# Blocks taking longer to finish



## Ksaldo (Apr 24, 2017)

I've been with Amazon Flex for a year and a half serving from Lisle warehouse. Before I used to get done in an 1 and a half hours average for a 3 hour block. Now its taking exactly 3 hours from start to finish and sometimes a bit longer so usually I have to hustle..I am doing mainly night shifts because of my other job so i havent been able to do am shifts yet and usually I don't see any anyways..but from what I can see deliveries are more spread out and more packages to deliver. Is it just me or are other people experiencing the same thing compared to before


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## FIdel Cashflow (Feb 23, 2018)

Yeah some of the routes are getting harder but it's mainly the experienced drivers that are getting the difficult routes. So at least Amazon considers us somewhat useful. If you've been there for a while Amazon has a ton of data on you. How fast you drive. How fast you scan. How fast you deliver...etc So sometimes we will get harder than usual routes because the data shows we can complete it in the allotted time.


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## icantdeliverhere (Jan 7, 2018)

Route are NOT base on ZONES any more nor being efficient at best BUT based on the length of your block. You should start comparing routes at the start and you'll start to see it.


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## Uberdamsel (Apr 6, 2016)

FIdel Cashflow said:


> Yeah some of the routes are getting harder but it's mainly the experienced drivers that are getting the difficult routes. So at least Amazon considers us somewhat useful. If you've been there for a while Amazon has a ton of data on you. How fast you drive. How fast you scan. How fast you deliver...etc So sometimes we will get harder than usual routes because the data shows we can complete it in the allotted time.


oh mine oh mine..... this explainzit


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## oicu812 (Aug 29, 2016)

Experienced drivers don't get the more difficult routes. Routes are all random. It's not that the workers know you're an experienced driver and bring you a specific route of packages that are more difficult than the others. Routes may be more difficult overall based on the stats for each station from the drivers that frequent it.


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## getawaycar (Jul 10, 2017)

No it's not just you. The routes were definitely getting much longer and much more spread out, which is why I quit several weeks ago. Not only that but we are being sent much further out to ever more distant and remote areas than I have never seen before. When you start to see a bunch of roads with deer and horseback crossing signs, is when you realize you're not in Kansas anymore.

The reason for that? Amazon is making much greater use of white van couriers who are gtting all the good routes that Flexers used to get. Its not worth it for the white van guys to do the distant routes that cost them too much money to do. So Amazon leaves it to the Flex drivers to handle the apartments and other undesirable routes that are money losers for the white van guys.

It isn't cheap to send a big, heavy gas guzzling commercial vehicle loaded with literally a ton of packages 50 miles out to the boonies--with each delivery spread out sevral blocks or miles apart.


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## Brandon Wilson (Aug 13, 2017)

I feel the opposite. I've been blowing through the majority of blocks I've been assigned since the move away from zones. So far my 'worst' blocks (outside of the time they had a late trailer) had me break even by the time I brought back my undeliverables.



getawaycar said:


> No it's not just you. The routes were definitely getting much longer and much more spread out, which is why I quit several weeks ago. Not only that but we are being sent much further out to ever more distant and remote areas than I have never seen before. When you start to see a bunch of roads with deer and horseback crossing signs, is when you realize you're not in Kansas anymore.
> 
> The reason for that? Amazon is making much greater use of white van couriers who are gtting all the good routes that Flexers used to get. Its not worth it for the white van guys to do the distant routes that cost them too much money to do. So Amazon leaves it to the Flex drivers to handle the apartments and other undesirable routes that are money losers for the white van guys.
> 
> It isn't cheap to send a big, heavy gas guzzling commercial vehicle loaded with literally a ton of packages 50 miles out to the boonies--with each delivery spread out sevral blocks or miles apart.


I think this varies from station to station. Amazon merged two station pools together recently and I've been getting a ton of offers from the newer station which is technically closer to me than the one I was going to. However, this newer station sends you way out to the fringes of Virginia. The one block I took from that station took me an hour away. Granted I blew through the route quickly, it was still 1hr20mins to get home vs the 20-30 min it takes to get home from a route at the station i typically frequent. 104 miles in one block is not cool at all. Needless to say I haven't bothered with it but I'm kinda pissed with how the pools got merged. Nobody wants to deliver out that station and it's made getting routes to my preferred station nearly impossible now. My time as a flexer is pretty much coming to an end.


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## FIdel Cashflow (Feb 23, 2018)

oicu812 said:


> Experienced drivers don't get the more difficult routes. Routes are all random. It's not that the workers know you're an experienced driver and bring you a specific route of packages that are more difficult than the others. Routes may be more difficult overall based on the stats for each station from the drivers that frequent it.


