Insurance Challenges for Fleets Running Amazon Relay Loads

Key takeaway: Amazon Relay insurance challenges usually come from the gap between platform minimums and real-world exposure. Amazon Relay currently requires minimum insurance limits for general liability, auto liability with trailer replacement, cargo, workers’ compensation, and employer liability, but fleets still need to make sure their policies, FMCSA filings, trailer assumptions, cargo wording, and operating practices actually fit the work they are booking. This applies to any fleet using Relay for power-only, drop-and-hook, contracts, or spot loads.

Amazon Relay gives fleets access to freight through a load board, contracts, and power-only opportunities, and Amazon says approved trucking companies can book work across equipment types including dry vans, reefers, containers, and box trucks. That sounds straightforward on the operations side. The insurance side is where things get messy.

A fleet can meet Amazon’s onboarding minimums and still have the wrong coverage setup for how the work actually moves. That is the real issue. The exposure is not just “Do you have a policy?” It is whether your policy language, scheduled operations, trailer assumptions, claim reporting, and filings line up with a business that may be hauling Amazon trailers one day, using its own trailer the next day, and scaling Relay volume faster than the insurance carrier expected.

Why Amazon Relay work changes the insurance conversation

Amazon Relay directly tenders power-only loads, and Amazon’s own material describes power-only as work where the trucking company brings the truck and driver while the trailer is managed by the shipper. That operational model is exactly why fleets should stop thinking only about a standard auto liability policy and start asking harder questions about trailer damage, non-owned trailer assumptions, downtime, and how claims will be handled when the trailer is not theirs.

There is another layer here. Amazon promotes drop-and-hook and power-only work partly because it can reduce waiting and trailer overhead for fleets. That may be operationally attractive, but it can also make fleet owners underestimate their insurance exposure because they are not using their own trailer on every load. Less trailer ownership does not automatically mean less trailer risk.

What Amazon requires versus what a fleet actually needs

Amazon Relay’s current public pages say fleets need at least the following to carry loads for Amazon: commercial general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, auto liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence including trailer replacement coverage of $50,000, cargo coverage of at least $100,000, workers’ compensation where required, and employer liability of at least $100,000 per occurrence. Amazon also states that Relay fleets need a valid MC number and DOT number with interstate authority active for at least 180 days, though companies can apply before meeting that tenure mark.

That is the floor, not the finish line.

A fleet owner should not read those minimums and assume the program itself has solved the coverage question. Minimums are platform entry requirements. They do not answer whether your policy properly contemplates drop-and-hook work, whether trailer damage wording is broad enough, whether the cargo form matches the freight profile you are actually hauling, or whether your insurance carrier priced and approved the operation as an Amazon Relay-heavy account.

Relay minimums are a starting point

The easiest mistake is thinking “we meet Amazon’s checklist, so we are good.” In practice, a profitable Relay book of business can still run into claim friction if the policy was built around a different operating model.

Examples:

• A fleet starts with occasional Relay loads, then quickly shifts a large share of revenue to power-only work.
• A fleet uses Amazon trailers on some lanes and its own trailers on others.
• A fleet adds drivers fast to cover blocks or short-term contract volume.
• A fleet changes operating radius, domicile patterns, or night driving mix without updating underwriting.

None of those changes automatically mean a claim will be denied. They do mean the insurance carrier has more reason to ask questions after a loss.

FMCSA filings still have to match your operation

FMCSA says insurance filing requirements depend on the entity type, operating authority, cargo type, and vehicle type, and once operating authority is granted, regulated entities must keep proof of insurance on file to avoid revocation proceedings. FMCSA also says fleets should not send insurance certificates directly to the agency. The insurance company must submit filings online.

That matters for Relay fleets because onboarding and policy compliance are not the same as FMCSA filing compliance. If your authority, commodity profile, or filing status is out of sync, you can create a regulatory problem before you even get to the claim problem.

FMCSA also states that the MCS-90 is a federally required endorsement for certain public liability obligations under 49 CFR § 387.15. But MCS-90 is not the same thing as saying every loss is fully covered the way a fleet owner expects. It is part of a financial responsibility framework, not a substitute for understanding policy terms, exclusions, or operational fit.

Where trailer and cargo exposure usually shows up

Amazon Relay freight often looks simple because loads are easy to find and book, and Amazon highlights thousands of available loads and multiple equipment categories. The exposure gets more complicated after dispatch.

Power-only and drop-and-hook can create blind spots

Amazon publicly markets power-only and drop-and-hook opportunities. That means a lot of Relay fleets are not just hauling freight. They are also assuming custody of someone else’s trailer for part of the trip.

The practical insurance questions are simple:

• What exactly responds if the Amazon trailer is damaged?
• Is the policy relying only on the platform’s minimum trailer replacement requirement?
• Does the insurance carrier understand how often the fleet is moving non-owned trailers?
• Is there any mismatch between scheduled units, hired or non-owned assumptions, and actual dispatch practice?

Amazon’s public minimum includes trailer replacement coverage of $50,000. That is helpful, but a fleet owner should still ask whether that amount and wording are enough for the trailer exposure being assumed in the real world.

Trailer-required contract work creates a different issue. Amazon has also published that some trailer-required contracts are available only to fleets that meet performance and asset-count requirements. If a fleet moves from occasional Relay power-only work into more structured contract work, its insurance setup may need to be revisited because the asset mix and trailer responsibilities may change.

