Overview

Amazon has extended its internal freight service to Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) sellers, allowing them to schedule less‑than‑truckload (LTL) shipments straight to Amazon fulfillment centers. The change went live in early 2024 and gives sellers a single platform for inventory movement, carrier capacity, and order fulfillment. Sellers who regularly ship palletized stock should pay attention because the new option can tighten replenishment cycles and lower freight‑related overhead.

Key Points

• Live‑load model — Drivers wait while pallets are loaded at the seller’s dock and then drive directly to the fulfillment center, cutting idle time by up to 30 % compared with drop‑trailer drops.
• Integrated booking portal — All shipment creation, tracking, and documentation are handled inside Seller Central, eliminating the need for separate freight‑broker phone calls or PDFs.
• Amazon‑backed rates — Preliminary lane pricing in the Midwest shows average LTL costs 12 % lower than the same routes quoted by major third‑party carriers.
• Dedicated account manager — Enrolled sellers receive a single point of contact who can approve loads, adjust routing, and resolve exceptions within 24 hours.
• 24/7 support line — The freight team offers round‑the‑clock assistance, which is critical for time‑sensitive restocks during peak seasons such as Prime Day.
• Eligibility threshold — Sellers must ship a minimum of 5 pallets per month to qualify, a level that matches the volume of most midsize FBA businesses.

How Amazon Freight Works

1. Create an LTL load — In Seller Central, the seller selects “Amazon Freight” as the carrier, enters pallet dimensions, weight, and the target fulfillment center (e.g., PHX6). The system instantly generates a quote; for a 4‑pallet load from Dallas to Phoenix, the quoted price is $1,850, compared with $2,100 from a traditional broker.
2. Schedule live loading — The seller picks a pickup window; an Amazon‑partner driver arrives at the seller’s dock at the agreed time and remains until the pallets are secured. For a manufacturer in Chicago, the driver waited 45 minutes while a 6‑pallet order was loaded, then departed without returning for a later drop‑off.