# Screwing up the Amazon Flex gig (rant)



## jester121

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-amazon-drivers-20161218-story.html

Down at the bottom are the idiots trying to screw things up for everyone --



> Bernadean Rittman, 36, started driving for Amazon Flex earlier this year. The promised $18-an-hour pay was irresistible, and the mother of two needed to supplement her income as an insurance agent.
> 
> The allure vanished when she started driving. Rittman was working with Prime Now orders - an Amazon service launched in 2014 that allows customers to get a product within hours of clicking on it. She says Amazon gave her up to 72 packages to deliver in four hours, meaning she had to deposit one package roughly every three minutes.
> 
> There were several days when Rittman kept driving her SUV for two hours outside her delivery window, unpaid, to finish delivering all her packages.
> 
> If she was even one minute late delivering her last package, she said, it led to a scolding email from Amazon Support.
> 
> Rittman still drives for Flex, but she joined the Washington lawsuit filed in October by Shannon Liss-Riordan - the same lawyer who represented drivers in a suit against Uber and won a $100-million settlement with the company in April. That settlement was ultimately rejected by a judge for being too low.
> 
> *"You want to cry when you are out there," Rittman said. "They have so much control over us, it's not even fair."*


Thanks a lot, ya whiny little cow -- make yourself a pain in the butt and Amazon will shut down the whole thing. Are you really too stupid to realize what happens when you lose IC status and get all those "rights" you say you want? That's right, it turns into a J-O-B, with lower wages, no flexible scheduling, a time clock, and all the other BS the rest of us are trying to avoid. Oh, and while you may be a screwup that takes 6 hours to deliver a block once in a while, but did you tell the reporter about all the times your 4 hour blocks only took 90 minutes so you got paid $40+ per hour? Of course not. If you want to be a wage slave, go for it, but don't screw up the Flex gig for the rest of us.

People are so annoying these days. Pitiful.


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## FlexDriver

............. So do we have another option to tell Amazon that 72 pkgs are too much? they reduced the block timing from 4 to 3 hrs now in lots of markets with same amount of pkgs. You just keep quite and say nothing due to the scary fact that Amazon will shut down its Flex program! We were all surviving before the start of this gig and we will still survive if Amazon closes its Flex delivery program. Personally I am also against with lawsuits but.............. did Amazon left any source to hear from the front line people, *answer is big NO*??? IMO

I still enjoy working with this gig as I never considered it as my main source of income, I just completed one year with Amazon Flex. There were few instances where I was NOT able get any blocks sometime for weeks but that also is part of this gig.



> People are so annoying these days. Pitiful.


People are NOT annoying, they act as per their mental ability and sometime with peer pressure, but there are always some exceptions........................... lol
Here is an example, you just *"welcomed" *a dude from London in other thread, I have never seen you welcoming anyone in this forum, you just welcomed him due to the fact he is from London.


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## Shangsta

The article is flawed 72 packages can be really easy with a locker, leasing office that accepts or a short distance between blocks (all houses)

Sometimes they do seem to treat us like employees rather than an independent contractor. If you get an Uber ping from 20 minutes away you can ignore it, if you get a flex delivery area 30 minutes away they make you take it.

Even with individual packages there are some warehouses that try to force drivers to take missorts. A single package a half hour away from your other deliveries. Then they tell drivers take it or forfeit, seems messed up.


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## speedyk

Personnel on both sides do not understand how the 1099 relationship works. I've been doing it for a long time, and still learn new things. Amazon needs to learn how to treat vendors as well as customers, vendors need to learn to be professional and solution-oriented. I agree that I don't want to be an employee again, but one thing that comes along with 1099 is setting limits with clients, from what I read on here Amazon is making it more difficult to do that in a professional way. Both sides have a "you are expendable" attitude.