Cargo disputes can turn into coverage disputes

Amazon’s public minimum cargo requirement is at least $100,000. That does not mean every cargo claim becomes easy.

Cargo disputes usually get ugly when there is disagreement about one of four things:

• when the trucking company took possession
• whether the loss was theft, shortage, temperature, contamination, or delay related
• whether seals, handoff records, photos, and check-in data support the story
• whether the policy wording and endorsements match the type of loss being alleged

Relay work can be operationally fast. That speed is great until a claim file is built around weak documentation. Fleets that run heavy drop-and-hook volume should assume documentation discipline matters more, not less.

Why fast growth can make insurance carriers nervous

Amazon says trucking businesses of many sizes can use Relay if they meet safety, insurance, and other qualifications. That accessibility is one reason some fleets grow fast on the platform. Fast growth is good for revenue and dangerous for sloppy insurance management.

Driver turnover and fleet changes

A fleet that rapidly adds trucks or drivers to chase Relay contracts can outgrow the assumptions behind its current policy. Underwriters care about driver quality, loss history, operating radius, equipment type, and operational controls. A fleet owner should assume those questions get sharper after growth, not softer.

That is especially true if the operation changes from mostly bring-your-own-trailer work to heavy power-only or from regional lanes to broader Relay network activity.

Subcontracting and borrowed equipment

This is one of the biggest blind spots in trucking insurance generally, and it gets worse when dispatch demand is strong.

If your fleet cannot cover a load and uses another trucking company, borrowed power, or outside drivers, do not assume the original policy structure automatically protects you the way you think it does. This is where additional insured language, contractual indemnity, contingent exposure, and certificate collection can become a mess in a hurry.

The safer view is simple: every time the actual operator, driver, tractor, or trailer differs from the account your insurance carrier priced, you should slow down and confirm the coverage chain before the claim happens.

What to review before you scale Amazon Relay freight

A fleet owner does not need a 20-page legal memo before booking more Relay loads. But you do need a real checklist.

Policy checklist

Review these items with your agent before increasing Relay volume:

• Auto liability limits and any operational restrictions
• Trailer damage or trailer replacement wording
• Non-owned trailer assumptions
• Motor truck cargo wording, exclusions, and sublimits
• Driver eligibility rules
• Radius and territory assumptions
• Hired and non-owned auto exposure, where relevant
• Any mismatch between submitted underwriting information and current Relay operations
• Whether the insurance carrier knows how much of the book is now tied to Amazon Relay

Contract and operations checklist

Review these items internally:

• Who inspects trailers at pickup and drop
• What photo, seal, and exception procedures drivers follow
• How shortages, damage, and temperature issues are documented
• Whether claims are reported immediately and consistently
• Whether any subcontracting is allowed and under what controls
• Whether your FMCSA filing status and authority records are current
• Whether your dispatch team understands when a cheap load becomes an expensive insurance decision

FMCSA’s registration and insurance pages are still the authority to check when filing or authority questions come up, and Amazon’s current Relay FAQ and onboarding pages are the right place to verify current platform requirements before you rely on an old screenshot or secondhand advice.

The bottom line is blunt. Amazon Relay can be a strong revenue channel, but it also compresses a lot of insurance risk into work that looks routine. If your fleet is booking Relay freight regularly, the question is not whether you have insurance. The question is whether your insurance actually matches the way the work moves.

If your fleet is booking more Amazon Relay work, now is the right time to review trailer exposure, cargo wording, FMCSA filing status, and how your current policy matches the way your operation really runs. Valley Trucking Insurance can help you pressure-test those exposures and tighten the coverage before a routine Relay load turns into a preventable claim problem.

FAQ

What are Amazon Relay’s current minimum insurance requirements?
Amazon’s public pages currently list minimums for commercial general liability, auto liability including $50,000 trailer replacement, cargo, workers’ compensation, and employer liability. Verify current requirements on Amazon’s live FAQ or get-started page before relying on old onboarding notes.

Does meeting Amazon’s minimums mean my fleet is fully protected?
No. Platform minimums are onboarding requirements, not proof that your policy wording and operations are aligned.

Why is power-only work an insurance issue?
Because the trucking company is responsible for the truck and driver while moving a trailer it may not own. That creates extra trailer and claim-handling questions.

What does MCS-90 do for a Relay fleet?
MCS-90 is a federal public liability endorsement under FMCSA rules. It is important, but it is not the whole coverage conversation.

Can a fleet send its own insurance certificate directly to FMCSA?
No. FMCSA says the insurance company should submit the filing online.

Why can cargo claims still become a problem if I have cargo coverage?
Because disputes often turn on possession, documentation, type of loss, and policy wording, not just whether a cargo limit exists.

Does Amazon Relay require DOT or MC tenure?
Amazon says fleets need a valid MC number and interstate DOT authority that has been active for at least 180 days to haul with Relay, though you can apply earlier.

When should a fleet review coverage if it is scaling Relay loads?
Before the growth, not after the first large claim. Review the account whenever trailer use, driver count, geography, subcontracting, or Relay revenue mix changes.

Reviewed by Cameron Pechia, Agency Partner, WA Insurance License 71186
Last reviewed: 03/13/2026