Can Amazon Relay NJ/PA Loads be Profitable? + Performance Score Calculator
- Michael Carter
- Oct 29
- 5 min read
Take a look at this map. The I-95 / I-78 corridor in Pennsylvania and New Jersey is the most saturated Amazon Relay freight zone in the United States. It's the beating heart of their entire East Coast network.
But for an owner-operator, it’s also a trap. New carriers go broke here every day. They see a board full of loads, but they also see crippling tolls, nightmare traffic, and intense competition.
So, can you actually be profitable running Amazon Relay in PA/NJ?
Why the PA/NJ Corridor Trips Up Carriers
Before we get to the solution, we have to be honest about the challenges. If you ignore these four factors, you will not be profitable. This is why most carriers fail.
Toll Trap
Driving between Amazon PA & NJ hubs involves high tolls ($30-$100+) on Turnpikes and Delaware River bridges, especially westbound into PA . Amazon's rate should cover tolls, but you must verify the exact cost for your run or risk losing profit.
Traffic Trap
PA/NJ routes like I-95, I-78, and I-76 face severe congestion, especially during rush hours (7-9 AM, 3-7 PM) . Traffic can easily double or triple travel time, slashing your Revenue-per-Hour and wasting HOS. Avoiding peak times is crucial for profit.
The CPM (Cents-Per-Mile) Trap
The biggest mistake new carriers make is chasing CPM. A short haul at $2.50/mile can earn less than a long haul at $2.00/mile. Smart carriers focus on revenue per hour, not cents per mile.
The Competition
With thousands of loads come thousands of carriers. Competition for easy freight drives spot rates down, and if you just watch the board, you’ll be stuck fighting for scraps.
The Winning NJ/PA Loads Strategies
The "Profit Killers" – tolls, traffic, and low spot rates – only defeat carriers who approach the PA/NJ corridor with the wrong mindset.
Stop thinking in Cents-per-Mile (CPM) and start calculating your Revenue-per-Hour.
You achieve this by using the map's incredible density to your advantage.
Density & The Hub-to-Hub Strategy
Understand the battlefield. The PA/NJ region is organized into dense "Hubs" or "Clusters".
Cluster Name | Region / Main Cities | Map Color | Notes |
North/Central NJ (EWR/LGA/TEB Cluster) | Avenel, Edison, Carteret | 🔴 Red | Dominates NE New Jersey and NYC metro. |
Lehigh Valley, PA (ABE/RDG Cluster) | Allentown, Easton, Hamburg (and AVP Scranton/Hazleton coverage) | 🔵 Blue | The I-78 corridor super-hub — also covers AVP area implicitly. |
South NJ / Philly (ACY/TEB3 Cluster) | Swedesboro, Burlington | 🟢 Green | Serves the greater Philadelphia metro area. |
Central PA (MDT Cluster) | Carlisle, Harrisburg | 🟣 Purple | Cross-state connector via I-76/I-81. |
Western PA (PIT Cluster) | Pittsburgh region (off-map) | ⚫ Gray (Off-Map) | Represented only in text, not shown visually. |
The winning strategy is "Hub-to-Hub." Your goal is to Minimize Deadhead. You only book loads that move you from one hot zone (Hub) to another, ensuring you can immediately pick up your next paid load.
Revenue-per-Hour is King
In this short-haul market, CPM is a trap. A $3.00/mile load that takes 5 hours due to traffic is worse than a $5.00/mile load you can complete in 2 hours. Your only true metric is Net Revenue-per-Hour.
Revenue-per-Hour: (Payout - Tolls - Fuel Estimate) / Total Time (Dock-to-Dock) = Your Real Profitability
Proving the Trips with Real Data
Based on data from thousands of actual PA/NJ Amazon Relay loads, applying the right calculation pinpoints the truly profitable strategies:
Strategy 1: The "Hub-to-Hub Loop" (ABE <-> EWR).
This is the workhorse loop along I-78.
Average Outbound (PA -> NJ): ~$305 Payout, ~4.4 Hours
Average Return (NJ -> PA): ~$371 Payout, ~3.65 Hours
Total Tolls (Round Trip): ~$83 (Paid mostly Westbound)
Total Net Payout (8-Hour Loop): ~$594
Net Profitability: ~$74 per hour
Strategy 2: The "Intra-Hub Block" (ACY -> ACY).
