Since Amazon began delivering packages in 2005 through the service known as “Amazon Logistics,” the company has shaped how consumers expect to buy and receive items. Customers can find and purchase just about anything they might want or need with a few clicks of their mouse and expect to receive their items within mere days. Fast shipping times, a wide range of products, and reasonable pricing make Amazon a widely-used delivery service in the United States.
However, while Amazon`s shipping may be convenient for consumers, reports over the years indicate that the reality of working for the company may be less-than-pleasant for many employees. Unforgiving delivery timelines, strict write-up policies, and unsafe working conditions have been reported across multiple outlets by current and former delivery drivers. In this article, we discuss some of the known hazards of working as an Amazon delivery driver in the United States.
Types of Amazon Delivery Drivers
There are multiple types of Amazon couriers, each with a different relationship to the parent company. You may encounter the following types of couriers:
- Amazon drivers: An Amazon driver is formally employed by the parent company, Amazon, and uses a company van or vehicle to deliver packages to customers.
- Contracted drivers: Companies and individual drivers may have contracts with Amazon to deliver the parent company`s packages. They may either drive an Amazon van or their personal vehicle for deliveries.
- Amazon Flex drivers: An Amazon Flex driver works directly for Amazon but uses their personal vehicle for deliveries.
Although each type of driver has a different relationship with Amazon itself, they are all responsible for delivering the company`s packages to consumers across the country.
How Many Amazon Drivers Are Injured While Making Deliveries?
A CNBC study that came out in May of 2022 indicated that an alarming number of Amazon delivery drivers suffered work-related injuries. Research shows that nearly one-in-five drivers making deliveries for Amazon were hurt in 2021. Strategic Organizing Center (SOC) data reveals that Amazon drivers suffer injuries at almost 2.5x the rate of non-Amazon couriers. Worse, one-in-seven Amazon drivers suffered an injury so significant that they could either no longer fulfill their normal role or were entirely unable to work at all for some portion of 2021.
Injury rates at Amazon last-mile delivery stations were particularly high, coming out to nearly 40% more injuries than in the company`s warehouses. Overall, there was a 40% increase in the number of reported injuries in 2021 from the previous year`s figures. All of these statistics point to the fact that there is undeniably an element of risk to delivering packages for Amazon, more so than any other well-known courier system in the country.
Why Are Amazon Drivers Injured While On the Clock?
The injury statistics provided by CNBC and SOC indicate that there is serious cause for concern for the safety of Amazon delivery drivers. It`s important to look deeper into the issue to get a better understanding of how and why drivers suffer harm during their daily work. Some of the potential causes of injury include:
- Productivity quotas: Amazon`s productivity quotas can require delivery drivers to offload hundreds of packages in a day`s shift. Workers can be written up or fired for failing to meet the appropriate productivity targets for their role. Multiple drivers who went on the record to discuss the details of their work mentioned feeling pressured to make strict quotas. Rushing to deliver packages, especially when they are heavy or awkward to carry, can lead to car accidents or slip and falls.
- Unsafe route calculations: Drivers have complained about the routes planned for them through the Amazon delivery app. In some cases, only one stop will be designated for deliveries to multiple addresses. This can lead to drivers needing to cross busy streets or navigate confusing housing complexes to complete their deliveries.
- Insufficient break time: The Amazon Flex app encourages drivers to take a lunch break and two fifteen-minute breaks throughout the day, but drivers have admitted to ignoring these phone notifications. Drivers claim that they worry about falling behind schedule if they take a break, which can negatively impact their shift`s performance score. The scores determine a driver`s bonus and whether they will continue to be employed as an Amazon partner. Scores too low can result in a termination of the driver`s role.
- High turnover: Particularly amongst Amazon Flex drivers, turnover tends to be quite high over the year. Inexperienced delivery drivers are more likely to make mistakes, particularly while they`re still learning the basics of their job. This can increase the risk of a serious car crash or other incident.
- Unsafe delivery vehicles: In some cases, vehicle inspections are rushed or even skipped entirely in a driver`s hurry to meet their quota. Vehicles that are not road-safe may thus end up being used for deliveries, putting the lives of drivers, pedestrians, and other motorists at risk. Amazon drivers are at risk of operating vehicles with low tire tread, broken taillights or headlights, nonfunctional backup cameras, or engine issues.
- Unsafe premises: Delivery drivers sometimes find themselves delivering packages to houses, businesses, or apartment complexes that are not safe. Broken railings, rotten wooden steps, aggressive dogs, and slippery floors are just some of the hazards capable of causing serious harm.
Has Amazon Taken Initiative to Reduce Injuries & Protect Drivers?
Getting into a wreck in a van or commercial truck can cause serious, life-changing injuries. Amazon has frequently claimed to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of its workforce, but has the giant company truly taken steps to protect its employees?
Amazon has undoubtedly invested in high-quality safety features that should reduce risk to their delivery drivers. The company features driver safety training programs, continual improvements to mapping technology, and camera technology that monitors employee driving habits. They also urge drivers not to drive dangerous vehicles at any time. Amazon also claims to regularly audit delivery service partners and remove any dangerous vehicles from its fleet.
Amazon also requires their drivers to carry out a 60-point vehicle inspection before leaving for their shift. If any unsafe conditions are detected, the driver is instructed to alert a supervisor and ensure that the issue is corrected before they begin driving. Drivers are also instructed to review their vehicles at the end of a shift. However, some drivers have admitted to skipping their vehicle safety inspections to save time and reduce delays, which is clearly unsafe. Multiple Amazon drivers have even suffered fatal injuries during their shift under a range of circumstances, from shootings to deadly animal attacks.
Driving for Amazon Undeniably Comes With Risks
We find ourselves circling back to our initial question: is it safe to deliver packages as an Amazon delivery driver? It seems undeniable that due to the company`s delivery quotas, potentially dangerous destinations, and the actions of other drivers on the road, there is a clear element of risk to the job. Hopefully, with increasingly sophisticated mapping tools and improved safety procedures, driving for Amazon will become a safer occupation in the months and years to come.