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## KILLERST

I am pretty sure a lot of people are not suitable for this job. And obviously most of the people in the article are not. Here is why:
I heard from a girl last week that she picked up a 3 hour block and it took her 6 hour to deliver. She took the 3 (big) left-over packages from my cart and I guess it was a lucky day for her because they did not add any extra packages to the cart and just let her deliver the three boxes. That was how I encountered her on the road we had a chat. She was pretty happy with the half-hour cart I left for her, however, she told me it took her 6 hours for a 3 hour block a day earlier. 
Looking at how she did the job, I did not have to wonder how it took her 6 hours. She was delivering for a quiet single house neighborhood at noon with plenty of parking space by the curb. Instead of parking there, she drove the car in the drive way instead. I was not sure if she wanted to save 10 ft of walking or did not plan ahead that she had to back out of the drive way afterward. Everything she did after looked like slow motion to me from getting the package, scan it to getting it to the front door and get back. And certainly, she was not very fit (I estimate 200-250 lbs). Please don't laugh because that's not a thing to make fun about. That's just an example of taking the wrong job. Like other jobs, this one has some requirements too. However, they weren't presented upfront like other 'official' job. This is an IC position so Amazon don't really care if you do the job efficiently or not. They just need you to finish your job, with their pre-determined pay. If you meet all the 'hidden' requirements of this job, you should be able to finish the block within the given hours.

I'll list some of them if some people haven't noticed:

- Have a sedan, however, don't bring an SUV or minivan to the warehouse...so you don't have to put more than 60 packages in the car. Most ideal - a Honda Civic.
- Navigation skill, so you don't have to make too many U-turn.
- Analysation skill, so you know which group number should be delivered first from the get go (You should take 30s-1 minute to assess the cart before scanning)
- Able to fly in and out of the car...
- Knowledge of your area so you can identify missort quickly.
- Some years of driving...so you don't have to use the earning for deductible...
- Logical thinking...so you can override the app's navigating order and not driving to people driveway to save 10-20 feet of walking...

Shouldn't we make a 'real' intro/job requirements thread for this job (and pin it up) as Amazon didn't create one? They only list '18-25$ guarantee & flexible hours...' as the job intro.


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## CarmenFlexDriver

I'm pretty amazed at what people do myself. If you can't do a job the option is to quit or get fired, get over it, move on!
These people sit and complain but continue to work. So, have no sympathy for them. With freedom they still complain!

The end of the article says the flex driver suing is doing "prime now". She says they give her 72 packages to deliver in 4 hours.....Uh......NO, no they don't! So, either this is the lawsuit from back in 2014 or 15 or she's full of shit! 
And like Jester says, how many did she finish early? We all put in some extra time here and there and get it back other days. Any idiot who tells me you're making minimum wage with this gig is either completely incompetent or clueless! or.....BOTH!


Date of the article is Dec 2016 so not sure if these are new suits or old?


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## CarmenFlexDriver

KILLERST said:


> I am pretty sure a lot of people are not suitable for this job. And obviously most of the people in the article are not. Here is why:
> I heard from a girl last week that she picked up a 3 hour block and it took her 6 hour to deliver. She took the 3 (big) left-over packages from my cart and I guess it was a lucky day for her because they did not add any extra packages to the cart and just let her deliver the three boxes. That was how I encountered her on the road we had a chat. She was pretty happy with the half-hour cart I left for her, however, she told me it took her 6 hours for a 3 hour block a day earlier.
> Looking at how she did the job, I did not have to wonder how it took her 6 hours. She was delivering for a quiet single house neighborhood at noon with plenty of parking space by the curb. Instead of parking there, she drove the car in the drive way instead. I was not sure if she wanted to save 10 ft of walking or did not plan ahead that she had to back out of the drive way afterward. Everything she did after looked like slow motion to me from getting the package, scan it to getting it to the front door and get back. And certainly, she was not very fit (I estimate 200-250 lbs). Please don't laugh because that's not a thing to make fun about. That's just an example of taking the wrong job. Like other jobs, this one has some requirements too. However, they weren't presented upfront like other 'official' job. This is an IC position so Amazon don't really care if you do the job efficiently or not. They just need you to finish your job, with their pre-determined pay. If you meet all the 'hidden' requirements of this job, you should be able to finish the block within the given hours.
> 
> I'll list some of them if some people haven't noticed:
> 
> - Have a sedan, however, don't bring an SUV or minivan to the warehouse...so you don't have to put more than 60 packages in the car. Most ideal - a Honda Civic.
> - Navigation skill, so you don't have to make too many U-turn.
> - Analysation skill, so you know which group number should be delivered first from the get go (You should take 30s-1 minute to assess the cart before scanning)
> - Able to fly in and out of the car...
> - Knowledge of your area so you can identify missort quickly.
> - Some years of driving...so you don't have to use the earning for deductible...
> - Logical thinking...so you can override the app's navigating order and not driving to people driveway to save 10-20 feet of walking...
> 
> Shouldn't we make a 'real' intro/job requirements thread for this job (and pin it up) as Amazon didn't create one? They only list '18-25$ guarantee & flexible hours...' as the job intro.


