UNDERSTANDING HOW THE AMAZON FLEX DELIVERY SYSTEM WORKS
April 30, 2021
As we research the effect of distribution centers, and in particular how Amazon operates as it is the apparent force behind the Hillwood proposal in Churchill, we collect background on aspects of Amazon that may interest the public.
As a big user of Amazon, we get deliveries not only from USPS, Fed-Ex, and uniformed Amazon delivery personnel but also from many without identification, other than a cell phone and the package in hand.
And I wondered why at times the package was simply left at the entrance to the building and not brought inside to our suite 105, which is clearly on the delivery information.
In this research, I understand now why so many of these delivery people skip the time it takes to actually come inside the building to make the delivery. They have tight time requirements, and it saves time by avoiding security at the entrance. The question is why. In the articles, below much will be put into perspective.
Did you know that Amazon expects us, the customer, to be tipping these flex delivery people, and tips are considered part of their income? So if you have the time, and are curious, read more.
And as before, we notice that Amazon monitors the web for any potentially negative comments and contacts the media to “correct” things it finds objectionable. Some actually indicate this at the bottom of their articles.
Amazon advertises and claims its flex drivers earn $18 to $24 an hour. The reality is that after expenses the income averages closer to $12 an hour for really intense work. Income is also highly unpredictable when you finally understand the block concept.
The key benefit is more flexibility than those who work within the distribution center. Naturally, you are an independent contractor with certain rights, but the reality is each person is still a closely monitored worker through the obligatory app.
“Amazon says you can make up to $18-to-$25 per hour. After subtracting costs of gas; parking/tolls; smartphone data usage; and wear and tear of your car, the pay seems to be a little more than minimum wage. The job can also get stressful when you deal with apartment buildings, app errors, or other problems…” see below
It is at least a job for those who mostly want to work part-time and do not need to support a family, but it also comes with a darker side that obscures safety and risks to both the drivers and customers.
If you have any interest in what happens behind the scenes within the Amazon complex, this will shed light on just one aspect.
To understand the recruiting process to the actual delivery, we list the Amazon sites links for background, and then public stories outlining what life is like as an Amazon Flex driver.
If you want to learn more, these links can serve as a starting point.
Murray Bilby
https://www.amazondelivers.jobs/about/driver-jobs/
Do I need to have a commercial driver’s license (CDL)?
A special driver’s license is not required.
Can I choose how many hours I want to work every day?
Delivery drivers are full-time jobs, requiring 40 hours a week.
Do I need to provide my own vehicle?
An Amazon partner will provide access to a delivery vehicle.
What is an Amazon delivery service partner?
Amazon has partnered with local Delivery Service Partners (DSPs), independent delivery organizations that help Amazon deliver thousands of packages to customers every day. As an employee of an Amazon delivery service partner (DSP), you will work directly for the DSP that operates out of a local Amazon delivery station.
https://dspdrivers.jobs.net/search?idpartenaire=10125
https://flex.amazon.com/recruiting-cities?cs=paidsearch&c=non_branded&cid=amazondelivers_jobs_widget
Start earning. Most drivers earn $18-25* an hour.
*Actual earnings will depend on your location, any tips you receive, how long it takes you to complete your deliveries, and other factors.
Start earning. Most drivers earn $18-25* an hour.
*Actual earnings will depend on your location, any tips you receive, how long it takes you to complete your deliveries, and other factors.
The most commonly asked questions.
What kind of deliveries will I be able to make?
Amazon Flex offers these delivery opportunities:
• Amazon.com: Pick up packages from an Amazon delivery station and deliver directly to customers. Delivery blocks are typically 3-6 hours.
• Prime Now and Amazon Fresh: Pick up groceries or household items from an Amazon delivery station and deliver directly to customers. Delivery blocks are
typically 2-4 hours.
• Store Orders: Pick up orders from local stores and deliver directly to customers. Delivery blocks are typically 2-4 hours.
• Instant Offers: Available in some areas. Instant Offers are deliveries that start near your current location. Deliveries usually last 15-45 minutes.