This is incorrect info. Amazon is always collecting data on the drivers. The routes assigned are not totally random. Don't believe that. When you are doing prime routes and have a 4hr block sometimes they will page you 20 miles out with the next route to deliver even though there are drivers at the station waiting to get a route assigned.

If someone is terrible at apt deliveries they won't continually give them apartments when there is someone who is great with those deliveries checked in for the same block.


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## CatchyMusicLover (Sep 18, 2015)

At our warehouse, it's completely random. You get assigned a spot in the building based on where there's space (usually they even tell the person outside where to send the next X amount of cars) and there's usually a number of routes (usually pretty close to each other) to choose from.


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## Brandon Wilson (Aug 13, 2017)

FIdel Cashflow said:


> This is incorrect info. Amazon is always collecting data on the drivers. The routes assigned are not totally random. Don't believe that. When you are doing prime routes and have a 4hr block sometimes they will page you 20 miles out with the next route to deliver even though there are drivers at the station waiting to get a route assigned.
> 
> If someone is terrible at apt deliveries they won't continually give them apartments when there is someone who is great with those deliveries checked in for the same block.


I'm filing this under station by station practice. My station never does this. It's a get in line and take what's lined up for you type of deal. Once you leave the station you are not expected to come back unless you have an undeliverable (which they don't even really want anymore based on the fact that they shove our completion rate in our face now) or you scheduled another block.


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## FIdel Cashflow (Feb 23, 2018)

Brandon Wilson said:


> I'm filing this under station by station practice. My station never does this. It's a get in line and take what's lined up for you type of deal. Once you leave the station you are not expected to come back unless you have an undeliverable (which they don't even really want anymore based on the fact that they shove our completion rate in our face now) or you scheduled another block.


Yeah, it seems like every station is different. At mine, we check in on the app and then after the algorithm pairs us with a particular route we will be paged and then our name will pop up on the TV with our assigned route number.


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## uberstuper (Jan 2, 2016)

CatchyMusicLover said:


> At our warehouse, it's completely random. You get assigned a spot in the building based on where there's space (usually they even tell the person outside where to send the next X amount of cars) and there's usually a number of routes (usually pretty close to each other) to choose from.


That's Las Vegas for sure . Normally have a choice of 3-4 carts to look at and pick best route. One thing for sure all stations are different


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## enigmaquip (Sep 2, 2016)

Logistics vs PN, prime now is assigned, logistics is more of a free for all


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## oicu812 (Aug 29, 2016)

FIdel Cashflow said:


> This is incorrect info. Amazon is always collecting data on the drivers. The routes assigned are not totally random. Don't believe that. When you are doing prime routes and have a 4hr block sometimes they will page you 20 miles out with the next route to deliver even though there are drivers at the station waiting to get a route assigned.
> 
> If someone is terrible at apt deliveries they won't continually give them apartments when there is someone who is great with those deliveries checked in for the same block.


It is correct info for logistics. I don't do Prime Now.


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## dantiv (Mar 1, 2017)

Ksaldo said:


> I've been with Amazon Flex for a year and a half serving from Lisle warehouse. Before I used to get done in an 1 and a half hours average for a 3 hour block. Now its taking exactly 3 hours from start to finish and sometimes a bit longer so usually I have to hustle..I am doing mainly night shifts because of my other job so i havent been able to do am shifts yet and usually I don't see any anyways..but from what I can see deliveries are more spread out and more packages to deliver. Is it just me or are other people experiencing the same thing compared to before


The routes are much longer mileage wise. The few routes I've been able to get this year have resulted in much more driving.


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## mke (Dec 19, 2016)

Our logistics is still allright, Avg. 10 packages per hour usually much quicker to finish, though it seems we are starting to get some farther out areas. Downtown areas take not much more then an hour even for a 4 hour.

Fresh has been pushing me really far out, last stop for the last 3 i've done have had me 40 minutes from warehouse on a 2 hour block...think I may have to stop them, way to many miles to be worth it.


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## Monkchoi (Feb 2, 2016)

oicu812 said:


> Experienced drivers don't get the more difficult routes. Routes are all random. It's not that the workers know you're an experienced driver and bring you a specific route of packages that are more difficult than the others. Routes may be more difficult overall based on the stats for each station from the drivers that frequent it.


They ask drivers for their block hours and roll you the matching racks!


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## oicu812 (Aug 29, 2016)

Monkchoi said:


> They ask drivers for their block hours and roll you the matching racks!


And that means what? They're suppose to give to a 4 hr rack for a 4 hr block. They are trying to catch people trying to get a 3 hr or 3.5 hr rack for a 4 hr block. There are those trying to get away with that crap. You won't necessarily get a more difficult 3 hr route than the other 3 hr routes just because a driver is more experienced.


