started with Freight Bidding on Amazon Relay

Freight bidding allows your company to place bids on one-way, dedicated lanes that match your preferred date ranges and regions. Follow these steps to participate:

Freight Bidding Requirements

While contract-specific requirements may vary (such as the number of trailers or drivers needed), these are the basic steps to access Amazon’s freight auctions:

1. Complete onboarding to Relay and take the 15-minute auctions training in the carrier portal.
2. Maintain a qualifying performance score. Relay carriers need a minimum grade of C+ for general freight bidding, a B grade for reefer work, and a B+ for some box truck loads.
3. Verify your equipment. Ensure your account lists at least 4 power units or 1 box truck, aligned with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration records.
4. Establish a trailer pool. For example, if bidding on a contract requiring 2 trailers per day, you’ll need 3 trailers on-site to meet Amazon’s requirements. Trailers must be serviced according to industry standards and dropped 24 hours before their scheduled pick-up time.

Types of Freight Auctions Available

Amazon Relay offers multiple freight auction options to meet different needs. Here’s what you can bid on:

• Reefer Auctions: Contracts for grocery freight requiring 53’, 48’, 26’, or 27’ reefer trucks or box trucks.
• Domicile-Based Auctions: Lanes between specific domiciles (greater city areas). In cases of cancellations, alternative lanes may be offered within the same domiciles.

The Freight Bidding Process

Amazon Relay’s freight bidding platform is straightforward and transparent. Here’s how it works:

1. View all available freight auctions. Using filters can help, but reviewing all options ensures you find the best fit for your operation.
2. Place your bid. Submit your standard base rate without including accessorial charges (fuel and tolls). These are paid after load completion.
3. Bid responsibly. You’ll need to commit to hauling the full volume of loads you bid on. For instance, if you bid on 49 weekly loads, ensure your fleet can cover all of them. Overcommitting can lead to contract termination or suspension from future auctions.

Monitoring and Managing Freight Bids

Once you’ve placed a freight bid, you’ll gain access to additional auction details such as:

• Leading Bid Information: View the leading price, the number of competing bids, and how your bid compares.
• Editing Your Bid: If your bid isn’t leading, you can increase your price or withdraw. However, you are limited to two withdrawals per auction.
• Winning the Auction: If your freight bid leads at the auction’s close, your company is awarded the lane. In case of tied bids, performance scores determine the winner.

Finalizing the Freight Contract

After winning an auction, you’ll receive an email to accept or reject the contract. Once accepted, loads are tendered weekly for the contract duration. However, frequent rejections of awarded contracts may result in losing access to future freight bidding opportunities.