In certain cities there is an option for drivers to continue delivering for Flex or begin delivering for the Amazon.com service. In some cities you can deliver for both, it all depends on your location and the current need.
Since I have spoken at length about Flex deliveries and what the process entails I will just give a brief overview of .com deliveries.
Delivery shifts are in four hour blocks with pay being $72.00 per block. Some cities may have more demand than others so rates may vary. Similar to the current Flex app, you set your availability and get scheduled on a weekly basis. There is also the ability to pick up shifts when not scheduled. Certain locations only have blocks available at 10am and 12pm, so you either work 10am-2pm or 12pm to 4pm. Different sites may have different start times. Again, it all depends on the need.
You are required to have a 4-door mid size sedan or larger. Mostly because you will need to fit a lot more packages in your car per shift. Some packages may be as small as a letter and others as large as a flat screen TV. You may have one stop per package, or fewer depending on an order, very similar to Flex deliveries.
At a few sites there is a different loading method. Some have a warehouse where you drive the car right in like picking up lumber at Home Depot. You no longer are waiting in the bullpen with the other drivers. You pull in, they check your info, then point you to your deliveries.
You still scan the items and are given a suggested route, but with the bigger block you may be run a bit more ragged. You definitely want to pay attention to your route and adjust it as needed. There are many instances of making a drop off and moving on, only to be back in the same vicinity 40 minutes later. Double check the route!
When deciding which delivery position, Flex vs. .com, is better, it all comes down to the driver and what they value most. In my opinion, the true question is, does one value the possibility of more guaranteed hours or the possibility of more pay by way of tips? Obviously, in cities where you can work for both there is no decision to be made. Get the best of both worlds. In the cities where it’s one or the other, it’s up to you to decide. It would be great to hear other driver’s thoughts and opinions.
In one final note. If you look at the news lately you will see that Amazon bought it’s first plane, ala Fedex/UPS style. It very well could be a glimpse of what’s to come for the company and it’s contract drivers. Could the contract position turn into more down the line? We’ll see…