What It’s Like To Deliver For Amazon In New Rivian Vans
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- Опубликовано: 13 янв 2023
- Amazon has rolled out more than 1,000 electric Rivian vans in at least 100 U.S. cities since July, bringing big changes for some of the 275,000 drivers delivering 10 million packages a day around the world. CNBC talked to drivers about how the job has changed since 2021, when they told us about unrealistic workloads, peeing in bottles, dog bites and error-prone routing software. Here’s a firsthand look at all the new tech Amazon says is maximizing safety, comfort and efficiency for a better driver experience.
Chapters:
1:06 Rivian van rollout
3:43 Productivity and comfort
6:36 Cameras and safety
10:01 Optimizing routes
13:22 What’s next
Produced by: Katie Tarasov
Edited by: Erin Black
Additional Camera: Erin Black, Katie Brigham, Andrew Evers
Supervising Producer: Jeniece Pettitt
Editorial Support: Annie Palmer
Graphics by: Jason Reginato
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What It’s Like To Deliver For Amazon In New Rivian Vans
Let's hope that more of Amazon's drivers are able to enjoy a similar improvement to their working conditions, 1,000 out of 275,000 is still a pretty small percentage.
That's an easy fix. Improve efficiency by firing 200,000, and make what's left of the team do four times the work and not give out pay raises, that's VERY important. Then amazon will only have 150,000 pee bottles a day, and not 600,000. Please show me to my corporate office Jeff, top floor.
out of fear of regulations they are trying to fix that in US. But in places like India with fear oversight and public opinion, workers are exploited by amazon just as before if not more.
I hope they can still pee into a bottle when they need to with all those cameras facing the inside of the vehicle....I personally would not want to work in an environment where multiple cameras are directed at me at all times...
its not like the management changed
Or expect to get your deliveries late...
When I was a delivery driver for Amazon, the workload was the main problem. Amazon itself requires the DSP (Delivery Service Providers) to meet a quota in order to get paid for the work done (what my DSP told me). On holidays you do get a lot of packages and stops but this was the norm for me as I got over 250+ packages and more than 150+ stops everyday in residential areas and downtown areas I had 85+ stops and more than 200+ packages. I was expected to finish all my deliveries before the 10 hour mark and if I finish early I am required to "rescue" other drivers struggling with their route. You may think that "of course I would help, if I was in that position I would like someone to rescue me too" but if this occurs basically everyday, you would eventually refuse to rescue other people because you don't want to work more than you're required. With the workload given, most times that I did take a break, I had to be rescued by 2 different drivers and I still didn't finish within the 10 hour time. Another problem is the geopin location needed to mark a package as delivered. Every time you deliver a package and the geopin isn't in the vicinity, you can't deliver your package, so you call the DSP and tell them to make the package as delivered and continue with your route. There are tons of problems like I mentioned but Amazon thinks that getting brand new vans with more room and more shelves will solve the problem. Hilarious.
Thanks for reading my rant
PS: More shelves = more packages = more stops (depending if you're residential or downtown). Good luck to the future delivery drivers, you guys are amazing and your work is appreciated. :)
So basically, all politics and business aside, you worked not much different hours in both physical/mental stress as a warehouse worker (although at least you can sit down.) but also carried packages for others who were slow on there 10+ hour workday?
That is bull. Then again, I feel like USPS drivers get the sameish work style and hours, just probably less heavy lifting and more flexible demand/hours. No wonder Amazon wants to form a private delivery fleet.
Thank you for sharing your story, did you at least get a new job? I hope you did.
The last point is what I was thinking, productivity improvements don't mean people will work less, it just means they'll work the same but delivering more.
That is until Amazon figures out completely automated delivery and lays off everyone.
This feels like a fluff piece
I had to be smart about how I delivered because I would have Farm Houses and residential neighborhoods/apartment complexes . NO ONE WANTS DO FAN HOUSES AFTER THE SUN GOES DOWN. At least if your in a neighborhood with close and multiple houses in close proximity you can get into a rhythm. I always did the Farm Houses first because travel time between those houses can be2-7 minutes between each house then I moved to the neighborhoods where lighting is plentiful.
I DID 180 HOUSES TO 230 HOUSES IN A 10 HOURS SHIFT ( THE PACKAGES WOULD BE ANYWHERE FROM 250 TO 300 )
No I’m glad you ranted. I stopped buying from Amazon 3 years ago because of that stuff
After watching this entire upload. I can confirm, it's an ad.
You're being sold to. 💰💰💰
Yeah but did you hear about the heated steering wheel?
@@colem7173 ha! (and the heated pee bottle holder?)
I worked for coles making deliveries and it was a nightmare. The average time it took to get between locations was based on the previous averages (which is a terrible way to do it) due to morning and night-time deliveries (where there was no traffic) and we later found out that people skipping breaks was severely reducing averages. All of this had a cumulative reduction on the 'average' time. This meant it would give you 2 and a half minutes to get to a location, unload, and get back in the truck, rather than google maps 6 minute drive time and what should've been allocated as the 2 minute unloading time.
I can tell you first hand, there is nothing more unsafe than a rushed/frustrated delivery driver on the road.
Oh yea, anyone working for a driver for Amazon should already know that they're in for a shitshow and only should take a job as a warehouse/ drivers as a last resort.
I'm so thankful for these drivers. They got us thru covid by delivering everything we needed. Round of applause for these drivers!
Blame the politicians for screwing so much things ups.
i noticed my deliveries smaller. i was concerned over the waste of time. As opposed to before, many orders in a box
It’s their job, chill
A round of applause won't better their life, if you actually want to help, support unionisation efforts at Amazon with a donation for example.