What kind of smart phone do I need?
You’ll need an Android or iPhone to use the Amazon Flex app. Below are specific requirements.
Android
• Android 6.0 or newer
• 2 GB or higher RAM memory
• Camera with flash
• GPS Location Services
• SIM card
iPhone
• iPhone 6s or newer
• iOS 13 or higher
What type of vehicle do I need?
If you are delivering Prime Now orders, you can use any car that can safely and reliably transport Amazon orders to customers.
If you are delivering Amazon.com orders, you’ll need to use a 4-door, mid-sized sedan or larger vehicle, such as a truck with a covered bed, SUV, or a van. Smaller cars and trucks with open beds do not qualify.
Motorcycles, motorized bicycles, and motorized scooters do not qualify at this time.
Can a passenger be in my vehicle with me when I’m delivering?
As some pickups and deliveries may take you away from your vehicle for long periods of time, bringing passengers or pets, except for service animals, when delivering with Amazon Flex may not be a good idea. Note that Amazon’s commercial insurance will not cover any passengers in your vehicle in case of an accident. If you still decide to bring passengers, you must comply with the following:
1. When picking up from Amazon.com stations, your passengers will have to remain in the vehicle at all times. This is because you will have to drive through our facilities to pick up packages. If passengers need to leave the vehicle they will need to be escorted by a station employee.
2. When picking up from Prime Now, AmazonFresh, Whole Foods, or other Store locations, your passengers will not be allowed to enter the delivery station or restricted pick-up areas in the stores. This may mean that the passenger will have to remain in the car or in the parking lot. Pick-up and delivery times may vary and your passengers or pets may be in the car or parking lot for longer than anticipated.
3. Your vehicle must have enough space to safely accommodate any passenger or pet and all packages assigned to your route.
4. Passengers and pets, except for service animals, must not have any interaction with customers. They cannot accompany you when you deliver packages to customers.
Non-compliance with this policy may affect your eligibility to continue in the Amazon Flex program.
How much will I earn with Amazon Flex?
Most delivery partners earn $18 – $25 per hour delivering with Amazon Flex. Actual earnings will depend on your location, any tips you receive, how long it takes you to complete your deliveries, and other factors.
When will I get paid?
You can track your pay on the Earnings screen of the Amazon Flex app.
Amazon Flex processes payments on Tuesday and Friday via direct deposit to the bank account you provided during sign-up. You should see payments in your bank account the following day, but due to events like bank holidays, your deposit may be delayed.
If you complete a delivery that is eligible for tips, you will receive payment after all tips have been finalized (about 1-2 days after delivery).
Making Deliveries
How do I pick up the orders I need to deliver?
Prime Now orders:
Prime Now orders show the block start location in the Amazon Flex app one hour before your block start time. Blocks may start at a Prime Now delivery station or at a waiting area, which is often an intersection or parking lot near the pickup location. If you start at a waiting area, the app will instruct you where and when to pick up your assigned order. Follow the suggested navigation in the Amazon Flex app to locate your start location. When you arrive at a Prime Now delivery station, look for the posted signs and park your vehicle.
• Enter the station and tap I’ve Arrived in the Amazon Flex app and then take a seat.
• Your assigned route will display on a screen in the station.
• The app will let you know when your order is ready. You’ll need to tap Acknowledge and Begin to start scanning your order.
• Scan all your assigned packages in the station and then load your vehicle.
• Some Prime Now deliveries may contain alcohol. The app will guide you to verify the age of the person who receives the delivery.
Store orders:
You may pick up some Prime Now orders at a local store.
• When you arrive at the block start location, tap ‘I’ve Arrived’ to learn the details about the order assigned to you, including when it’s ready for pickup.
• Packages are usually grouped together, but chilled items or alcohol orders may be located in another area, such as a refrigerator or a freezer.
Amazon Fresh orders:
Amazon Fresh offers always show the start location. Follow the suggested navigation in the Amazon Flex app to locate your start location.
