Amazon Relay insurance requirements: limits and cost

Amazon Relay’s insurance minimums

Amazon lists the same minimums on its application page, its FAQ and its insurance guide. Every line must be in force and shown on a certificate before you can haul.

Who can haul for Relay

Relay is for carriers with their own authority. Amazon requires a DOT number with interstate authority active for at least 180 days, a valid MC number, carrier status for property and for hire, and a safety rating of Satisfactory, None or Not Rated. You can apply before day 180, but you cannot haul until you reach it.

Equipment matters too. Amazon accepts day cab and sleeper tractors and 16-foot and 26-foot box trucks with a working tuck-under lift gate. Cargo vans and Sprinters are not on the list.

The $50,000 trailer line applies when you pull Amazon’s trailers. Amazon’s guide ties it to running a semi, and The McClure Agency says non-owned trailer physical damage coverage can satisfy it as well as trailer interchange.

How Relay compares with the federal minimum

Amazon asks for more than FMCSA. Federal rules require $750,000 in liability for for-hire carriers of general freight in vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more, and require cargo coverage only from household goods carriers under 49 CFR 387.303. General liability is not a federal requirement at all. If your policy was written to the federal minimum when you got your authority, you will need to raise the auto limit and add cargo and general liability before Relay will approve you.

Workers’ comp and employer’s liability

Amazon’s FAQ lists workers’ compensation in every jurisdiction where your company operates, and its insurance guide clarifies that companies with W-2 employees need coverage meeting state guidelines plus $100,000 in employer’s liability per occurrence.

For an owner-operator with no employees, the answer depends on your state’s workers’ comp law. The McClure Agency says Amazon defers to state rules and that exempt carriers can often show a state exemption or waiver instead of buying a policy. Check your state workers’ comp agency before you buy or skip it.

How Amazon checks your insurance

You enter your insurance details when you apply, and Amazon’s third-party vendor collects the certificate directly from your agent, broker or insurer. Amazon asks you to add renewal details in the Insurance tab at least 5 days before a policy ends and recommends renewing two to three weeks early so RMIS can update its records. If coverage lapses, you cannot book or haul Relay loads until it is reinstated.

Trucking Insurance Services says the certificate holder should be RMIS, not Amazon Relay, and that most rejections come from three problems:

• A coverage or limit below Amazon’s minimums.
• A certificate made out to the wrong holder.
• A required coverage cancelled or removed after approval.

What Relay-compliant insurance costs

Amazon’s own guide estimates the full package costs newer carriers $12,000 to $18,000 a year and experienced carriers with clean records $8,000 to $14,000. Agency figures for single trucks fall in a similar range.

How to meet the requirements without overpaying

Most savings come from buying exactly the coverage Amazon checks and keeping your record clean:

• Quote the full Relay package at once, so the auto, cargo and general liability limits match Amazon’s list from day one.
• Ask whether non-owned trailer physical damage is cheaper than trailer interchange if you run power-only.
• Confirm your state’s workers’ comp rule before buying a policy you may not need, or before skipping one you do.
• Do not drop a required coverage to save money after approval; Trucking Insurance Services says RMIS flags it at the next certificate check.
• Use dash cams and telematics. Amazon says insurers often discount them, and Relay pays bonuses for collision-free miles with approved dash cams.
• Compare quotes. Amazon offers onboarded carriers quotes through McGriff Insurance, and a broker such as Florin can compare options from several insurers.