So true🙏🏽
Amazon DSPs are a shield for Amazon. Workers can’t sue Amazon for over work because they don’t actually work for Amazon. They work for a 3rd party. They are essentially subcontractors. The have to sue their DSP. The kicker is that the reason why DSPs require their workers to work so hard is because the moment they don’t another DSP is there to take their place. It’s a very cut throat environment.
The thing is that Drivers have all the power of they band together online. They can share where restrooms are, what local labor laws that protect them from over work and most of all they will realize their boss can’t pressure them to overwork. They should take their time and if they can’t deliver all their packages. Well the customer has to wait just a bit longer. If all drivers were to do this what would Amazon be able to do about it. Absolutely nothing.
DSP drivers definitely need to unionize.
Quit if you don’t like your job and stop crying.
@@Ummmmmkay88 corporate shill detected
@@Ummmmmkay88 - No "Labor Boards" or "Labor Laws" where you live, apparently!
Nothing wrong with hard work, but compromising Worker and Public Safety, is usually "Illegal" in a good many places, on "This Planet" (Earth) where "We" live!
Where do you live, that you have no knowledge of these things!
Sure, I have refused "Unsafe Work", in a Non Unionized Shop, without even knowing that was "Legally Protected", and was willing to take it all the way to leaving that workplace if necessary! Turned out, it wasn't! Not everyone even has that desire!
@@robertweekley5926 Only losers complain
See my issue with Amazon is if they’re putting unrealistic expectations on a delivery person‘s route, then that’s messed up. Because if they’re working for 10 hours and they’re expected to deliver everything by the end of the day and it’s unrealistic, then something needs to change because a human still needs to have food. They still need to go to the bathroom. They still need to do other things. And if someone’s running to your door with a package then that means they’re probably behind schedule. I ain’t running anywhere, that’s Amazons fault for putting on unrealistic routes for drivers
Delivery drivers are what make this world go. Thankful for every single driver who’s ever delivered a package to me❤️ having your dog attack a driver is sickening wth is wrong with you that u dont put the dog away
I'm sure every delivery driver would prefer to be treated as an actual employee and get paid more than have cool new delivery vans. Special BONUS: Room for more packages to be delivered, too!
Besides zero emissions for the environment this is nothing special. More work , more slavery .
They want more packages? I doubt it but maybe
The issue is, the more you get paid, that cost will eventually get passed on to the customer. It's always the case.
@@EdwardRicketts1 that's the economic machine at work
@@EdwardRicketts1 what's their profit margin at this point?- cut 10% of that and spread amongst the delivery drivers(and Amazon would still be making billions in profit)...
The average hourly rate for workers across the country is $22 per hr- these drivers getting no more than $19 per hr for busting their asses everyday is trash..
The risk is soo much higher on the road than in the warehouse- the salaries should show it..
Delivery is cool and all but this would make an AMAZING camper van.
AMAZONING VAN!!!
I love the stealth converted van idea, but to go spend $50,000 making a van about 85% as good as an $8000 17 foot pull behind camper is a little nutty to me. $8000 gets you 8-foot width, top mounted AC, propane water heater with running water to all sinks, insulation, plumbing, 110v electrical outlets, a full kitchen, an actual bathroom, 120 gallons worth of water holding tanks and like 10 times the storage. Pros and cons, but most people who convert a van just haven't owned a pull-behind. They're just as easy to live with and maneuver in the real world.
@@enthused7591 I think a lot of it is that you can't do a lot of things with trailers. If you have a converted van, you're pretty much able to go anywhere, especially a 4x4. You can park it anywhere. You can take it through drive thrus. You're just more nimble. With a pull behind, you have to find campgrounds to stay in everywhere you go. You also stick out like a sore thumb and are probably a bigger target for theft.
Needs more range for it to become a viable camper van, sub 200 miles is just not going to cut it, your looking at being forced to stay within a 40-50 mile radius from the charger.
Cover the top with solar panels and live in Arizona.
This is awesome to see. My concern is that Amazon will unrealistically expect more from DSP’s with these vans, given the time-saving features and additional cargo room. Seeing how they interact with DSP’s and how directives are passed down, this seems like a possibility. My DSP was great, some awesome people to work for, but our morning meetings were always spent with one of our dispatchers telling us about the new ways we can get our accounts deactivated. Between that and the non-existent career path, it gets a bit depressing. I’d love to see a feasible way for drivers to work up to breaking off from a DSP and go independent, leasing their own vehicle and taking full routes (unlike Flex) with similar insurance opportunities. Probably a pipe dream, but it could offer a way ‘up’ if that makes sense. I myself left for a better job opportunity; I feel for everyone out there though.
Amazon seems to me like the kind of company to never do a good thing unless forced to.
The ONLY reason i liked driving for a DSP in sacramento, was Davis, Ca. Collegetown USA ! lol. During the summer, lots of eye candy EVERYWHERE !! Also, Vacaville was beautiful in spring. So much green over all the mountains and the huge houses were nice. Mostly just the rural scenery. But i hated the dense downtown routes and apts. I also hated after having a great day and getting through 190stops and finishing early, being told to split someone else's route. NO ! i want to go home now! After several pickups, i just started slowing down on purpose lol. My DSP is being sued for violating break policies (since lunches were force by FLEX app).
Of course lol
I think as Amazon's future of profitability becomes more assured, they will probably evolve to a more FedEx and UPS driver/delivery worker structure with more career opportunities within Amazon? Or what might happen is that the DSP will become larger and larger to a point where the DSPs will become more like a FedEx or UPS driver delivery model, where drivers have more career opportunities and retirement etc. I think UPS and FedEx are union jobs?? I have a strong sense that Amazon may start getting into doing more contract delivery (like UPS and FedEx) as their technology continues to improve and the transportation network continues to grow and improve. but for now, they stick to more of their core business which is to make their customers happy with their online shopping experiences through Amazon.