 I don't meet MANY of those "requirements"! 
Have an suv, don't sort packages, never know the areas I deliver in because I live 3 counties away, old guy so not in shape but I can move pretty fast for an old fart. The rest....yeh, i'm a pretty good driver.....depending on who you ask and think pretty fast on my feet.

Just dropped 56 packages in 3 hours for a 4 hour block with a delivery area 24 miles away. From start time to last package and we loaded late even.


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## KILLERST

CarmenFlexDriver said:


> I don't meet MANY of those "requirements"!
> Have an suv, don't sort packages, never know the areas I deliver in because I live 3 counties away, old guy so not in shape but I can move pretty fast for an old fart. The rest....yeh, i'm a pretty good driver.....depending on who you ask and think pretty fast on my feet.
> 
> Just dropped 56 packages in 3 hours for a 4 hour block with a delivery area 24 miles away. From start time to last package and we loaded late even.


I was a little in doubt about the SUV. About the space, I think sedan's trunk space is kinda the same as the back space of SUV (except ones with third row seating like Acura MDX). However, the gas mileage is a little higher for the SUV. You're able to fly in and out of the car so I would say that you're well qualified for this job and it would help keep you in shape with >1 mile walking (while delivering) a day. Sorting could help improve the speed a little if your warehouse usually give out groups within 30 numbers, for example, within SP.0000 - SP0030. I would bring the next whole group to my passenger seat every time I finish one group. This really depends on the warehouse.


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## jester121

CarmenFlexDriver said:


> I'm pretty amazed at what people do myself. If you can't do a job the option is to quit or get fired, get over it, move on!
> These people sit and complain but continue to work. So, have no sympathy for them. With freedom they still complain!
> 
> ...
> 
> Date of the article is Dec 2016 so not sure if these are new suits or old?


Basically this is just a bunch of manufactured outrage, which is pretty typical these days. These people got fired from "real" jobs and couldn't find normal work, so they come into these gigs as if they're the same as their last job, and have no clue what being an IC is all about. Last week there was an article circulating from the U.K. about these warehouse workers who were camping out in tents in the woods because Amazon wasn't paying them enough, the poor little guys. So quit the job and don't work there, geniuses! I just don't get it... the people on this forum complaining about Uber pay slave wages; that's an insult to the shameful history of actual slavery... which, newsflash, didn't involve any pay at all. I swear, there's so much stupid out there.

Carmen, the article is in tomorrow's LA Times, the suits referenced relate to that annoying Shannon whats-her-name who gets off making a name for herself as a social justice warrior.... while making millions off the back of working people, most of whom don't want her help. I think one suit got thrown out, the other just got started.


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## UberPasco

As has been said before, the number of packages don't matter. And the number of stops matter just a little more. Apparently logistics folks don't get the little tracking sheets that they give to Prime Now drivers detailing the routing. The computers do their thing and spit out X number of stops that can be done in X number of hours. So if it calculates that you can do 28 stops (package count doesn't factor in) in 4 hrs, that's your cart. Now if that same route was a 3hr block, the computer adjusts and may remove 8 stops that you wouldn't be able to make. Those that were removed go back in the mix for another route to be created.
I have some routing slips showing some of the info that they use. I just need to edit a bit.
For Prime Now, they factor in 4 min per stop, travel time to the stops and travel back to WH. They can tweak it to where they disregard return time. This is usually what happens when we are sweating out the final 30 seconds of a block.  Or they added to your cart because someone else didn't show or is a whiner.