• Amazon Fresh deliveries may be heavier than other deliveries, so we recommend using a hand truck like this one, although you’re free to deliver packages any way you want.
• Amazon Fresh orders start at a Prime Now delivery station. When you deliver an order, the app will let you know if a customer must be present for the delivery.
Amazon.com orders:
• Blocks start at a delivery station. The block start location will appear in the Amazon Flex app one hour before your block start time.
• Sometimes you may need to pick up a package at an Amazon Locker, or a customer requests to deliver their order to a Locker.
• Follow the suggested navigation in the Amazon Flex app to locate your start location.
• When you arrive at the station, tap ‘I’ve Arrived.’ Follow signs and cones to drive into the station.
• You’ll be met by an Amazon employee who will ask you for identification and to use your app to scan an arrival code. You’ll then be guided to your assigned order location.
How do earnings work?
When you see an offer, you will see the pick-up location, duration, and potential earnings. For programs with no tips, the amount you see in an offer is your guaranteed earnings: regardless of whether a block ends early or late, you will earn what you see in the offer. As an example, if you see $72 for a 4-hour block, Amazon’s contribution is $72, and that will be the amount you will earn. Amazon will always contribute at least $15-$19 per scheduled hour, depending on your location and demand.
For deliveries that give customers the option to tip, you will see an earnings range. The range shows potential earnings based on tips received for similar blocks recently completed in your region. Most of these blocks earned tips within the range shown in your offer, and at least a quarter of delivery partners earned enough tips to reach the top of the range or exceed it. In the event that you do not have any deliveries during your block or do not receive tips from customers, your guaranteed earnings are the minimum that you were shown in the offer. If you do receive tips, 100% of tips are added to your minimum earnings.
As an example, if you see $36-50 for a 2-hour block, Amazon’s contribution is $36. If you received no tips, your total earnings would be $36. If you received $5 in tips, your total earnings would be $41. If you received $20 in tips, your total earnings would be $56.
How do you estimate customer tips?
For each delivery block that allows tips, we display an earnings range based on the amount of tips that delivery partners received for similar blocks recently completed in your region. At least a quarter of delivery partners earned enough tips to reach the top of the offer range or exceed it.
Will I be reimbursed for mileage, parking, or tolls?
As an independent contractor, you are responsible for your own expenses.
What kind of insurance do I need?
As a delivery partner, you must maintain the required insurance for delivering packages in your area.
In addition to your personal coverage, Amazon provides delivery partners in all states other than NY with the Amazon Commercial Auto Insurance Policy at no cost. This policy includes:
• Auto liability coverage
• Uninsured motorist/under-insured motorist coverage
• Contingent comprehensive and collision coverage
This auto insurance policy applies only to Amazon Flex delivery partners (passengers are not covered), who maintain personal auto insurance on the vehicle they are driving and who are actively delivering during the delivery block. In addition, if anyone other than the Amazon Flex delivery partner is driving when an accident occurs, the claim for any incurred losses will be denied. Due to local regulations, coverage does not apply to drivers in the state of New York. If you live in New York, you may need additional commercial insurance to meet New York state law. Check with your insurance company for more information. If you are renting or borrowing a car, you will need to ensure that you have required coverage.
https://www.geekwire.com/2017/amazon-delivery-driver-like-work-tech-giants-citizen-package-brigade/
I was an Amazon delivery driver: What it’s like to work in the tech giant’s citizen package brigade
BY TAYLOR SOPER on December 24, 2017 at 8:32 pm
- Amazon says you can make up to $18-to-$25 per hour. After subtracting costs of gas; parking/tolls; smartphone data usage; and wear and tear of your car, the pay seems to be a little more than minimum wage. The job can also get stressful when you deal with apartment buildings, app errors, or other problems.
- But being able to pick from plenty of shifts and make a quick buck is pretty nice, especially if you’re trying to pay a bill or supplement your primary income. To that point, it would be difficult to justify doing Amazon Flex for a full-time gig.
https://thenewswheel.com/on-the-job-whats-it-like-being-an-amazon-delivery-driver/
On the Job: What’s It Like Being an Amazon Delivery Driver?
