Amazon Freight for Sellers: What Amazon’s Own LTL/FTL Brokerage Is, and How It Differs From the Partner Carrier Program
Amazon Freight and the Amazon Partner Carrier program (PCP) are not the same thing, and Amazon’s own help content spells out the boundary in one FAQ answer rather than leaving it implied. In Amazon’s words: “The Amazon Partner Carrier program (PCP) is located in Seller Central and offers domestic shipping options (SPD, LTL, FTL, and IM) for inventory sent to the Amazon network. In addition to the network of trailers from our 25+ partner carriers, we use 60,000+ Amazon-owned (Amazon Freight) trailers and 20,000+ intermodal containers to move your freight throughout the US. You can only take advantage of Amazon Freight LTL when you book with PCP in Seller Central. Amazon Freight is located in its own portal, Relay for Shippers, and offers an FTL inbound shipping option for Amazon sellers, in addition to non-Amazon destinations within the lower 48 contiguous US states” (data checked 2026-09-16, sell.amazon.com/programs/partner-carrier).
In short: Amazon Freight is the asset-backed brokerage that owns the trailers; PCP is the Seller Central program that books freight for FBA/MCF/AWD inventory, using Amazon Freight’s trailers among others. This guide unpacks both sides of that sentence — what Amazon Freight is on its own, what PCP is, where the two overlap, and where they don’t.
This is not the guide for import logistics. If your freight is coming from an overseas factory through customs, that’s a licensed freight forwarder’s job, covered separately in Amazon FBA freight forwarders. Amazon Freight and PCP both operate domestically, moving already-cleared freight to and from US destinations.
What Amazon Freight Actually Is
Amazon Freight is a standalone brokerage business, not a seller benefit bundled into FBA. Its own FAQ states: “Amazon Freight is a connection point for businesses to move freight via the Amazon transportation network,” and separately, “Amazon Freight is an asset-backed freight broker licensed under MC-826094 (US DOT: 2881058)” (data checked 2026-09-16, freight.amazon.com). The site’s footer names the legal entity behind that license: “Amazon Freight is offered by Amazon Logistics, Inc., a freight broker licensed under MC826094.”
Three things follow from that positioning:
- It is not seller-exclusive. Amazon Freight markets to businesses broadly, not just Amazon sellers — its LTL announcement banner puts it as being open to “shippers of any size.” Its own differentiator line reads: “Amazon Freight was built by a shipper, for shippers” (checked 2026-09-16). You do not need an Amazon Seller Central account, FBA enrollment, or even to sell on Amazon to open an Amazon Freight shipper account.
- It ships to more than Amazon facilities. The FAQ is explicit that Amazon Freight’s core services run “both inbound to Amazon facilities and to third-party destinations” (checked 2026-09-16).
- The scale numbers are large and self-reported. Amazon Freight states access to “80,000+ trailers,” “24,000+ intermodal containers,” and a network of “50,000+ vetted carriers” (checked 2026-09-16, freight.amazon.com). These are Amazon’s own figures, not third-party audited counts.
You reach Amazon Freight through its own sign-up flow — “Create Shipper Account” — and its own operating portal, which the Partner Carrier FAQ names as Relay for Shippers, separate from Seller Central.
What the Partner Carrier Program Actually Is
PCP lives inside the seller’s world, not the general shipper’s world. Amazon’s program page defines it this way: “The Amazon Partner Carrier program (PCP) provides seamless and scalable domestic inbound shipping services to sellers sending inventory into Amazon’s US fulfillment and distribution networks. It’s part of a fully automated set of services we call Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS)” (data checked 2026-09-16, sell.amazon.com/programs/partner-carrier). For the full menu that ASCS umbrella covers beyond freight — storage, replenishment, multichannel fulfillment — see Supply Chain by Amazon rather than this guide re-deriving it.
PCP is not one carrier — it’s a booking layer over several:
- Eligibility: “available to all Amazon sellers who use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), Multichannel Fulfillment (MCF), and Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD)” shipping within the 48 contiguous US states (checked 2026-09-16).
- Modes covered: small parcel deliveries (SPD), less-than-truckload (LTL), full-truckload (FTL), and intermodal (IM) shipments.
- Where it lives: entirely inside the Send to Amazon and Send to Amazon Warehousing and Distribution workflows in Seller Central — “select a partner carrier in step 2 (SPD) or step 4 (LTL, FTL, and IM).”
- Who actually hauls the freight: “our 25+ partner carriers” plus Amazon’s own Amazon Freight trailers and intermodal containers (checked 2026-09-16).
Amazon’s own stated benefit — sourced to its own program page, not a third party — is that “shipping costs through PCP are up to 25% lower compared to alternatives,” with the page’s own footnote attributing the figure to “Amazon internal data” rather than an independent study (checked 2026-09-16). Treat the percentage as Amazon’s self-reported comparison, not an audited benchmark.
