Why your MC authority needs 180 days of history
If your LLC doesn't yet hold an Amazon Relay contract, the qualification line is this: the MC authority needs at least 180 days of continuous history, with continuous insurance over that same window, before it's in range for a written offer.
This isn't arbitrary. It maps to how Amazon Relay onboarding works.
The Amazon onboarding window
Amazon's logic for accepting a carrier into Relay weights several factors, but two of them are decisive: the age of the MC authority and continuous insurance coverage over that period. Amazon wants to see a seasoned carrier — enough operating history to show the authority hasn't lapsed, hasn't gone dark, and hasn't accumulated the kind of violation pattern that shows up early and gets worse.
Under about six months old, an MC hasn't had time to establish that track record. Amazon's risk model doesn't have enough signal yet, so fresh authority sits outside the onboarding window until it ages into it.
What happens before day 180
A written offer isn't off the table, but it won't qualify for Relay onboarding yet. Depending on your situation, there are two paths:
- Keep the authority active and insured until it crosses 180 days, then submit. The most common path, and often the simplest.
- Get a written valuation now on other terms. A fresh MC without Relay can still have value in the right circumstances — requirements covers the full picture.
What 180 days actually means
The count starts from the date the MC is granted active status by FMCSA — not the date you applied. If you're not sure when that was, your FMCSA portal shows it. The insurance clock has to run continuously alongside it; a lapse resets the streak.
When it doesn't apply
If your LLC already has an active Amazon Relay contract, the 180-day rule doesn't apply at all. The contract itself carries the qualification; the MC age isn't a factor.
If your MC has been active and insured for six months or more, start with an MC/DOT lookup for a free written valuation. For the full criteria list see requirements, and if you want the framework used to price authority, that's what's my MC authority worth?.