Building trucking companies without buying tractors

The Amazon Freight Partner program offers an innovative entry point into the world of trucking. Partners in the program can run their own companies hauling Amazon freight without purchasing tractors upfront or dealing with fuel costs. The program also opens a world of new opportunities for drivers.

Natasha Sanders, senior business coach for the Amazon Freight Partner program laid out how it all works during a recent appearance on The Long Haul podcast.

Not your typical owner-operator setup

Traditionally, starting a trucking company requires a significant upfront investment. Business owners face barriers to entry such as high equipment costs, unpredictable fuel expenditure, and inconsistent freight availability. This creates a difficult environment for even the most motivated entrepreneurs.

The Amazon Freight Partner program seeks to bring talented leaders into the industry by eliminating those common barriers to entry. The program targets aspiring business owners who want to run trucking companies, regardless of their previous experience in the logistics industry.

Perhaps the most unique aspect of the Amazon Freight Partner program is the financial structure. Amazon provides consistent weekly work which is a rarity in the transportation industry.

That predictability helps small business owners manage cash flow and plan growth without the volatility that typically affects trucking operations during freight downturns.

The program removes the capital-intensive aspects of starting a trucking company.

Partners access a fleet of Amazon-branded trucks with no up-front down payment. Amazon provides partners with consistent weekly work, fixed weekly rates, and program business longevity, along with covering the fuel and toll costs.

No industry experience required

One of the program’s most striking features is that trucking experience isn’t mandatory.

Currently, Sanders supports roughly 20 Amazon Freight Partners across Tennessee, Georgia, and North and South Carolina. Sanders shared the example of a former nurse manager with zero transportation background who now runs 19 trucks out of Atlanta. She is one of Sanders’ top-performing partners.

“She managed nurses,” Sanders said. “No trucking background. No trucking experience at all.”

Amazon provides a 12-week training program for new partners, and Sanders emphasized the company looks for leaders with business acumen rather than specific industry credentials. The selection process is rigorous, but the bar isn’t previous trucking experience.

When asked what separates high performers from struggling partners, Sanders didn’t hesitate.

“A business owner that does well is a business owner who is hands on,” she said. “We’re looking for those leaders who have the grit and fit.”

Every Amazon Freight Partner gets assigned a business coach, which is a key differentiator from typical industry arrangements. Sanders’ has frequent conversations with partners to cover performance metrics, safety, compliance, recruiting strategies, and on-time rates.

“Things change like the weather,” Sanders noted. “And so I’m making sure they are up to date from a compliance standpoint and safety standpoint, which is our number one priority.”

The coaching relationship provides guardrails for new business owners navigating an unfamiliar industry while trying to scale operations.

Better jobs for drivers

Drivers working for Amazon Freight Partners are W-2 employees of these small businesses. That employment structure creates opportunities for benefits that are uncommon in trucking.

“They are receiving healthcare benefits and they’re receiving paid time off, which is unlike the overall industry standard,” Sanders said.

Some partners go further, offering childcare benefits, 401(k) programs, and mental health support. The hiring model also differs from typical trucking operations.

That means drivers can find roles matching their preferences, whether that’s 37-hour blocks for longer hauls, 13-hour routes for shorter trips, or overnight-only positions. Most partners offer both regional and local work.

Getting involved with Amazon Freight Partner

The Amazon Freight Partner program represents an unconventional path into trucking ownership, removing traditional capital barriers while providing infrastructure support that most small fleets can’t access independently. For drivers, it creates jobs with benefit packages that typical trucking jobs don’t offer, which provides Amazon Freight Partner drivers with stability and support through Amazon’s partnership model.

Amazon Freight Partners are actively recruiting drivers. All available positions can be found at afpjobs.amazon.com where candidates can also sign up for text alerts when new jobs are posted in their region.For entrepreneurs interested in becoming freight partners, the starting point is amazon.com/AFPFREIGHTWAVES

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