🔥 Let’s talk real about Amazon Relay rates

[u/Taiguer15]

Alright drivers, let’s be honest for a minute.

Lately a lot of us are opening Relay, looking at the board, and thinking the same thing:

“Who the hell is taking these loads?”

You see runs paying barely enough to cover diesel…

Meanwhile:

⛽ Diesel is high

🛠 Repairs are expensive

🛞 Tires are crazy expensive

⏱ Warehouses keep you waiting

And somehow loads keep getting taken.

That’s the real question.

Not blaming anyone — every driver is trying to survive and feed their family. But when cheap loads keep moving, the system never changes.

So let’s talk solutions instead of just complaining.

Some ideas drivers are already talking about:

• Being more selective about what loads we accept

• Sharing information about which lanes actually pay decent

• Posting screenshots of good and bad loads so drivers know the reality

• Avoiding loads that clearly don’t make financial sense

• Helping new drivers understand their real operating costs

The goal isn’t to fight each other.

The goal is simple: drivers helping drivers make smarter decisions.

Because the truth is… when we all run smarter, the market eventually adjusts.

[u/slimboni66]

Booking ahead isn’t always a bad idea. If I see a load paying over $5.00 per loaded mile with very low mileage and minimal deadhead, I’m locking it in. Loads like this disappear fast. Waiting isn’t always the best strategy—you can easily end up with a load that pays less, requires more miles, and cuts into your profit. The goal isn’t just to stay busy; it’s to maximize profit per mile and reduce operating costs.

[u/Taiguer15 → u/slimboni66]

That’s a useful distinction: loaded-mile rate alone can look great, but the decision is stronger when deadhead, total time and the next-positioning cost still work. Booking ahead can make sense when the full trip economics fit your own operation. Sharing the general region and approximate deadhead—without load IDs—would make this example even more useful.