🤣🤣🤣🤣😂thats the concern? not the 55% less salary compared to other delivery drivers
More room doesn’t mean better quality of work, it means more packets to deliver
Please remember!
It is not the DSP or van drivers who made the Amazon, Uber, Doordash, Grubhub Incs… running. These are actually the individual drivers (contractors with no benefits) running their own cars and paying for their own gas, insurance, getting Medicaid as health insurance who played a major role in the success of these companies and are still working with them with no future!!!
As an individual who knows people killed, hearted, eaten by dogs in-line of duty working for these companies, I kindly request cnbc and others to reflect their voice in their reports, not Amazon, Rivian, DSPs etc!!! Thanks
Thank you for saying this. Too many people got buried in their smartphone screens during the pandemic and think that these companies really have consumers' and workers' interests in mind when that couldn't be farther from the truth. They are deploying EV delivery vehicles and installing charging stations for tax credits, plain and simple. The safety features are going to be standard across the board eventually.
It’s so obvious this video is a paid sponsorship by Amazon to improve their public perception, do not be fooled
You mean Amazon flex?
Say it louder for the ones in the back-
The average hourly rate across the country for workers is $22 per hr.. $19 per hr is trash for Amazon delivery drivers considering the risk on the road.. they're doing the same exact work as a UPS delivery driver and yet making less than half what they make per hr?😥 not to mention the fringe benifits..
Ups is also a delivery service does dog not bite them?
I feel that if people have loose dogs and expect deliveries they should be denied and possibly blacklisted for delivery. No one should have to be terrorized or possibly severely injured or even killed to deliver something. Like you know you ordered something, lock up your dogs.
Dog owners think their dog is the goodest boi in the world and doesn't need to be locked up and that the dog is just showing their love when they go and jump at people. They then blame the delivery drivers for being defensive causing the dogs to attack them.
What about neighborhoods that are crime ridden? Should those places be blacklisted for delivery too? I know lots of restaurants don't deliver to certain neighbohoods.
People need to just keep them inside especially if a package is coming
Amazon would rather you risk your life taking on two pitbulls than for you to refuse delivery
Amazon will only ban them after a driver is badly bitten but they don't blacklist addresses only accounts so people can just create new accounts to bypass it
When I worked for a DSP it was definitely the workload that caused and issue. I was consistently getting over 150 stops and over 200 packages in our considered “rural” routes. I already had to drive a half hour just to my first stop. I wouldn’t be getting out until 12 sometimes 13 hours a day. When I did work a “city” route I had less stops and about the same amount of packages it makes zero sense how they organize what goes on what route.
Your DSP was obviously NOT a smart rout manager. Twelve or 13 hours a day is NOT reasonable nor legal in many states. Report them to state and federal authorities.
i get almost three hundred packages and almost 190 stops. can do it in eight hours or less.
I had 191 stop with 300 something packages with 30 overflow I start at 12 I finish at 9 pm it’s easy
Since the crash, I've been in the red. I'm playing the long term game, so I'm not too worried but Jim Cramer mentioned there are still a lot of great opportunities, though stocks has been down a lot. also heard news of a guy that made $250k from about $110k since the crash and I would really look to know how to go about this.
Is heartbreaking seeing people in front of me at the grocery store taking all the instant noodles from the shelves; no meat. Kids asking for a chocolate bar and the parent scolding the child for asking, its evident the system has failed us and does intensify the essence of investing, the market is just so rough
There are actually a lot of ways to make high yields in a crisis, but such trades are best done under the supervision of Financial advisor.
@@ebonicalbert5711 I'm sure the idea of a coach might sound generic or controversial to a few, but new study by investopedia found that demand for portfolio-coaches sky-rocketed by over 41.8% since the pandemic and based on firsthand encounter, I can say for certain their skillsets are topnotch, I've raised over $650k from an initially stagnant reserve of $150K all within 14months.
@@williamadams2361 I've always been fascinated with investing and I need to start now. I will appreciate any tip or pointers please?
@@oscarkelly3378 'Debbie Pattinson' is actually the one that guides me, she's a highly-sought out adviser, so I'm not certain she's accepting new intakes, but you can give it a shot. It wouldn't be proper to just leave her number lying around, but she has a webpage you can look at if you google her name.
Gotta love the dsp lady who blatantly lied about having never heard a driver complain about being monitored by cameras 24/7. Feel sorry for her employees
She said that because she has told the drivers they will be fired if they complain
This
You could just tell that she isn’t someone you’d want to work for. She’s either lying, or she’s so unreasonable she’s made herself completely unapproachable and lives in the fantasy that no one complains.
She may not have been lying, but just because people don't complain to her about it doesn't mean it isn't complained about and just because people don't complain doesn't mean they aren't quitting because of it.
Ha! You're right! I bet there's even a urine camera that keeps track of drivers peeing in bottles- to make sure they're doing it correctly.
I hope Amazon addresses the issue of delivering to houses with aggressive dogs. The safety of the delivery person is an important concern.
Multiple delivery companies should build a blacklist system. If you get black listed you will want to improve your behavior to enjoy delivery. That would include Door dash, UberEATS, UPS, FedEx, and USPS.
I hope they charge the owner of the dog that killed the driver to the fullest extent of the law.
I remember when I used to bike for exercise I would get harassed biking in front to several properties. Part of the problem is we normalize it. We should sue or have new laws to punish the infractors.
Agreed. I think those customers should get flagged and won't get any shipments until they prove that they've dealt with their pet and provide safety to the drivers.
A dog comes up on me like that? There won't be any dog left. Believe that
Ups driver don't get dog bite?