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## CarmenFlexDriver

KILLERST said:


> I was a little in doubt about the SUV. About the space, I think sedan's trunk space is kinda the same as the back space of SUV (except ones with third row seating like Acura MDX). However, the gas mileage is a little higher for the SUV. You're able to fly in and out of the car so I would say that you're well qualified for this job and it would help keep you in shape with >1 mile walking (while delivering) a day. Sorting could help improve the speed a little if your warehouse usually give out groups within 30 numbers, for example, within SP.0000 - SP0030. I would bring the next whole group to my passenger seat every time I finish one group. This really depends on the warehouse.


 I was just being a wise ass!  Don't want to think I was giving you a hard time......you'll know when i'm doing that!
I think this is one of those "jobs" that you either take to it, or your don't.


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## CarmenFlexDriver

jester121 said:


> Basically this is just a bunch of manufactured outrage, which is pretty typical these days. These people got fired from "real" jobs and couldn't find normal work, so they come into these gigs as if they're the same as their last job, and have no clue what being an IC is all about. Last week there was an article circulating from the U.K. about these warehouse workers who were camping out in tents in the woods because Amazon wasn't paying them enough, the poor little guys. So quit the job and don't work there, geniuses! I just don't get it... the people on this forum complaining about Uber pay slave wages; that's an insult to the shameful history of actual slavery... which, newsflash, didn't involve any pay at all. I swear, there's so much stupid out there.
> 
> Carmen, the article is in tomorrow's LA Times, the suits referenced relate to that annoying Shannon whats-her-name who gets off making a name for herself as a social justice warrior.... while making millions off the back of working people, most of whom don't want her help. I think one suit got thrown out, the other just got started.


 Yep....sounds like a lawyer finding the right people to bring a suit. Gullible and ignorant people coupled with a little greed! No one owes them a job, plain and simple. We all decide if it's something we want to do and if the pay is worth the trouble. If not....delete the app and move on.


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## CarmenFlexDriver

UberPasco said:


> As has been said before, the number of packages don't matter. And the number of stops matter just a little more. Apparently logistics folks don't get the little tracking sheets that they give to Prime Now drivers detailing the routing. The computers do their thing and spit out X number of stops that can be done in X number of hours. So if it calculates that you can do 28 stops (package count doesn't factor in) in 4 hrs, that's your cart. Now if that same route was a 3hr block, the computer adjusts and may remove 8 stops that you wouldn't be able to make. Those that were removed go back in the mix for another route to be created.
> I have some routing slips showing some of the info that they use. I just need to edit a bit.
> For Prime Now, they factor in 4 min per stop, travel time to the stops and travel back to WH. They can tweak it to where they disregard return time. This is usually what happens when we are sweating out the final 30 seconds of a block.  Or they added to your cart because someone else didn't show or is a whiner.


 No doubt that package counts don't matter. My lowest package routes actually take longer some times and typically have returns. My larger routes are almost always short routes and 100% delivered.

On another note....some figures i've come up with from my own data I found interesting.

Average earnings are $17-20 an hour after actual expenses. On top of that I can write off a good amount of those earnings with the 54 cents a mile deduction. The big unknown factor is breakdowns, repairs unknown expenses...phone taking a crap, things like that. Can't calculate for that.

Average route times for 69 blocks i've calculated to 3.5 hours. So, while i've done a lot of short routes they have come close to getting a good average out of me.
Now .5 hours per block may not seem like a lot to shave off but every 10 blocks i'm saving that half hour comes out to 5 hours to my benefit.

So, amazon actually got the hourly rate and block times pretty close........at least by my own numbers.


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## Shangsta

KILLERST said:


> - Navigation skill, so you don't have to make too many U-turn.
> - Able to fly in and out of the car...
> - Some years of driving...so you don't have to use the earning for deductible...
> - Logical thinking...so you can override the app's navigating order and not driving to people driveway to save 10-20 feet of walking...


I highlighted the ones I agree with. Some people are just slow, if you are not in a hurry thats fine but I feel 4 hours is a reasonable amount of time to finish a block, I tend to think if it takes you longer than 4 hours (consistently) its a "you thing"

Like you said, you cant all discount being a good driver. Having to make u turns, using driveways rather than the curb can really slow you down and increase the beating on your car.

