# New to Flex, missed my first block because of AMZ navigation



## DFW-Flex (Oct 25, 2016)

Just wanted to say hi from a new (and hopefully continuing) Amazon Flex driver at the Farmers Branch location near Dallas, Texas. I originally signed up over a month ago, went through the online process and finally got my background check cleared this morning. So I was fortunate to grab an open block for this afternoon.

I was excited/nervous for my first deliveries but figured I had a decent idea of what to expect from reading threads on here and checking out YouTube videos. 

So I am new to Texas, moved here from California in July, so obviously I don't know my way around here yet. So I relied on the Amazon navigation to get me to the distribution center. Well, that was a big mistake as it took me to a location where I wasn't able to actually get into the distribution center.

For any of you familiar with the Farmers Branch center, it is located off a one-way street next the the freeway. So, following the navigation I get to a point of where it says "I've arrived" but it is past the turn-in into the center. But I didn't figure that out until going in a big 7-minute loop around the freeway twice that Amazon navigation told me to do. I finally decided to put the address into Google maps and it took me directly to the center but I was already 25 minutes past my pickup time. 

So, I missed my first block. I guess I should have been there much earlier to figure this out, but the wrong app directions combined with not seeing any signs at all for Amazon, and not know where the f I was going killed everything today. I will try again tomorrow. 

Thanks for listening to my venting. Hopefully I not the only one this has happened to. Any tips for the Farmers Branch location (or any at all) would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

Sorry to hear that I was late for my first block too. A blue vest at the warehouse signed me in manually..

For anyone who is getting ready to do Flex. Show up to your first block at least a half hour early. At mine the GPS takes you to the workers entrance not the drivers entrance. Wish I had known ahead of time.

Ill let fellow location drivers weigh in.


----------



## Chargr (Sep 7, 2015)

Yeah the gps navigation is not clear on which lot to pull in also (lots of entrances on the street). Luckily I left a little early so I had like 20 mins to figure out where exactly it was. 

Needs to improve.


----------



## DFW-Flex (Oct 25, 2016)

Guess I probably should have tried to still check in at the center. But I figured I was screwed by being over 25 minutes late. Dumb Amazon navigation!

The black is the route it had me take, the star is where the "I arrived" appeared. As you can see, the Amazon center is north of where "I arrived" but since it is on a one-way street I couldn't just turn back. So Amazon had me continuously going in a big loop with no success. I'll be coming from the North from now on.


----------



## Sweitzeram (Mar 26, 2016)

Definitely should have been there earlier.. Especially for your first day. However if you ever get in a pinch again and are pretty close you can always click the ? Icon and select I'm at the location but my GPS isn't working and check-in without actually being there.. As long as you show up pretty close they usually don't even notice. There is a train that cuts off the only access to my warehouse and I know I have used it at least once because of that.


----------



## Sweitzeram (Mar 26, 2016)

And maybe send flex support an email explaining the situation and that it was your first shift. . You may get lucky and they'll remove the negative mark from your record. Circumstances can definitely happen to where you miss another block. . 2 misses early on and you're probably done for. Worth a shot to try to get it removed so you can some wiggle room if something else happens in the future.


----------



## Uber48208 (May 4, 2016)

My first shift was picking up a block 30 mins before scheduled start. I was 20 mins away. I went to where Amazon's navigation directed me (RED BOX). To get to the driver entrance (YELLOW BOX), you had to cut across a NON-AMAZON parking lot (like you know where you're going as a first timer, really?) or follow the main roads around the oval which is actually 1.3 miles.









I showed up 7 mins late after getting there 10 mins early... 17 mins to figure where I was going with absolute garbage for signage where the RED BOX (amazon GPS) takes you...


----------



## jester121 (Sep 6, 2016)

Check in here opens 15 minutes before the block start time, so that's when I plan to arrive. That's a 19 minute cushion for me to technically still be there *in* time (but not *on* time as far as I'm concerned). First day I was parked in the lot 30 minutes before my start time... so I'd be sure I could find the place and be on time. It's not that difficult, especially on your first day.


----------



## hanxpc (Jul 22, 2016)

i was late 4 times in a row when i first started because i couldnt check in on the app because of the spot on location by waiting in line, the blue vest checked me in. no problem so far after 5 months


----------



## UTX1 (Dec 7, 2015)

DFW-Flex said:


> Just wanted to say hi from a new (and hopefully continuing) Amazon Flex driver at the Farmers Branch location near Dallas, Texas..... Any tips for the Farmers Branch location (or any at all) would be greatly appreciated.


Getting there.....

NB: Use the I35/Valley View Lane turn-a-round under the bridge.
EB: Use Luna Road and either cut down the service rd. or cut thru a street
called Valley Branch to get to Springlake rd. (the real address)
WB: Use 635 or Forest Ln to Josey Ln, turn right at Josey and then left @ the service road
and ride the LBJ service rd to Harry Hines, which is the service rd for I35.
Also, learn to use the back roads like Denton Dr. during high traffic times.

The Flex gig itself:

eh... I haven't figured that one out yet...

They say just showing up is 90% of the job.


----------



## jester121 (Sep 6, 2016)

UTX1 said:


> They say just showing up *on time* is 90% of the job.


----------