@@kronosaurelius Sounds like a bad business model so you live at a house with a family member that has a dog and now you can't get amazon packages? People like you need to go live in China.
Lol... I work for Amazon. A damaged driver door in the Rivian had a repair bill of $40,000... The drivers beat the absolute hell out of these things too. The worst decision they've ever made.
Golly, I thought I knew how difficult the Amazon driver's job was, but I have a new appreciation for their efforts. Thank you for this excellent report.
This is actually great news. Anything that provides comfort and safety to our Amazon workers is always a win.
Amazon microscope
Like proper toilet break?
Actually this reinforces amazon abusive tactics... giving drivers a better vehicle doesn't take away their need to fight proper wages... amazon doesn't pay taxes so of course they can do this
@@sambalekouy7298 what do like them to do ? Install toilet in van. Any driver can go to restaurant for bathroom.
The issue with bathroom not necessary amazon fault. May should be city problem for the lack of public bathroom.
@@MostHighEmperorPalpatine I won't speak for everyone. But starting wage is 20$. Is that bad?
Love this heavily Pro-Amazon view. Meanwhile, Teamsters is spinning up to help Amazon drivers unionize and fight for better working conditions, because this whole van thing only exists to warp public perception.
By what I’ve seen with Amazon drivers, I noticed drivers have a deadline and Amazon needs to help them to improve delivers without being rushed or punished for a mistake Amazon makes.
I already knew this guy would be going to make into the news, he is such an amazing vlogger and delivery driver. His channel Friday Adventure Club is really informative.
Only in the US ? mad.....
Saw "Friday Adventure Club" review of his Rivian Delivery Van on his channel and was almost as detailed as anyone like TFL could've make about it. Doug DeMuro wished he could drive the van when he reviewed; Amazon should've made an arrangement with this vlogger to both made a complete review.
Go watch both videos...
Thanks for the heads up! I am going to check it out.
Amazing changes since when I drove for Amazon 🤯
Only one recomendation for Amazon though.. Review who they have listed as DSPs. Talk to drivers directly. Working with Amazon was a great experience, but the DSP I was under was the reason I quit delivering.
Regardless of the vans the drivers are great people delivering all these packages for us to enjoy. Thank you very much guys ❤
On behalf of all Amazon drivers I'd like to tell you to take a long walk off a short pier...😂
Glad he mentions the large light bar around the back of the van. Thats one of the things I like most about them because you know its an Amazon van from far away. And its offers great visibility!
Def appreciate the amazing Amazon employees 🙏
If you actually want to help Amazon workers, support unionisation efforts at Amazon with a donation for example.
Thank you for appreciate. Wish they more like you. When I work for amazon, there where plenty who are rude.
I hope you know fedex and UPS have it way worse. ive worked for all 3 and amazon is weenie hut junior compared to those 2
@@takuachejohnny9844 40$ x hour?
@@takuachejohnny9844 That's not true, USPS and UPS are dreams for these devilry drivers, they have unions so they paid a lot better and have at least some voice in the business, the workload is also more reasonable.
Even in the MSNBC series on Amazon Delivery we had many drivers voicing that wish and even changing to these employers.
Haha, this is a just an ad for Amazon. Amazon hasn’t addressed much of any of the problems we have. The pay has improved somewhat over the years and we actually have some benefits now.
That’s hilarious that they say people don’t complain about the cameras! Most everyone I work with complains about the ridiculous camera system and inappropriate “coaching” that we have to endure. Sure there are drivers doing bad things but there are better ways of dealing with the problem. Like making the routes reasonable.
I’m sitting in my van right now on my lunch break that I don’t have time to take because Amazon once again gave me a route that’s impossible to finish in a 10hr shift. For whatever reason they put way too many stops on this route nearly every day. I’m all for the electric vans and everything but this job is mediocre at best and turnover is ridiculously high. Fortunately I only have a couple more weeks of this before I get my CDL and quit this job to find a company that treats its employees with more respect.
Snow tires and A/C is a must .... a porta potty too . 😊
I used to be a delivery driver myself and every complaint that the drivers are talking about I can agree with. I remember the days that I would have over 200 stops and the only way I could get it done was by skipping my lunch and organizing the packages in numerical order so I could find them faster. It suuuuuucked. You come home exhausted after doing so much running around and lifting heavy packages.
My driver’s only comment was that it fits way more packages so they expect more delivery’s per run.
Taking on the liability of one of the world's largest companies to be a DSP sounds terrible to me. On top of that, Amazon positively caps the success potential of DSP's. If they ever made a bunch of money, Amazon would simply take your business.
Are you a DSP- sounds like a stressful business
Maybe Factory400 used to work in one 🤔
shell corporate for amazon it's like saying that the warehouse isn't there's but no other company's can store anything else there or have there worker's daily shifts there ect also a tax dodging move and liability move probably as im not a lawer or accountant
Someone needs to do a documentary on the dog bite situation these delivery drivers are dealing with.
Great video and very informative. It was really interesting to see the newest technologies being employed to help with efficiency and making the driver's job easier.
I wonder how much Amazon paid for this promotional video
"workers are facing bad conditions. Check out these cool vans!"
To be fair, gas-powered, outdated vans are part of bad working conditions. At least there is something done in that part.
Agreed. It's a distraction, not news.
@@antiquehealbot6543 they act like its done in the spirit of improving work conditions. They are more reliable and cost less to run. Thats it. This isnt a move toward better working conditions for the sake of better working conditions. Its a small, small side effect.