Dont forget the people who wait at houses for someone to answer the door. All that time adds up.



jester121 said:


> ! I just don't get it... the people on this forum complaining about Uber pay slave wages;


Thank you for posting this. Once a gig becomes unfavorable you have every right to quit. I said if my warehouse switches to 3 hour I would quit. Some people falsely assume Amazon owes us something.


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## Shangsta

CarmenFlexDriver said:


> Average route times for 69 blocks i've calculated to 3.5 hours. So, while i've done a lot of short routes they have come close to getting a good average out of me.


How many of those 69 were four hours?

I would love to produce some data but I imagine the time spent delivering my four hours is less than the time taken for my three hours (I think I have finished a 3 hour in 2 hours exactly once)


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## FlexDriver

UberPasco said:


> As has been said before, the number of packages don't matter. And the number of stops matter just a little more. Apparently logistics folks don't get the little tracking sheets that they give to Prime Now drivers detailing the routing. The computers do their thing and spit out X number of stops that can be done in X number of hours. So if it calculates that you can do 28 stops (package count doesn't factor in) in 4 hrs, that's your cart. Now if that same route was a 3hr block, the computer adjusts and may remove 8 stops that you wouldn't be able to make. Those that were removed go back in the mix for another route to be created.
> I have some routing slips showing some of the info that they use. I just need to edit a bit.
> For Prime Now, they factor in 4 min per stop, travel time to the stops and travel back to WH. They can tweak it to where they disregard return time. This is usually what happens when we are sweating out the final 30 seconds of a block.  Or they added to your cart because someone else didn't show or is a whiner.


Computers only do its thing in perfect world scenario. it does not calculate a a stranded vehicle blocking a fast lane or gated community attended delivery without gate codes, Lately, I am receiving most of my carts after 15-20 mins my block starts with 6-7 deliveries. I talked to the supervisors couple of times but every time his response is "its computer generated" I cannot do anything. It clearly means "Love it or Leave it"
Side note: The sheet you have mentioned is been discontinued to giving it to the drivers in my WH, it does helps a bit organizing the route but HERE maps has been great since last couple of months.


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## CarmenFlexDriver

Shangsta said:


> How many of those 69 were four hours?
> 
> I would love to produce some data but I imagine the time spent delivering my four hours is less than the time taken for my three hours (I think I have finished a 3 hour in 2 hours exactly once)


 All my data is for 4 hours. I would have more data but the first 15-20 blocks I did, I didn't keep hours. As I progressed I added more info like package counts, customer expectation emails, returns, location etc. Yeh, at first I thought it was overkill too but it's very useful in hindsight.

3 hour blocks are very rare at our location and I don't do them anyway.

NOTE: Google drive/docs/sheets makes it real easy to keep the data. Everyone has a google account and access to it. Even if you never created a spread sheet it's not hard to do and you can access it from your phone, computer even an apple device.


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## KILLERST

In Springfield, VA, I haven't seen a 4 hour block ever since I started and the 3 hour block is quite reasonable because they can easily be finished in 1.5-2 hour. Also, the warehouse manager/people are pretty nice. I wonder how was the 4 hour block was at this warehouse prior to the switch. Can someone show me a picture of the 4 hour cart and the itinerary map?


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## Shangsta

One last thought: it mentions 2 out of 1000 being the threshold for deliveries. So I take it if 3 out of every 1000 deliveries leads to a customer expectations email we should be fearful of deactivation


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## CarmenFlexDriver

Shangsta said:


> One last thought: it mentions 2 out of 1000 being the threshold for deliveries. So I take it if 3 out of every 1000 deliveries leads to a customer expectations email we should be fearful of deactivation


 That was for the scoobeez driver wasn't it? I don't think that applies to us. That's actually a pretty unrealistic threshold they hold those guys too, and if you read what the amazon rep said they don't recommend they fire the driver but "retrain" them. My guess is the pressure is on the contractor to keep their numbers in check so they probably do pass that on the drivers.
We have a little more leeway I think for missing packages. For us it's more the percentage of missing packages I believe coupled with a few other factors including time span.
So, a 99% reliability rating for delivering with no missed blocks should allow for about 10 customer expectations emails per 1000 packages. 
They say below 98% is a problem. To go below 98% you need to have 20 missing packages per 1000.