Added on July 14, 2020
You don’t need to drive your own car if you’re a full-time package deliverer. You’ll drive an Amazon-branded or unmarked cargo van provided and maintained for you. And you don’t need a commercial driver’s license or any special driving permit to operate the van.
According to Glassdoor, the average annual base salary of an Amazon driver is around $27,000, but most hourly rates of job openings range from $15-$17/hour, so you could make over $30,000 in a year (pre-tax).
The packages will have already been sorted by a warehouse worker, so you’ll load your designated packages into a company van.
This isn’t a normal 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. job. Because it takes so long to obtain your packages, plot your route, and make your delivery rounds, you’ll easily work 10 hours in a single day. So that could mean you’ll work hard 4 days a week (which could involve a Saturday or Sunday). Around the holidays, be prepared for the amount of deliveries to increase even more, to work overtime, and to help other drivers get all their packages delivered.
If you want a comprehensive account of a driver’s actual week, this first-hand account documented in a Vice article is very insightful. If you’d prefer to deliver packages less often than the full 40 hours every week, becoming an Amazon Flex driver could be a better employment solution for you.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvgzwa/how-i-get-by-a-week-in-the-life-of-an-amazon-delivery-driver
How I Get By: A Week in the Life of an Amazon Delivery Driver
January 15, 2020,
“When people think about Amazon, they just talk about the warehouse,” he said. “Nobody talks about the drivers.”
It can be taxing on the body because when you get to the warehouse to load up, you have to do it yourself. We load up company vans with up to 15 bags, each of which has up to 30 packages, plus oversized boxes that don’t fit into the 15 big bags.
Today I didn’t do all the deliveries. I tried my hardest but there’s only so much you can do in 10 hours with traffic plus walking. You get a half-hour lunch break and two 15-minute breaks that you can take whenever you wish. But if you want to finish the route, sometimes you have to skip the break. Sometimes you have to wait to get the packages that you have to deliver for the day—some days it will be as late as 3pm before you’re allowed to go to the warehouse and pick up your packages. Today was good because I did not have to pee in a bottle. There are times when you’re driving and you’re not near any stores or restaurants and you got to go, you know? [Editor’s note: Amazon said in statement that “drivers are able to take breaks to use the restroom anytime they need.”]
I don’t use my own car. They give me a van. It’s not like those commercials where they show the smiling lady and an Amazon Prime van. Ninety percent of the time you’re gonna get a white van. Just some random white van rolling around a neighborhood at 6 or 7 o’clock at night raises eyebrows.
I delivered all the packages except for one box, which was giving me an error message. In the morning stand-up meeting today, they said to the drivers that no packages can come back, period, no matter what, even if someone said they didn’t want it left unless someone’s home to sign for it. Unless the customer cancels, the box is damaged, or, you know, there’s a problem with something, the order can’t come back, because it’s Christmas and everything’s gotta get delivered. People have notes, like, “Do not leave unattended,” and we just have to leave it. [Editor’s note: Amazon told VICE that most deliveries are completed without issue and that drivers can contact Amazon’s support team with any issues.]
Everything is this job is computerized, and they’re always watching you. They give us these phones to use and that’s how they kind of track us because we have to log on to this system. And this system is kind of like an old school version of MapQuest and it just kind of tells you where you have to go. And that’s how they track you and watch you. “Oh, hey, you. Why were you sitting here for 20 minutes?” That kind of thing. And I hate that. I don’t like Big Brother watching me. I really don’t. [Editor’s note: Regarding the tracking of delivery drivers, Amazon told VICE that it evaluates employees over a long period of time and that the company coaches employees who aren’t performing to expectations to help them improve.]