Amazon's delivery algorithms are a joke. On one of my routes, despite nearly 20 complaints, they still route me to drive across an active runway for a single stop. And it is nearly five miles to go around, so that is a 17 minute add to my day. And then, Amazon has not figured out that a driver gets better with more familiarity with their territory. And, yet, it is rare to run the same route on back to back days. And I have an odd disability which calls for me to have medical monitoring mounted in the van I am driving to give me warnings if my blood chemistry gets off. It would make sense to assign me the same van everyday, instead of making me mount my device every day in a different van. Amazon has not figured that out. The monitoring CAN be a joke. I frequently get cited for 'fast acceleration' or 'hard braking', but you have no data on where or when it is happening. You just lose your safety bonus with no reason why. Did I get that 'fast acceleration' on one of the freeway on ramps that have really short merge lanes andI am trying to get as close to 55 or 60 mph in as little time as possible to SAFELY merge? But I am getting dinged for unsafe driving? But Amazon is a lot safer than the postal service. Any long time employee at the USPS can harass a short time employee and managers harass the devil out of people who complain. USPS is well known for shorting people on over time pay, and you have to check each pay stub very carefully, and keep your own log of overtime to make sure you get paid..... Except we go back to the harassment for complaining. I have had enough of all of that and have now filed a lawsuit after the 14 and 16 hour days resulted in a serious heart attack. And I was even written up for having an UNAUTHORIZED HEART ATTACK. Try THAT one on for size. I called for a postal inspector to look into that one, and it was upheld, even with the union backing me up.
Jesus! Amazon is such a crappy company if you don't work for corporate it seems.
don't work for amazon if your unhappy with it
I see people complaining about 250 packages lol I get 400 packages daily with 190 stops and my dsp couldn't care less. I pee in bottles constantly never take any breaks and I used to by pass my lunch to finish faster. I make my first delivery by 11:30 and finish by 5pm. If I learned anything here its that I work too hard for people who don't care about me.
This feels like an Amazon ad
I know it’s too positive and doesn’t really say any of the downsides
It is
It is
I work at Amazon’s largest sorting center. I drive an electric forklift loading semi trailers with product that goes to fulfillment centers around the country. These electric vans are fascinating and I’ve been seeing them around Phoenix.
While driving on Interstate 70 in Mid-Missouri today I saw my first 2 Rivian vans. They were on a delivery truck headed to their new homes. So it was nice to see this video to let me know about what I had seen today.
This is Awesome to see. One of my main issues delivering for amazon was not having enough room in the vans to maneuver safely, specifically in the Fords. I am just about 6ft. tall, and I was constantly hitting my head exiting and re-entering the vans. Sitting in the driver's seat was like sitting in a bucket, and I felt like I was going to pull a muscle every time I tried to get out. This resulted in me requesting to strictly only driving the Dodge Rams, due to the fact that it's the only van that I can drive comfortably.
Lastly, as a delivery driver in the South Western Area of Florida, I spend most of my day driving between neighborhoods with no access to a restroom. With the combination of heat and humidity down here, it is imperative that you are hydrating at LEAST at every stop to avoid suffering from dehydration/ heat exhaustion. In the near future, I'm hoping that there can be some sort of innovation in the vans where a driver can at least "number 1"... to avoid having to leave a neighborhood and drive 10-15 minutes just to use a restroom. Mind you, this would be multiple times a day, which is taking crucial time away from finishing your route within 10 hours.
Agree rams are the best ..most manuverable
UPS vans were killers for the opposite reason, back in the day when they would only hire tall, lanky, white male drivers! Even deca\des after other trucks eliminated widow maker tire rims, UPS was stilll using them: money saving.
CNBC: Nice advertorial for Amazon
This is soooo cool!
Amazon app tells you when your package is within 10 stops. Do the drivers a favor and take your dog inside when you are notified they are a few stops away!
I absolutely love these vans and can't wait until they come to my city!
Yeah but drivers can change the route if they want to. Winter time this is more of an issue cause you don't wanna deliver in a rural area at night
Yeah not all of us are useless leeches who stay at home all day spending someone else's money on Amazon. Sooooo cool
I deliver for Amazon using the EDV's. It is now a year after we received them, and we are having major problems with most of our fleet on a daily basis. The bulkhead doors close on us and open when we put the vehicle in drive instead of close, the a/c is weak, the backup cameras turn off and wont turn back on until the vehicle is reset, the chargers stop charging before the vehicles are even close to being fully charged, the proximity sensors are annoying and unnecessary, the rear door position sensors are faulty causing the door-open alarm to sound constantly throughout a 9 hour shift, and the seatbelt buckles release the seatbelts randomly because theyre already too worn out to lock the buckle in place. So many things were done well, like the headroom and the display and a/c seats, but there is a lot of crap malfunctioning on these vehicles.
Couple of BIG corrections. When delivering packages for amazon through a DSP, The interior cameras may turn off with the ignition, but after 20 MINUTES, not 30 seconds like said. The Privacy function, only applies to the Netradyne Driving camera (Tacked on the Windshield), and not any of the vehicle cameras. Lastly, the cargo bay camera has been installed in some vans, unlike stated in the video. For my DSP in Nashville, 3 of 5 Rivian Electric Delivery Vehicles i've been in, have had an active camera in the Cargo area (where my DSP suggests we use the pee bottle)
I presume the rationale for a cargo bay camera is to surveil drivers that open/steal packages? surely the camera's aren't being monitored in real time, so there would be recordings that could be checked if packages from a specific driver area go missing?
@@petesmitt To be honest, that's the only reasoning I could also come up with. Although it's a very big gray area when drivers weren't informed of the camera there in the first place.
@@ace1234765 A good reason for Amazon to control the vans; if the vans belonged to the DSP, Amazon would have no authority to place and utilise camera's.