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## Woohaa (Jan 15, 2017)

Don't forget routes that have you backtracking all over the city. Another time waster from some moron in logistics.


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## Jdelacruz129 (Oct 6, 2016)

Ksaldo said:


> I've been with Amazon Flex for a year and a half serving from Lisle warehouse. Before I used to get done in an 1 and a half hours average for a 3 hour block. Now its taking exactly 3 hours from start to finish and sometimes a bit longer so usually I have to hustle..I am doing mainly night shifts because of my other job so i havent been able to do am shifts yet and usually I don't see any anyways..but from what I can see deliveries are more spread out and more packages to deliver. Is it just me or are other people experiencing the same thing compared to before


In my experience it's the "night" blocks that will take exactly or in most cases more then the block time. Afternoon blocks I usually get done in less then the time allowed.


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## OJL (Jun 10, 2017)

Jdelacruz129 said:


> In my experience it's the "night" blocks that will take exactly or in most cases more then the block time. Afternoon blocks I usually get done in less then the time allowed.


It seems as if the late blocks are just thrown together with leftover packages and returns. I did one the other day and the mileage it took to complete it was ridiculous. Took me to like 4 different counties. Had like 37 packages and 37 stops and it took 3:45 of the 4hrs. Never again unless it's $100 or more for me! Morning shifts are routes that makes sense, normally in one county, and are always completed early. Equivalent to the $72 payout.


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## Monkchoi (Feb 2, 2016)

OJL said:


> It seems as if the late blocks are just thrown together with leftover packages and returns. I did one the other day and the mileage it took to complete it was ridiculous. Took me to like 4 different counties. Had like 37 packages and 37 stops and it took 3:45 of the 4hrs. Never again unless it's $100 or more for me! Morning shifts are routes that makes sense, normally in one county, and are always completed early. Equivalent to the $72 payout.


I had a late block of 16 packages/4 hr. block spread over 6 counties. I'd take that over 38 packages/4 hr. Block in 1 county. Let me know your preferences. Be realistic.


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## Uberdaddyo (Jan 3, 2018)

This is the first time i went over my shift. I got over 20 stops in a 2.5 hour shift. It took me 3 hours. Can I be compensated for the extra 30 minutes?


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## oicu812 (Aug 29, 2016)

Uberdaddyo said:


> This is the first time i went over my shift. I got over 20 stops in a 2.5 hour shift. It took me 3 hours. Can I be compensated for the extra 30 minutes?


You can try.


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## ScubaMark (Oct 5, 2017)

How often do you get finished 30mins before your block time is complete?

If it Evans out, why bother?


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## Uberdaddyo (Jan 3, 2018)

ScubaMark said:


> How often do you get finished 30mins before your block time is complete?
> 
> If it Evans out, why bother?


Yea you are right ive done 3 shifts one finished early one on time and one late

Hopefully i dont go over too often


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## ScubaMark (Oct 5, 2017)

I have found most times I get finished before the end time. Occasionally, like yesterday with the bad weather, I went over a few minutes. Plus you get faster as you learn tips to improve.


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## UKFlex44 (Sep 5, 2018)

Horrible Horrible block today, was a 4 hour one and took 6 hours to do, was all in the countryside and my car took a beating and so did the fuel. If all blocks were like this I’d quit straight away. But in general I’ve been finishing 4 hour blocks in around 2 hours sometimes even 1 hour so I can’t moan too much.


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## oicu812 (Aug 29, 2016)

UKFlex44 said:


> Horrible Horrible block today, was a 4 hour one and took 6 hours to do, was all in the countryside and my car took a beating and so did the fuel. If all blocks were like this I'd quit straight away. But in general I've been finishing 4 hour blocks in around 2 hours sometimes even 1 hour so I can't moan too much.


You should still request a pay adjustment. It doesn't hurt to try once or twice even if initially denied for pay adjustment.


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## Jdelacruz129 (Oct 6, 2016)

OJL said:


> It seems as if the late blocks are just thrown together with leftover packages and returns. I did one the other day and the mileage it took to complete it was ridiculous. Took me to like 4 different counties. Had like 37 packages and 37 stops and it took 3:45 of the 4hrs. Never again unless it's $100 or more for me! Morning shifts are routes that makes sense, normally in one county, and are always completed early. Equivalent to the $72 payout.


Late blocks are usually "same day" or re-attempts. Depending on what time block you get.


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## uberer2016 (Oct 16, 2016)

In California, the late blocks are the 6:30-9pm ones. They are the worst of the worst. Now that day time is getting shorter, you have even less day light to work with. I wouldn't touch these blocks unless its for $25/hr and I couldnt get a 5pm block for that day.


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