This post has been updated to include additional statements from Amazon
What it’s really like to be an Amazon Flex delivery driver as Prime one-day shipping expands
PUBLISHED WED, JUN 19 201911:00 AM EDTUPDATED WED, JUN 19 201911:14 AM EDT
“If I spent three-hours-plus of my time, that’s just doing the block. Then who knows how long it will take me to get back. And all I made was 70 bucks, and half of that might go to expenses like gas and like the bridge,” Montes said.
https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-delivery-driver-day-in-the-life-2020-10
I’m a 55-year-old Amazon driver in Oregon who walks up to 10 miles a day. Here’s how the company’s incentivizing us this holiday season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlcP2aTOp-Q
What It’s Like To Be An Amazon Flex Delivery Driver
1,844,785 views
- Jun 19, 2019
Amazon has offered free two-day shipping for Prime members since 2005. As Amazon rolls out a one-day shipping guarantee for its 100 million Prime members, Amazon Flex drivers help solve the company’s last mile problem. CNBC spoke to these on-demand contract workers all over the country to find out what it’s really like to deliver for Amazon. Watch the video to hear about the pay, pace of work, and how Amazon Flex works. Is Amazon Prime worth it? For many members, free shipping is a key Amazon Prime benefit that factors into their decision to pay $119 per year for the service. As Amazon starts offering Prime members the added benefit of one-day shipping they’re working with on-demand contract drivers to help with this especially labor-intensive and expensive hand-delivery. We spent a day with Omar Montes, a Flex driver in the San Francisco Bay Area. Omar helped a friend deliver around 46 packages in 3½ hours, for $105. “These are like the good days that make you want to continue doing Amazon. But, you know, there’s obviously bad days too,” Montes said. » Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC » Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision » Subscribe to CNBC Classic: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCclassic About CNBC: From ‘Wall Street’ to ‘Main Street’ to award winning original documentaries and Reality TV series, CNBC has you covered. Experience special sneak peeks of your favorite shows, exclusive video and more. Connect with CNBC News Online Get the latest news: https://www.cnbc.com/ Follow CNBC on LinkedIn: https://cnb.cx/LinkedInCNBC Follow CNBC News on Facebook: https://cnb.cx/LikeCNBC Follow CNBC News on Twitter: https://cnb.cx/FollowCNBC Follow CNBC News on Instagram: https://cnb.cx/InstagramCNBC #CNBC What It’s Like To Be An Amazon Flex Delivery Driver
https://inthesetimes.com/article/amazon-delivery-service-worker-unsanitary-conditions
The Amazon Delivery Service Worker Who’d Finally Seen Enough
As a driver for an Amazon subcontractor, Frank Chavez encountered unsanitary conditions—including bottles of his coworkers’ urine. Now he’s standing up for his rights.
MICHELLE CHEN AND MOLLY CRABAPPLE OCTOBER 6, 2020
Inside Amazon’s delivery push: Employees and drivers say an overworked system is lax on safety as packages pile up
NBC News spoke with 18 people in 11 states who detailed safety problems across the e-commerce giant’s delivery operation as the company aggressively ramped up its delivery volume.
Nov. 27, 2019,
https://www.propublica.org/article/amazon-cuts-contracts-with-delivery-companies-linked-to-deaths
Amazon Cuts Contracts With Delivery Companies Linked to Deaths
More than 2,000 workers in eight states will lose their jobs after Amazon dropped three companies after reports by BuzzFeed News and ProPublica.
by Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, and Caroline O’Donovan and Ken Bensinger, BuzzFeed News
Oct. 11, 2019, 1:56 p.m. EDT
As reported by BuzzFeed News and ProPublica, Amazon began building out a network of delivery firms in the U.S. in 2014. Rather than hire its own drivers, Amazon chose to use contractors such as Inpax, Sheard-Loman and Letter Ride that in turn employ drivers. Though Amazon controls many aspects of delivery, down to providing turn-by-turn directions for drivers, it denies all liability when workers are exploited or people are hurt in crashes, leaving the contractor on the hook.
Drivers for these firms generally aren’t required to have any delivery experience and are given just a few days of training before being put on the road, at times in poorly maintained or damaged vans with no markings to indicate they are carrying only Amazon packages. Many drivers report being expected to deliver upwards of 300 packages a day, pressure that prompts some to skip lunch and to urinate in bottles. Some of the businesses have struggled. At least three Amazon delivery contractors have filed for bankruptcy protection since 2018, court records show.