Do they have a special cupholder for the pee bottle this time?
you still believe the stories about drivers not being able to make bathroom breaks? Really? SMH
@@marcd6897 lol ok
@@marcd6897 Stereotypes and "war stories" are all rooted in truth. Why should people NOT believe something that just about EVERYBODY is talking about?
The production quality storytelling from all angles, (positive and negative), and the detailed stats throughout this video were excellent!! Loved this video CNBC
Wait until a little bit of cold weather brings the entire electric fleet to its knees. Rivian brand is pretty bad about that too. They won't accept a charge when it's snowing... at least- it has been an issue in the past, anyway.
As a downtown courier in the eighties doing over 380 stops a day for Loomis (I had the heaviest, fastest route in western Canada) the low profile (In/N/Out) quickly is critical and saves your back. I'd like for downtown core heavy pedestrian area WINDOWS all around (we have six Chevy short base vans for downtown), rear door should open from inside, and GO. The UPS van was a back killer.
These look so cool going down the road. I see these all over everyday. We had these vans before a lot of places in USA.
Wow...I had no idea that Amazon went to such great lengths to keep its drivers off the books and fractured. Basically the "DSP"s are nothing more than shell companies for Amazon.
Your videos are very useful and provide lots of information. I have received lots of help after watching this post, please continue to share this kind of information. Thank you.
I feel lucky to have the route I have with FedEx, with pickups in the afternoon I can get a 2 hour lunch, sometimes 3 or more if it's a light day. I've done a residential only route as well and that's rough, twice as many stops and no excuse for a 2 hour break.
Here’s an idea…just catapult the package from the van as it drives in the suburbs…that should be fun for dogs 😂
How about a panel that opens from the roof, and drones fly out delivering small items, then return to the van
Nice PR story but in the end these new vans will only lead to increased pressure from Amazon on drivers to deliver even more packages during their shift. The solution for better working conditions is not (solely) better vans but for drivers to unionize, collective bargaining agreements with higher minimum income rates and government control of working conditions.
Economic slavery relies on people desperate for income; such people can't afford to be choosy.
I like the fact that they took the employee’s input in designing the trucks they end up using. That’s an instant buy-in by employees who will take pride in seeing their suggestions implemented. Prioritizing the safety and comfort of the employees is essential and a great business model.
Unfortunately, the electric vehicle is just a gimmick.
Amazon is really trying to turn CDVs, 'Custom Delivery Vehicles', into the primary delivery vehicle. These are modified extra large Ford Transits. The goal is to have 70% of the on the road fleet be CDVs. Imo this is absurd because most drivers only like CDVs when delivering in suburban neighborhoods. They would prefer a regular Ford Transit with an open side door normally. In urban environments, drivers appreciate the Mercedes Sprinters the most.
I'm not really sure what Amazon's objective here is. It appears as though they think drivers in a CDV can deliver more packages, but I have seen that this is false. They have the stats, so surely they would know this.
It’s all talk. They took that advice because it increases profit margins, not because it benefits employees. Then they spun it into a lie about how they actually listen to their employees. Classic corporate manipulation.
@@tsnstonepilot5375 True. And the CDV's turn-radius is just awful. Our DSP bought 4 new ones not even a year ago and they're already falling apart due to their poor design.
cool
@@alexlabs4858 Yeah heated steering wheels sure do increase profits. Look I'm not under any illusion that corporations are these caring entities but you should praise good behavior when it does happen.
If you are an Amazon driver and are reading this comment. I would like to say how much I appreciate your work! Thanks y'all!
you are welcome! ...I will be visiting your home in 2 days
I have a package for you!
I think I will arrive closer to night time
......BE READY
CNBC made an ad for amazon, nothing else.
They listed a whole bunch of problems the Amazon drivers were facing, and I don’t think any of them has anything to do with the type of van they are driving
I low key want one of these
Amazon must have paid a lot of money to put this on here for pr. I’ve been delivering for an Amazon dsp for almost five years and while metric expectations, package counts, and van issues have increased drastically what has not is pay. I know most people will blame the individual dsp over pay but Amazon pays these dsp’s so little that with tight margins it is very hard to increase pay for older more experienced employees. We got a whole dollar raise for the pandemic as essential workers.
Even with a amazing van still a hell of a job. Hope everyone who works there are safe and have good working conditions.
Seems kind of fun to me. It's like a real life video game. Lol!
@@stevelouie5928 wait is this from a view where you worked in those vans before or someone who wishes to work at amazon?
@@IGuessSoMaybeIt would make for a fun game or reality show.
Are you giving credit to the guy you took the videos from because I don't see that here mentioned, I hope he gets money, if he is not getting credit!
He has his own YT Channel "Friday Adventure Club", where the driver has done several videos on his van, including driving reviews. He doesn't get credit here, but in his channel he does get credit and you get to see the whole thing from his POV.
I LOVE the look of Rivian. So glad they are making it.
The vans drive warnings be like: „Hey you’re about to lose your job. Drive safer“
Nice PR piece for Amazon. I highly doubt it is all as "Greatly improved' as this report says.
what? it's like cnbc getting paid by rivian and amazon for advertising though driver gets nothing
“Nothing”? Watch the video again
This looks so positive that it kinda makes me doubt it more.
what a PR job, thanks CNBC for protecting Amazon
Imagine being watched and tracked like that
That's why the white rental vans are superior -- no Netradyne cameras invading your privacy!
Kind of amazing how much work Amazon puts into trying to solve problems and yet USPS is run like its still the 60s
It's hard for well established companies to innovate in the way younger companies do. It's even worse when it's a government agency that doesn't get to benefit from unlimited tax dollars / deficit spending.
But you can see the same failures in a lot of long established businesses. Hence why once huge juggernauts like Sears/Kmart have died off. It's just hard to move away from what made you successful decades ago, even if it doesn't hold up in modern times.