Now of course this is my opinion but also according to amazon the rating we need to stay at.

I know you're nowhere near that and are careful so you should have nothing to worry about.

I've gotten 3 or 4 out of my 80plus blocks so I consider myself pretty lucky so far. (started keeping track of that data to but not the first 1 or 2)


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## CatchyMusicLover

Ok so....not gonna quote anything but...

-SUVs: At the WH here, the majority of time who has what car is irrelevant, just the place in line. We get we whatever rack we land in front of. Occasionally I've seen them shift things around but it seems more for a matter of package size, not amount
-I'm hardly 'fit'. I have no trouble, at ALL, doing this. 
-Three hour blocks emphatically take longer than four hour blocks, in terms of total time worked. I'd say a 'normal' 4 hour block takes me between 2.25 and 2.75 hours, where a 'normal' 3 hour block takes 1.6 to 1.9...these are just guesses though.
-If 99% is the actual retention rate they want, getting even 1 a week with ~300 packages is only 1/3rd of that.


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## UberPasco

CatchyMusicLover said:


> -Three hour blocks emphatically take longer than four hour blocks, in terms of total time worked. I'd say a 'normal' 4 hour block takes me between 2.25 and 2.75 hours, where a 'normal' 3 hour block takes 1.6 to 1.9...these are just guesses though.


Uhmmm, those guesses emphatically calculate you working 7 min to 13 min LESS when applied to a 4 hr block.


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## CatchyMusicLover

Yeah I screwed up my numbers for the 3 hour, not sure why....I meant more like 1.75 to 2 hours. And looking at those numbers it's still very close. What my brain (and not me) was really trying to say is more like....a three hour block doesn't take an hour less than a four hour one. So even if you're getting payed the same amount per hour (as it were) you still have to put in more overall time as a whole because the difference is smaller (i.e. only 30 to 45 minutes less) for the amount you get payed (and then when you add travel time from and to home, which is static, it gets even a smaller difference)


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## CarmenFlexDriver

KILLERST said:


> In Springfield, VA, I haven't seen a 4 hour block ever since I started and the 3 hour block is quite reasonable because they can easily be finished in 1.5-2 hour. Also, the warehouse manager/people are pretty nice. I wonder how was the 4 hour block was at this warehouse prior to the switch. Can someone show me a picture of the 4 hour cart and the itinerary map?


I've never taken a pic of the cart or itinerary so can't help ya' there. But in general 4 hour blocks run 2.5 to 3.5 hours and about 43 pkgs average per route. This seems to be the norm from what I gather at most locations. Of course there are variations.

I don't do the 3 hours because i'm so far from the warehouse. If I could do 2, 3 hour blocks a day I would but that is not doable at our location.


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## UberPasco

CatchyMusicLover said:


> Yeah I screwed up my numbers for the 3 hour, not sure why....I meant more like 1.75 to 2 hours. And looking at those numbers it's still very close. What my brain (and not me) was really trying to say is more like....a three hour block doesn't take an hour less than a four hour one. So even if you're getting payed the same amount per hour (as it were) you still have to put in more overall time as a whole because the difference is smaller (i.e. only 30 to 45 minutes less) for the amount you get payed (and then when you add travel time from and to home, which is static, it gets even a smaller difference)


I definitely get you on the "feels like". It's true you can't get paid for working less as much. They were giving and we were taking. Now they are giving less.


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## jester121

CarmenFlexDriver said:


> But in general 4 hour blocks run 2.5 to 3.5 hours and about 43 pkgs average per route.


Not for long, unless you guys are driving far away or have more spread out blocks. 40-45 (30-35 stops) is a 3 hour block here, figuring 15-20 minutes to drive to the neighborhood. I bet that changes soon.


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## MoMoney$

There are 60 packages because the density has increased for me at least. Drop offs are closer.


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## CatchyMusicLover

And there are a lot more multiples to the same address, as well. 

Both of these things should change next week, I imagine.


