Amazon Relay vs FreightLink

Amazon Relay is a free freight marketplace where carriers can find spot loads and contracts. Its load board supports one-off load searches and bookings, alongside Post A Truck matching, lane auctions, and single- or multi-week round-trip contracts. Before accepting a load, carriers can see the base rate, fuel surcharge, and toll charges. Completed work is paid weekly: loads completed by Saturday at 23:59 are paid the following Friday. The web portal and Android and iOS apps provide access; drivers can view schedules and load history, inspect assets, follow load instructions, and report issues in the app. Truck-friendly routes account for truck and trailer type, road restrictions, and changing traffic. Drivers can request trip support through Relay Assistant, an AI-generated chat tool. Active carriers may also access discounts on services and equipment, including eligible Samsara dash cams. Carrier eligibility generally includes interstate DOT authority active for at least 180 days, a valid MC number, qualifying safety metrics, and required insurance. Completed applications are typically approved or rejected within one to three weeks, according to Amazon.

FreightLink is a loadboard connecting freight industry participants through a vetted, U.S.-only network. Its marketplace focuses on last-mile and hotshot freight, including sprinter vans, box trucks, and hotshot flatbeds. Brokers, carriers, dispatchers, and shippers are vetted before joining; the company says its compliance team manually checks carrier identity and documents such as licenses, operating authority, insurance, vehicle photos, and inspections. Users can search and book loads, receive load alerts, and generate bills of lading, rate confirmations, and invoices. FreightLink says it monitors its Fair Play Standards and offers dispute resolution. Integration models include live TMS load-push, approved broker TMS, and load search and booking. API access requires an approved Integration Partner application. Partners cannot permanently delete loads, and outbound event delivery is not deployed, so the documentation directs them to poll load endpoints for status. Membership is listed at free for approved members. A future subscription is listed at $49.99 a month but is not yet in effect.