I'm from GERMANY
I used to deliver for Amazon back in 2016 and we were using rental vans. I'm kinda jealous of the new vans.
This technology is amazing. Engineering and design is everything!
This seemed like it was sponsored by Amazon.
Why doesn't a single video about this van show the camera inside of the vehicle while it's being driven?
Salute to you all delivery drivers
As a 14-year Amazon customer, I'm glad to hear this news.
Funny that they say nothing about lowering the amount of stops or realistically giving you time for taking breaks. When you have a 180+ stops everyday, there is no way to take breaks and zero room for error. I've been doing this for 3 years and stopped taking breaks at my 2nd month because Amazon would contact my DSP and complain that i was behind. Amazon is well aware that the drivers don't take breaks because they monitor the drivers. So i always have a bottle to relieve myself so i don't fall behind. You are expected to do a minimum of 20 stops a hour. There is NO consideration for the delivery driver!
I delivered during the pandemic in Arizona. One problem I had was the cargo hold getting extremely hot. The cabin would be fine, but you go in the back it would feel like an oven.
The new vans only have climate control for the drivers seat too. Nothing for the passenger side or for the back.
@@alexlabs4858 it only has the driver in it so you would be cool in the cab just fine. the rest is probably for the cargo hold.
Every breath you take, every move you make -they'll be watching you.
I work for a company that made material handling equipment for Rivian specifically for this contract. Our equipment is to help them move parts around their production line to produce these vans
Every job demands something. So stay strong and keep the nation strong 🇺🇸 ❤
Does your job demands you to pee in water bottle
As an Amazon driver in a cold area "150 mile" range isn't nearly enough, the range will be shorter with the heater on and the average routes are 100-120 miles
That’s ok, then you get the next generation delivery EV. I’m always so amazed that people accepting fossil fuel cars took 100+ years to evolve to its current state, but EVs need to be perfect from day 1.
Big fleet deliveries of these majorly-customizable rollerskates with ANYTHING the customer wants on top is a watershed for the moment.
Someone has also paid attn to UIE ala Jared Spool and actually asked the user-group what their usability problems were! Amazing!
So basically the Rivian vans added additional surveillance and did not solve any of the main problems with Amazon delivery.
Still overwork, still dealing with dangerous pets, still peeing in bottles. In other words stay away.
Listening to your employees is key. They’re the ones doing the work everyday, so they know what improvements should be made!
It's always interesting seeing changes and policies implemented by people who'll never have to work with them (and even moreso, not realising the unintended consequences of their choices)...
Include delivery instructions in the van and this is perfect 💯
I can't help but think these will fill the campervan market in the next couple years as companies depreciate them and sell them second-hand. Looking forward to seeing electric amazon campervan conversions 👍
I'd love to have one of those that I could turn into an RV. Maybe someday if Rivian ever ramps up production enough they'll release a consumer version.
It has 120 miles of range, what would you do with that?
@@PistonAvatarGuy that range is more then enough to cover most routes
@@darthmaul216 Did you not read the context of this comment?
Rivian could build a second plant and still barely driver just the current US amazon truck fleet. Then I expect UPS and Fedex to call, then there are the foreign carriers, perhaps even the postal services. That before any consumer sales
Just as an FYI Rivian has an SUV(Rivian R1S) that's available to order now. FWIW production delays mean you prob won't have it for 3-6 months, That SUV has a range of over 300 miles.
Fascinating! I just can't figure out how often new videos appear?
I got to see them being made in Normal. Super cool I love the rear lights on it. It’s a lot taller than you think it is.
I worked for a third party Amazon. They were so terrible to the point that they fired me because I got fed up after awhile. They gave a van filled with cigarette ash, damaged side view mirrors and it died on me during my route. They had doors that didn't close properly and would give me over 800 or more packages sometimes to deliver but would get mad if I didn't finish my route within at least 6 hours. They told us to never worry about a safety checks as well. That DSP is out of business now. I am glad to have been apart of putting them out of business
Jesus!!
I do deliveries as well, like uber eats n instacart. I’d love to work for Amazon, but the one thing holding me from applying is all the working issues people talk about.
Well why not give it a shot . Perhaps people sensationalize- this guy seems to love his job .
You won’t like working for an algorithm
@@petedoug same as any any delivery service
@@byroncanty8986 same as the new gig worker delivery via app jobs. Not any of the rest.
Many ways people refuse. Toxic environment, potential bad route services, pay rate.
So they have electric vans and how did that help with peeing in bottles? This is PR video.
I’m a professional mechanical engineer and programmer and I too have been delivering for Amazon since 2021 (work shortage).
- The delivery app is actually a crummy web app and has minimal intelligence or optimization (it is extremely unresponsive due to all the overhead caused by being run within an encrypted web browser. Though I understand why they did it: any cellphone with a browser can run it, and it's the easiest way to encrypt communication back and forth with Amazon's central servers. If the "delivery device" gets dropped and smashed you are expected to substitute your own personal cell phone - uh, I don't think so! But many do.)
