LONG READ: So I saw the tiktok of the Amazon driver basically going off about how his job is excruciating to deal with and how it sucks. I’m here to shed more perspective. I worked as an Amazon delivery driver for 3 months and I can say after working nights in a ihop, nights in a ups and Amazon warehouse, working every single holiday besides Christmas at a country club, 5am start time shifts at FedEx airport facility, Amazon delivery was the worst job I’ve ever had.
I’d average 250 stops per day with like 300 packages. Equates to about 10 hours. BUT I’d get a different route every day, sometimes I’d travel 15 miles then start delivering. Wherever you deliver is where you eat lunch. Sometimes I’d drop off in rural areas with little options for restaurants so I’d end up getting gas station food. If you had to use the bathroom during your shift you had to find the nearest bathroom which could be 15 minutes away but if you take that bathroom break you’re significantly cutting into your actual shift time to deliver packages, delaying when you’d get done, only to drive back 20-30 minutes to get back to the HQ and drop off the van.
Sometimes you’d have to drop off literally up to 100 packages to apartment complex, and since there was no cart to use that meant literally 10-15 runs back and forth from the van to the apartment buildings. Other times you could have drop off locations be 5-10 minutes apart. If you finished all your deliveries early, you’d have to go rescue someone who was running behind their scheduled pace, so you never could get off early. If you tried to drop off a package and was unsuccessful then you’d have to double back and try to drop it off again at the end of your shift when you’d finally finished with the other 250-300 packages, on top of that that location you’re going to try and drop off again could be literally 20 minutes from where you are after your final drop off for the day.
The van came with a system that tracked braking, acceleration, reversing, cornering, and of course speed. If you brake too hard once it penalizes your overall driver score. Turn too tight on a corner your driver score is penalized. Hit the gas too hard and it negatively affects your driver score. Go in reverse? Was seen as a last resort option and if you did it you’d get penalized.
Some of the driveways leading to the rural drop off sports at times were too small or thin for the van to get though, plus it’s essentially impossible to reverse back down and if you reversed you’d get penalized for that so you couldn’t win. Owners would leave their dogs out roaming the yard so at times you’d be barked at or even chased by one while you’re trying to drop off.
All your drop offs were processed by taking a picture on a phone in a app, which of course needs service. So if you’re in a basement or area with poor coverage, good luck completing the order before you can go to your next.
Some apartment buildings where you’d drop off multiple packages to different rooms, one customer would ask for a knock before you leave the package. Others would say bring it to the lease office for them to hold. Others would say wait for me to come grab it and if I can’t don’t leave it and try again a different time day.
Some of the packages could weigh up to 60-75 pounds and not every van came with a dolley so you’d have to do your best to carry it, at times up or down multiple flights of stairs.
You also were responsible for putting gas in the van before you went out to deliver or at the end of the day depending how much was in your tank, either way it was required each shift so either way that’s another aspect that cuts into actual time on the road delivering.
Fuck I can’t believe I’ve written this much. Im sure im leaving some shit out. But yeah. Fuck that shit.
Oh and yes I found Gatorade bottles full of piss from past employees who drove the van I was days before. You switched vans each day.
And yes I was someone who pissed in a Gatorade bottle or off to the side of the road because I refused to drive 20 minutes to find a restroom. 20 min there and back is 40 minutes added to my shift time. When you’re on 178 of 250 or 237 of 300 you just wanna be done. No delays.