four Amazon supply drivers share the risks they face within the winter

• Enterprise Insider spoke with 4 drivers who work as contracted Amazon supply drivers concerning the risks they face throughout the winter months, from navigating darkish, rural roads and excessive climate circumstances to coping with troublesome prospects and package deal thieves.
• The supply drivers we spoke to talked about heightened security issues like concern of being focused for robberies and even robbed at gunpoint.
• One driver Enterprise Insider spoke to mentioned he skilled two incidents the place he was being adopted, which led him to name the police. One other added, “There’s nothing in that van that is value your life.”
• In an announcement to Enterprise Insider, an Amazon spokesperson mentioned, “The security of our drivers is our prime precedence.”
• Go to Enterprise Insider’s homepage for extra tales.

Canine bites, twisted ankles, and coping with irritable prospects are all simply a part of the job as an Amazon supply driver. Many workers ship in rural areas and should navigate twisty, gravel, or filth roads. Others ship a number of 50-pound packages to the identical five-story walk-up condo constructing day by day. 

However as the times get shorter and the nights get longer (and darker), Amazon supply drivers should take care of a model new set of risks and security issues. 

In latest months, a number of supply drivers throughout the nation have been kidnapped and held at gunpoint for the contents of their automobiles. Many drivers are scared and anxious about these new risks they’re going through when out delivering packages throughout the winter months.

Jim Smith, 55, lives in Scappoose, Oregan, and started driving for Amazon in March 2020.

Smith joined Amazon after his freelance images gigs had been canceled indefinitely as a result of coronavirus pandemic.

He is been on the job for 10 months and has already skilled the bodily toll delivering for Amazon can tackle one’s physique, like blown out knees from 10-hour shifts.

Supply drivers like Smith, who drive the larger step vans, get out and in of the automotive over 200 instances and might stroll as much as 10 miles every day. 

However, based on Smith, the winter months elevate completely different security issues. 

“The concern, or moderately the truth, of presumably having your van damaged into, stolen packages, or the acute chance of being hijacked, that is solely one of many risks that is current this time of yr,” he mentioned. “For me, there have been instances on routes the place I see the identical automotive a few blocks behind me or parked in entrance of me. My thought is that this could possibly be both porch pirates which are following alongside my route and stealing packages behind me, or any individual who could have worse intent.”

Smith says ever since a UPS driver was kidnapped at gunpoint in Portland, he and lots of of his colleagues have been “on edge” whereas out on the highway.

Many Amazon vans have a back-up digital camera that’s lively even when the van shouldn’t be in reverse, and Smith makes use of that display screen to control his automobile’s environment.

“I do know that holidays make folks determined. Add that on prime of the large unemployment that we’re seeing and other people simply barely scraping by due to COVID, I believe there’s numerous motive on the market proper now with folks financially hurting,” Smith mentioned. 

Smith says he stays vigilant on the job by locking his van when he leaves it and protecting his private cellphone on his physique always. Acknowledging that you’re a goal is step one in higher making ready your self for any future potential incidents, he mentioned. 

“It’s essential hold your head on a swivel, you want to use the expertise that you must attempt to hold your self protected, and simply notice that there is nothing in that van that is value your life,” Smith mentioned. “Give them keys, give them the corporate cellphone and plead for them to allow you to stroll away.”

Learn extra: How retailers large and small plan to sort out last-mile challenges, from third-party supply companies to buying their very own tech

Angel Rajal, 26, lives in Las Vegas, Nevada and has labored for Amazon for the final 4 years.

He labored first within the warehouse after which as a supply driver. He made the swap to deliveries in June 2020 and realized he enjoys the customer-facing expertise way more than working within the distribution heart packing packages. 

However Rajal shortly began noticing, as a driver, that he would generally be adopted. 

On one event, Rajal seen the identical automotive with two girls following simply far sufficient behind him. Because the automotive shortly approached, he seen the backseat of their automotive was full of brown packages, much like Amazon’s, and have become involved. 

“At first I assumed they might have been Flex drivers, however they did not have the sticker or the Amazon vest, they did not have any of that,” Rajal mentioned. “So I notified the police and I believe they had been capable of get them, however I am undecided.” 

The second time Rajal seen he was being adopted, he was in a gated group and stored seeing the identical younger man stroll backwards and forwards from the place he simply delivered. 

“I’d see him peek across the nook simply as I dropped off a package deal,” he mentioned. “And once I would transfer on to the subsequent cease, he walked again to the identical home, and that is once I knew that he was searching for the packages.” 

Amazon has a strict coverage towards supply drivers carrying weapons whereas working, even when a driver has a hid carry license, Rajal defined to Enterprise Insider. Amazon supply drivers are thought of unbiased contractors, not workers, but when they’re discovered to be in possession of a weapon, they will lose their jobs. 