Where They Overlap, and Where They Don’t
The two programs share equipment but not an entry point. The table below is built entirely from the two official FAQs above (checked 2026-09-16):
| Amazon Freight | Partner Carrier Program (PCP) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Amazon’s own asset-backed freight brokerage | Seller Central’s booking layer for inbound freight |
| Entry point | Relay for Shippers (own portal, own sign-up) | Send to Amazon / Send to AWD workflows in Seller Central |
| Who can use it | Any business — no Amazon selling account required | FBA, MCF, and AWD sellers, 48 contiguous states only |
| Modes | FTL, LTL, Intermodal | SPD, LTL, FTL, Intermodal |
| Destinations | Amazon facilities and third-party / shipper facilities | Amazon’s fulfillment and distribution network only |
| Carriers used | Amazon’s own 80,000+ trailers, 50,000+ vetted carriers | PCP’s 25+ partner carriers plus Amazon Freight’s trailers |
| Legal structure | Licensed freight broker (Amazon Logistics, Inc., MC-826094) | A program/booking feature, not a separate legal carrier |
The one sentence that actually resolves the “are they the same thing” question is the constraint Amazon states on LTL specifically: “You can only take advantage of Amazon Freight LTL when you book with PCP in Seller Central.” That means for an Amazon seller shipping palletized LTL freight into an Amazon facility, Amazon Freight’s LTL capacity is accessed through PCP — you don’t book it directly on Relay for Shippers for that use case. FTL is different: the PCP FAQ confirms Amazon Freight “offers an FTL inbound shipping option for Amazon sellers” through its own portal, in addition to non-Amazon destinations — the same FAQ answer that lists all three Amazon Freight modes also says they run “both inbound to Amazon facilities and to third-party destinations.” So a seller has a real choice on FTL that they do not have on LTL.
Amazon Freight’s Three Services, in Plain Terms
Amazon Freight’s own services page breaks its offering into three modes (checked 2026-09-16, freight.amazon.com/services):
| Service | Amazon’s description (verbatim) |
|---|---|
| Full Truckload (FTL) | “80,000+ GPS-tracked trailers and a vast carrier network help provide reliable, on-time delivery and trusted capacity… flexible options, no long-term commitments, and steady contract or dynamic pricing” |
| Less-than-Truckload (LTL) | “Maximize efficiency and reduce costs with our trailers and strategically located terminals… consistent service and coast-to-coast coverage” |
| Intermodal (IMDL) | “Leverage our fleet of 24,000+ owned containers and rail partnerships… We’ll handle the drayage legs for you” |
Two pricing paths exist, and which one you get depends on volume rather than anything you choose: “Small and medium businesses: Create an account for instant quotes and transparent lane pricing. Enterprise shippers: Connect with the sales team for customized pricing based on volume and requirements” (checked 2026-09-16). Neither path publishes a rate card — you need a shipper account or a sales conversation to see numbers, and none of this guide’s sources include one.
Amazon Freight also runs a spot-pricing option layered onto the same three modes, aimed at shippers who need capacity without a contract commitment: “Spot helps small shippers get competitive rates and large shippers add capacity quickly and easily to contract routes,” with an API for shippers running their own TMS to pull real-time rates and execute tendering, tracking, and invoicing (checked 2026-09-16, freight.amazon.com/services).
When You’d Use Amazon Freight Directly Instead of PCP
Most FBA/MCF/AWD sellers never touch Relay for Shippers — PCP inside Seller Central is the simpler path, and it already taps Amazon Freight’s trailers for LTL without you managing a second account. Amazon Freight’s own portal becomes relevant in narrower cases:
- You ship to non-Amazon destinations too. PCP only moves freight into Amazon’s own network. If the same truck (or the same relationship) also needs to reach a wholesale customer, a 3PL, or your own warehouse, Amazon Freight’s third-party-destination FTL is the only one of the two that covers that lane.
- You need FTL and want to compare it against PCP directly, since — unlike LTL — Amazon Freight’s own portal can book FTL to an Amazon facility as an alternative to going through Seller Central.
- You are not an Amazon seller at all, or your freight volume and relationship with Amazon Freight predates or sits outside your Amazon selling account. PCP requires FBA, MCF, or AWD enrollment; Amazon Freight does not.
- You want direct access to Amazon Freight’s spot-pricing API for a TMS integration, which is a Relay for Shippers feature, not a Seller Central one.
If none of those apply — you’re an FBA seller shipping palletized freight only into Amazon’s own fulfillment network — PCP through Seller Central is the intended path, and Amazon Freight’s trailers are already inside it for LTL.