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## CarmenFlexDriver

jester121 said:


> Not for long, unless you guys are driving far away or have more spread out blocks. 40-45 (30-35 stops) is a 3 hour block here, figuring 15-20 minutes to drive to the neighborhood. I bet that changes soon.


 Those are just averages. We most certainly get routes with 60 plus and some with 20 so. I still think there are other reasons for the 3 hour blocks besides them just trying to save a few bucks. Doesn't matter to amazon. And according to my data the hours even out. Some days you get the benefit other days amazon does.

My numbers may be a bit different than others because I RARELY return to the warehouse. If I did, my average would be closer to 4 hours and
amazon accounts for returning to the warehouse.

Time will tell but I see no signs of 3 hour blocks for our normal routes. Evening and later, yes, they've been doing those for some time.


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## TBone

Amazon must be busy. I cancelled my Amazon account weeks ago and received an email last week from flex asking me to update my availability because it's supposed to be busy this week. I emailed flex and told them this but they responded with an email how to update my availability. I replied and told them they didn't read my email and that I quit. I received another email asking me if I wanted to quit. So I said yes and they supposedly removed me from flex. Then Friday night I get an email saying I had hours available. Mind you, I hadn't updated my availability or had access to the app for two weeks.
I hadn't worked since 11/2 and now they get busy and expect me to jump in and help them the week before Christmas. Bezos can kiss my butt


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## Shangsta

TBone said:


> Amazon must be busy. I cancelled my Amazon account weeks ago and received an email last week from flex asking me to update my availability because it's supposed to be busy this week. I emailed flex and told them this but they responded with an email how to update my availability. I replied and told them they didn't read my email and that I quit. I received another email asking me if I wanted to quit. So I said yes and they supposedly removed me from flex. Then Friday night I get an email saying I had hours available. Mind you, I hadn't updated my availability or had access to the app for two weeks.
> I hadn't worked since 11/2 and now they get busy and expect me to jump in and help them the week before Christmas. Bezos can kiss my butt


Someone else posted this to you but it still applies IMO. I mean yes it sucks they offer you work now but why not take advantage? Its a gig not a job, you dont have to show any loyalty.

I just dont see what burning a bridge by being deactivated does for you. Even if you are not active (I have done two blocks the last 3 weeks bc of work) its nice knowing if I need to make some money the app is there for me.


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## TBone

$150 every month or two does nothing for me and only benefits amazon. It needs to be a beneficial relationship for both parties.


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## ITminion

Damn dude, my WH never has 72 Prime Now packages for one person, lol. And if they did, they aren't that mean, they'll round up all the drivers that are sitting around and divvy out the bags evenly as much as they can, yeesh.


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## Brandon Wilson

UberPasco said:


> As has been said before, the number of packages don't matter. And the number of stops matter just a little more. Apparently logistics folks don't get the little tracking sheets that they give to Prime Now drivers detailing the routing. The computers do their thing and spit out X number of stops that can be done in X number of hours. So if it calculates that you can do 28 stops (package count doesn't factor in) in 4 hrs, that's your cart. Now if that same route was a 3hr block, the computer adjusts and may remove 8 stops that you wouldn't be able to make. Those that were removed go back in the mix for another route to be created.
> I have some routing slips showing some of the info that they use. I just need to edit a bit.
> For Prime Now, they factor in 4 min per stop, travel time to the stops and travel back to WH. They can tweak it to where they disregard return time. This is usually what happens when we are sweating out the final 30 seconds of a block.  Or they added to your cart because someone else didn't show or is a whiner.


I'd love to see a routing slip out of curiosity.



ITminion said:


> Damn dude, my WH never has 72 Prime Now packages for one person, lol. And if they did, they aren't that mean, they'll round up all the drivers that are sitting around and divvy out the bags evenly as much as they can, yeesh.


Wish I could say the same.