(Editor’s observe: Rajal and Smith are each employed by means of supply service supplier corporations which Amazon contracts for deliveries, and are usually not thought of Amazon workers.)

Rajal mentioned he feels pretty protected delivering throughout the winter season, however understands that proper now because the pandemic worsens and lots of households are hurting economically, it is vital to “examine your again continuously.”

“Each time I am on the highway, throughout my job, I attempt to keep vigilant, ensuring that I am not going to have folks approaching from behind once I’m on the facet door searching for the packages, ensuring that no automobiles are going to tug up on me,” Rajal mentioned. “That is an on a regular basis concern as a result of anybody can pull a gun or a knife on you at any given second.”

Jennifer Harbaugh, 51, has been an Amazon Flex driver for over a yr in Portland, Oregon.

Flex drivers are like supply drivers, besides they use their very own automobiles, are usually not employed by means of a supply service associate (DSP), and are paid per “batch”. 

Batches are usually given in three hour “blocks” and include a sure variety of packages for a specified charge. In response to Harbaugh, most Flex batches can be found within the night hours, and because the days get shorter throughout the winter, many shifts she’s delivering nearly fully in the dead of night. 

Harbaugh delivers all throughout the Portland metro space, together with rural areas in southern Washington. She says she’s needed to ship to houses with lengthy, filth driveways and “non-public property” indicators.

She’s additionally been confronted a number of instances by prospects questioning what she was doing on their property, and was greeted one time by a person with a shotgun slung over his shoulder, questioning who she was.

Since Harbaugh is a Flex driver, she drives her personal private automobile but additionally wears an Amazon vest. 

Harbaugh recalled an occasion the place the supply directions mentioned to position the package deal on the again door. It was night time when Harbaugh arrived on the home. She struggled opening the gate, however figured nobody was dwelling. As she walked by means of the yard, she seen the house’s “enormous image home windows” and a household, together with two young children, consuming dinner at a desk. 

“These two youngsters freaked out,” Harbaugh mentioned. “They began screaming, after which the mother grabbed the youngsters and the dad began screaming at me and charged out the again door. I had my vest on, and I mentioned, ‘I am Amazon!’ after which he mentioned, ‘I do not care who you’re, what are you doing in my yard?'”

She then confirmed him her cellphone with the supply directions and the person shortly calmed down and apologized. 

“After that I sat in my automotive and cried. I had an adrenaline rush and had a few tears after which thought, ‘Okay I am tremendous.'”

Learn extra: A 32-year-old software program engineer went by means of a ‘tremendous aggravating’ interview course of at Amazon — however turned down the $167,006 provide. Here is how she determined different issues had been extra vital than cash, with out burning any bridges.

Stephanie King, 56, is an Amazon Flex driver who lives in Tigard, Oregon.

King’s been a Flex driver for almost two years, and has additionally pushed for Lyft and Uber. She began working solely as a Flex driver in the beginning of the pandemic as a result of she anxious concerning the security of getting different folks in her automotive. 

The primary concern King has as a Flex driver is making deliveries in the dead of night and through excessive climate circumstances. Sure components of Washington and Oregon get snow and heavy rain throughout the winter, a lot in order that King determined to place her snow tires on her automotive to bypass any potential issues whereas she’s on the highway. 

“The extra you drive, the extra doubtless you’re to be in an accident,” she mentioned. 

As a result of King delivers principally in late evenings, she makes positive to put on vivid colours. 

She mentioned she drives “an Amazon blue” electrical automotive, too. 

“I do not need to appear to be just a few random particular person. I need to appear to be I am in all probability from Amazon, so I put on actually seen stuff, so I am not skulking round in a black hoodie, and I do this deliberately. I need to stand out as a lot as doable so folks see me,” King mentioned. 

Drivers like King who primarily ship within the night hours urge prospects who’re anticipating packages after four p.m. to depart their entrance porch mild on, in order that the driving force can first discover your home quantity, however extra importantly, be capable to see the place they’re strolling and inserting the packages, in order that they do not journey on extension cords or garden furnishings that would lead to an harm.

(Editor’s observe: As Flex drivers, King and Harbaugh are each unbiased contractors for Amazon and are usually not thought of Amazon workers.)

“If I ship to the mistaken home I may get shot for trespassing,” King mentioned. “The navigation will get us actually shut, however that does not imply I’m not going to subsequent door neighbor’s, who’re strung out on meth, armed to the tooth and has a rottweiler.” 

King mentioned though she tries to be ready for any doubtless situation, she would not suppose an excessive amount of about how she could also be focused or adopted. 

“If I used to be considering like that, I would not be capable to do that for a dwelling,” she mentioned. 

Editor’s observe: In an announcement to Enterprise Insider, an Amazon spokesperson mentioned, “The security of our drivers is our prime precedence.” Amazon didn’t reply to additional inquiries concerning the particular circumstances introduced up by the topics on this piece.