Amazon delivery drivers have to consent to AI surveillance in their vans or lose their jobs
AI cameras look for yawning or distracted drivers
By James Vincent Mar 24, 2021, 6:51am EDT
Amazon is well-known for its technological Taylorism: using digital sensors to monitor and control the activity of its workers in the name of efficiency. But after installing machine learning-powered surveillance cameras in its delivery vans earlier this year, the company is now telling employees: agree to be surveilled by AI or lose your job.
As first reported by Vice, Amazon delivery drivers in the US now have to sign “biometric consent” forms to continue working for the retailing giant. Exactly what information is being collected seems to vary based on what surveillance equipment has been installed in any given van, but Amazon’s privacy policy (embedded below) covers a wide range of data.
DATA INCLUDES VEHICLE LOCATION, SPEED, “POTENTIAL TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS,” AND MORE
The data that drivers must consent to be collected includes photographs used to verify their identity; vehicle location and movements (including “miles driven, speed, acceleration, braking, turns, following distance”); “potential traffic violations” (like speeding, failure to stop at stop signs, and undone seatbelts); and “potentially risky driver behavior, such as distracted driving or drowsy driving.”
Previously, Amazon’s deployment of this sort of technology has mostly focused on its warehouse workers, where “pickers” have to fulfill orders while being timed by handheld scanners. The company has patented wristbands that even track workers’ hands in real-time, using haptic feedback to nudge them when they reach for an incorrect item. And it recently expanded its use of opt-in “gamification” techniques that hustle workers into ever greater efforts in exchange for digital rewards.
Update, Wednesday March 24th, 12:00PM ET: Story updated with statement from Amazon.
Amazon delivery app Mentor tracks drivers’ locations and measures their performance
There are concerns the app is invasive and applies too much pressure
By Nick Statt@nickstatt Feb 12, 2021, 3:38pm EST
Amazon built its own in-house mobile app called Mentor that it uses to track the location and rate the performance of third-party delivery drivers, according to a new report from CNBC. The app tracks a driver’s location at all times and also generates a daily score that factors into performance evaluations, with low scores potentially harming a third-party delivery company’s relationship with Amazon for future contracts, the report states.
Amazon bills the app as a tool for improving safety, but both drivers and privacy proponents cited by CNBC worry the Mentor software is also a tool for surveillance of drivers and as another form of pressure applied on the workers to ensure they’re delivering packages as fast as possible. Earlier this month, an Amazon promotional video posted online revealed a new initiative involving always-on security cameras from a firm called Netradyne that are similarly used to monitor and measure a driver’s performance, causing alarm among privacy advocates.
https://www.dispatchtrack.com/blog/amazon-logistics-delivery-partner
Amazon Logistics: Becoming an Amazon Delivery Partner
May 16th, 2020
Amazon show you how to set up your own delivery company and run deliveries for them, as non Amazon employees.
This site gets revenue by getting you to set up delivering for Amazon, without revealing the reality.
Amazon delivery contractors operate with little oversight, report finds
The “in-house” delivery is actually done by a sprawling mass of subcontractors.
KATE COX – 9/3/2019, 4:30 PM
The company has actively encouraged employees to quit their jobs and go start local delivery firms it can contract with. Operating under heavy pressure to make as many deliveries as possible, as quickly as possible, and with lax regulatory oversight, drivers delivering items for Amazon have been involved in “hundreds” of crashes and other incidents in the past five years, BuzzFeed News reports.
https://www.drivebigtrucks.com/job-placement/amazon-truck-driver-jobs-after-truck-driver-institute/
they are sellig the ease of driving a truck for Amazon, from the distribution center jockey to home delivery and long haul. It looks so easy for those with no experience. It is no wonder the accident rate is so high with Amazon drivers at all levels.
Constant hiring is the result of so few hires remaining when better opportunities occure.