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## Cynergie

jester121 said:


> http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-amazon-drivers-20161218-story.html
> 
> Down at the bottom are the idiots trying to screw things up for everyone --
> 
> Thanks a lot, ya whiny little cow -- make yourself a pain in the butt and Amazon will shut down the whole thing. Are you really too stupid to realize what happens when you lose IC status and get all those "rights" you say you want? That's right, it turns into a J-O-B, with lower wages, no flexible scheduling, a time clock, and all the other BS the rest of us are trying to avoid. Oh, and while you may be a screwup that takes 6 hours to deliver a block once in a while, but did you tell the reporter about all the times your 4 hour blocks only took 90 minutes so you got paid $40+ per hour? Of course not. If you want to be a wage slave, go for it, but don't screw up the Flex gig for the rest of us.
> 
> People are so annoying these days. Pitiful.


And here you are ripping me for typically finishing in half her time jester121. Smh

PS I average 1.5hr each 3hr block and 2-2.5h each 4h block. Because of that level of efficiency, I was able to complete two 3hr blocks since 930a this morning at an increased $22/hr rate. Which gives me lots of downtime to deliver my final $100 4hr block starting in the next hour from now. Do some Ubering after that and take advantage of the weekend surge.

I'm going to make $232 in approx 5h today just off flex. Uber is additional profit margin and will likely bring total earnings up to $350-$380 today. Simply because I'm more efficient than that traumatized flex drama queen.

It pays to be industrious.

edit: This article is OLD news btw. It's dated in Dec of last year at peak of Christmas rush. This rush was NOTHING compared to Amazon Prime Day about half a month ago. The southern SF WHs were DROWNING in packages. And the IC drivers were being given 1hr lunch breaks for 10 hour days (guaranteed 2 hr OT) with guaranteed triple OT if they helped out on PT PM shifts after 4-5pm.

Odds are this social butterfly Flex drone has moved on to something else that suits her. And no, Amazon won't likely cull the flex program for lazy cry babies like her. Too much profit to be made using ICs who pay all their operational expenses.


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## UberPasco

Cynergie said:


> PS I average 1.5hr each 3hr block and 2-2.5h each 4h block. Because of that level of efficiency, I was able to complete two 3hr blocks since 930a this morning at an increased $22/hr rate. Which gives me lots of downtime to deliver my final $100 4hr block starting in the next hour from now. Do some Ubering after that and take advantage of the weekend surge.
> 
> I'm going to make $232 in approx 5h today just off flex. Uber is additional profit margin and will likely bring total earnings up to $350-$380 today. Simply because I'm more efficient than that traumatized flex drama queen.


Complete and utter Bullspit. How about you post a pic of your earnings tab?
Yeah........, didn't think you would.


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## Michael - Cleveland

CarmenFlexDriver said:


> No doubt that package counts don't matter. My lowest package routes actually take longer some times and typically have returns. My larger routes are almost always short routes and 100% delivered.
> 
> On another note....some figures i've come up with from my own data I found interesting.
> 
> Average earnings are $17-20 an hour after actual expenses. On top of that I can write off a good amount of those earnings with the 54 cents a mile deduction. The big unknown factor is breakdowns, repairs unknown expenses...phone taking a crap, things like that. Can't calculate for that.
> 
> Average route times for 69 blocks i've calculated to 3.5 hours. So, while i've done a lot of short routes they have come close to getting a good average out of me.
> Now .5 hours per block may not seem like a lot to shave off but every 10 blocks i'm saving that half hour comes out to 5 hours to my benefit.
> 
> So, amazon actually got the hourly rate and block times pretty close........at least by my own numbers.


Here in Cleveland (a three-month-old Flex market) I see the same thing. The delivery blocks of 3 hours figured by the AznFlx software are pretty close. But it's also true: you win some, you lose some.



UberPasco said:


> Complete and utter Bullspit. How about you post a pic of your earnings tab?
> Yeah........, didn't think you would.


(and the Sun 6PM-9PM block of 3 hrs/$72 took exactly 30 minutes to complete)


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## jester121

Cynergie said:


> edit: This article is OLD news btw. It's dated in Dec of last year at peak of Christmas rush.


Check the date on the original post, genius. The post above yours is the guy that bumped an 8 month old thread.

And what does that article or this thread have to do with my remarks in the other thread (which were partially tongue in cheek)? Nothing. I know people aren't going to slow down or screw around with holding blocks open until an hour later. I also know that even if the 10 people who read that other thread did, it wouldn't matter one bit.


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