- All of the delivery intelligence is built into Amazon's map database, including information such as which roads are unsafe to jaywalk across to make a delivery (and only a scant minority are tagged as such, whereas in reality only a scant minority would actually be safe to jaywalk across). The safest way to deliver to those addresses, unfortunately, is to cross the center-line to park on the wrong side of the road. (The reason is a little complex: Amazon charges customers for each and every delivery, however, Amazon only pays DSPs for each and every STOP. That's why their incentive is to group deliveries as much as possible into STOPs, where the driver jaywalks back and forth across the road. The driver is only paid per hour worked, they are actually incentivized to work slower though the app is programmed to get you working as fast as possible. One delivery metric is how many STOPs can you do in an hour, they expect 20 and schedule accordingly. That's 3 minutes or 180 seconds to hop in the van, throw on the seatbelt, look up the next STOP address, drive there safely, park, turn off the engine, engage the parking brake, remove that seat belt again, hop into the back, sort out all the parcels, and then jump out and deliver each one - including fighting with the unresponsive, buggy app and taking a delivery photo - before returning to the van again for the next STOP. So before long safety measures such as parking brake on/off, ignition on/off, seatbelt on/off all become perceived as time-wasting nuisances and they have you running around in traffic day & night. Amazon is literally reprogramming the drivers to devalue their own personal safety! If you ever fall behind they will send you a RESCUE, which heavily implies that you're running behind and now can't do it on your own, and presumably your job is at risk. It's all a psychological game!)
- All of these offenses: u-turns, handling the cell phone behind the wheel, speeding, unsafe maneuvers, driving distracted by the in-dash control menu, improper seat belt usage: everything is the driver's responsibility. The driver faces full legal liability for any and all consequences.
- Apartments are particularly problematic because the GPS signal is usually lost and the app has you running up and down the hallways trying to get a location lock so it will let you make the delivery, or else you are forced to call "driver support" and they begin by asking you your name, your DSP, what is your login email address and can you spell that out please, where exactly are you in the delivery sequence, can you read out that "TCP" number off the heavy box you're trying to deliver, all this before they can override the location radius limitation. It really can be a massive pain in the rear.
- However, seatbelts are practically pointless for more than half the deliveries, because you often travel as few as just a couple houses: you could not possibly get to an unsafe speed. I know Amazon monitors seatbelt usage in the vans (among other things) and I wear mine less than 20% of the time, and they don't seem to do anything about it.
- I literally never follow the automatic routing anymore, I always re-sequence my own route specifically to eliminate driver-side deliveries and U-turns. An unexpected side-effect is I consistently complete routes faster this way though I do add a few more miles to the route (I wind up walking less but driving more, somehow it works out faster). The DSP used to chastise me about it but doesn't anymore, but only because I’m faster than the computer-optimized route (not "often" but "always"). On that point, though, the DSP never, ever bothers me about working faster or taking less breaks, as a matter of fact they consistently ask us to work more deliberately and to take more breaks. Though taking more breaks is pointless: residential suburban neighborhoods have very, very few public restrooms, only downtown urban districts might have adequate facilities.
- In-cab video surveillance is illegal in Canada, thankfully. I seriously could not work under such continuous surveillance.
- Hopefully my work situation changes soon, I can tell already the Rivian is a horrible vehicle. Sure, it has a couple nifty features. But the bulkhead door will soon become jammed with dirt and gravel, or shifted parcels. Putting vehicle controls on a touchscreen menu is a tragedy waiting to happen, there is no possible way to access controls on the road (such as a windshield defrost) on a computer hierarchical menu without jeopardizing your life. I have found this to be a huge disadvantage with the latest Ford Transit vans (the ones whose only remaining physical dash control is the volume knob).
- Also the auto-locking door feature is a gigantic nuisance, you have to physically unlock the doors at every single drop-off (with a parcel in one hand and the delivery device in the other).
- The Ford/Dodge vans are standard fleet vehicles with parcel shelves, interior lighting, and side- and bumper-steps with proximity sensors from Adrian Steel. Their upgrade package is rudimentary at best, there must be 1,001 snag and trip hazards inside those vans. The floor is particularly problematic, it is comprised of several pieces of insulated padding joined by inadequate aluminum extrusions that invariably get snagged or tripped over and fall to pieces within just a few short months. Let's put it this way: every fastener is a cheap, protruding fastener, and that sliding door "catch" is a sharpened hook that jabs you in the back each & every stop.
- There are some real clowns at Amazon, I sincerely hope they all get laid off in the latest cull! Though I know the reality is that Amazon is a "yes man" workplace. They only want to watch glowing presentations of great things coming, they don't want to hear from anybody who knows first-hand the actual problems (one implies growth in stock valuation, the other implies negligent liability).
as a current amazon driver for Orlando Florida near downtown and residential areas, the routing needs to be done a little more accurately as well as requiring DSPs to use only updated rabbits. Mine uses old Samsungs so my iPhone is switched over to be more efficient. The software runs best on current technology and this would solve MANY problems! I also hope to see those Rivian vans, that'd be badass.
When I see the working conditions, I think we should think over what we are demanding as a customer. Do we really need our products so quickly. Should we really push that hard?
It has nothing to do with providing the delivery so quickly. It's the volume. If people don't get something in one day - it's not that big of a deal....But in that one day, hundreds of thousands of new orders will come in. If you don't offload your deliveries at the rate they come in, you will fall behind even more. By the way, while the work is challenging, I think you're over-exaggerating the "working conditions". There are way worse jobs one can have. Be a little more realistic.
It is good that Amazon is improving. They need to keep listening to the drivers.
They are only improving because they think it will help their profitability.
@@mx338 Nothing wrong with profitability. Improving working condition helps profitability. The two are not against each other.
@Daniël As long as they get paid more, why not improve the productivity? If you think any work is slave, then you are just lazy. If you want all your work's paid go directly in your own pocket, then you can own your own business. Nothing is free, including the opportunity to use others resources (warehouses, trucks, other's ideas, etc.) to make money.
@@mrmosk2011 are they getting paid more though? are they getting benefits?
@@mrmosk2011 profitability means stealing the surplus labour value from the workers.
This was an Amazon paid positive PR ad. Drivers are under unrealistic time demands, verbally abused, under inhumane working conditions, stress, and under continuous surveillance. However, it does provide jobs for the poor and deliver goods at speeds never experience before.