This involves staying within one cluster, perfect for local drivers with Box Trucks.
Average Block: ~$320 Payout, ~4 Hours
Total Tolls (Local): ~$0 - $10
Net Profitability: ~$79 per hour
Strategy 3: The "North-South Reposition" (ACY -> EWR)
Moving between South and North NJ hubs.
Average Payout: ~$307 Payout, ~4.25 Hours
Total Tolls (NJ Turnpike): ~$48
Net Profitability: ~$62 per hour
The most profitable, repeatable strategies are the ABE <-> EWR loop (netting ~$74/hr) and the ACY Intra-Hub Block (netting ~$79/hr). Both rely on minimizing deadhead and maximizing time efficiency, completely ignoring the misleading CPM metric.
The "Home Daily" Advantage
This strategy works best for drivers living in or between the major hubs.
Best Cities: Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton (for ABE); Edison, Avenel, Carteret (for EWR); Swedesboro, Burlington (for ACY); or strategically between them like Bridgewater or Phillipsburg. Living close minimizes unpaid "stem time" to your first pickup.
How to Find These Loads: Filter Settings
You need to tell the load board exactly what you're looking for. Use these filters:
The "Hub-to-Hub Loop" Filter
Origin: ALLENTOWN, PA (or your starting hub)
Radius: 75 (Crucial - Captures the whole cluster)
Equipment: Power only, 53' Trailer
Load type: CHECK Drop and hook (MANDATORY - Avoids delays)
Price/mile (min): $0.00 (IGNORE THIS TRAP)
Payout (min): $225 (Your REAL filter - Filters out low value)
Trip duration (Hours): Max: 6 (Finds stackable, half-day runs)
The "Intra-Hub Block" Filter
Origin: SWEDESBORO, NJ (or your local hub)
Radius: 75
Destination: SWEDESBORO, NJ (Set Destination = Origin)
Work type: CHECK Block
Load type: CHECK Drop and hook
Payout (min): $200
Trip duration (Hours): Min: 3 / Max: 8 (Finds a good shift length)
4 Criteria for a Good PA/NJ Load
Quickly find profitable loads by checking these points:
High Net Revenue-per-Hour: Calculate (Payout - Tolls) / Total Time. Aim for $70+. Ignore CPM.
Drop & Hook Only: Filter out Live loads to maximize efficiency and avoid delays.
Hub-to-Hub Destination: Ensure the load ends in a major cluster (EWR, ABE, ACY, MDT) to eliminate deadhead and find your next load quickly.
Smart Timing: Avoid pickups/drop-offs during peak I-78/I-95 traffic (7-9 AM, 3-6 PM) to protect your HOS and hourly rate.
A good load maximizes earnings per hour and positions you strategically for the next paid run.
The Results
So, can you be profitable running Amazon Relay in the PA/NJ corridor?
As the data shows, profitability in this market it's about strategy. It's not about finding one mythical "golden load."
It's about consistently using the incredible density of the Amazon network to your advantage.
The carrier who fails is the one stuck in the "CPM Trap," complaining about $1.94/mile while burning unpaid deadhead miles.
The carrier who succeeds focuses on Revenue-per-Hour. They leverage the Hub-to-Hub strategy, using smart filters to build profitable loops like the ABE <-> EWR corridor (netting ~$74/hour) or locking in ACY Intra-Hub Blocks (netting ~$79/hour).
Profitability here is a system built on:
Prioritizing Net Revenue-Per-Hour, not Cents-Per-Mile.
Using the "Hub-to-Hub" density to eliminate deadhead miles.
Choosing the right strategy for your equipment (Tractor loops vs. Box Truck blocks).
Mastering the Amazon Performance Score to gain "early access" to the best loads before the competition.
Stop Guessing. Profit Locally & Be Home Daily.
Stop trying to solve the local/regional puzzle alone. Our Amazon Relay Dispatch Services specializes in building profitable local routes that get you home daily.
A key factor in securing these high-paying routes is your Performance Score, as it unlocks priority access.
See precisely how improving your score can directly boost your annual profit with our simulator below:
We focus on local and regional strategies to maximize your earnings.
We know the hubs, factor in the tolls, and build stacked loops that turn your truck into a local revenue machine, netting $70+/hour.
Ready to turn your local runs into a predictable, profitable business?
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