Not to Be Confused With: Freight Forwarders
“Freight” in an Amazon-seller context gets used for two entirely different jobs, and Amazon Freight is only one of them:
- Amazon Freight and PCP move freight domestically, inside the US, after your goods have already cleared customs (if they were ever imported at all).
- Freight forwarders — the subject of Amazon FBA freight forwarders — handle the opposite end: ocean or air booking from an overseas factory, export and import customs clearance, and the FMC-licensed paperwork (bills of lading, Incoterms, importer of record) that gets a container out of a foreign port and into the US at all.
A shipment can touch both in sequence: a freight forwarder clears your container at a US port and trucks it to a domestic warehouse or 3PL, and from there Amazon Freight or PCP can move it the rest of the way into an Amazon facility. Neither program replaces the other; they sit on different legs of the same supply chain.
For the general Amazon-run logistics stack both programs sit inside — storage, replenishment, and the inbound booking rules that govern when you versus Amazon schedules the delivery appointment — see Supply Chain by Amazon and Amazon Carrier Central; this guide does not re-cover either.
Getting Started With Each
Through PCP (Seller Central, for FBA/MCF/AWD sellers):
- Log in to Seller Central with an active FBA, MCF, or AWD enrollment.
- Start a Send to Amazon (for FBA/MCF) or Send to Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (for AWD) shipment.
- Select a partner carrier at step 2 (SPD) or step 4 (LTL, FTL, IM) — Amazon Freight’s trailers are one of the options the dynamic list can surface for LTL.
- Track the shipment from the Shipping Queue (FBA/MCF) or the AWD page (checked 2026-09-16).
Through Amazon Freight directly (Relay for Shippers, any business):
- Go to freight.amazon.com and select “Create Shipper Account.”
- Enter basic business information to generate login credentials.
- Begin quoting FTL, LTL, or intermodal loads immediately for small/medium volume, or contact enterprise sales for custom pricing at higher volume.
- Book, track, and manage payment through the same self-service portal (checked 2026-09-16).
No Seller Central account is required for the second path, and no Amazon Freight account is required for the first — PCP’s LTL access to Amazon Freight’s trailers is built into the Seller Central workflow itself.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming “Amazon Freight” is just a brand name for PCP. They’re documented as distinct in Amazon’s own FAQ, with different portals, different eligibility, and different destination coverage.
- Trying to book Amazon Freight LTL directly to save a step. Amazon’s own answer says LTL specifically only comes through PCP in Seller Central for Amazon-bound freight — there’s no separate LTL-to-Amazon-facility booking flow on Relay for Shippers to shortcut into.
- Treating the “up to 25% lower” figure as an independently verified benchmark. It’s Amazon’s own footnoted internal comparison, not a third-party study — useful as a directional signal, not a number to build a P&L on.
- Confusing this with import logistics. Neither Amazon Freight nor PCP handles ocean/air booking or customs clearance; that’s the freight forwarder’s job, covered in the linked guide above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Amazon Freight the same as the Partner Carrier program?
No. Amazon’s own FAQ states they are distinct: PCP “is located in Seller Central” for Amazon-bound inventory from FBA/MCF/AWD sellers, while “Amazon Freight is located in its own portal, Relay for Shippers,” and also serves non-Amazon destinations (checked 2026-09-16).
Can I use Amazon Freight without being an Amazon seller?
Yes. Amazon Freight markets to “businesses” and “shippers of any size” generally, and account creation requires only basic business information — no FBA enrollment or Seller Central login (checked 2026-09-16).
Can I book Amazon Freight LTL directly instead of through PCP?
Not for freight going into an Amazon facility. Amazon’s own wording is explicit: “You can only take advantage of Amazon Freight LTL when you book with PCP in Seller Central” (checked 2026-09-16).
Does Amazon Freight publish its rates?
No. Small and medium shippers get “instant quotes and transparent lane pricing” only after creating an account; enterprise shippers are quoted through a sales conversation. No public rate card exists on the pages checked for this guide (checked 2026-09-16).
What license does Amazon Freight operate under?
Amazon’s own FAQ states: “Amazon Freight is an asset-backed freight broker licensed under MC-826094 (US DOT: 2881058),” offered through the entity Amazon Logistics, Inc. (checked 2026-09-16).
Conclusion
Amazon Freight and the Partner Carrier program are related but not interchangeable, and Amazon has documented the boundary itself rather than leaving sellers to guess: PCP is the Seller Central booking layer for FBA/MCF/AWD inventory, and for LTL it is the only way to reach Amazon Freight’s trailers when the destination is an Amazon facility. Amazon Freight is the broader, standalone brokerage underneath it — open to any shipper, covering FTL, LTL, and intermodal, and reachable directly through Relay for Shippers for FTL and non-Amazon freight. Most FBA sellers only ever need the PCP side. The direct Amazon Freight portal earns its place when your freight needs go beyond Amazon’s own network.