# Flex Being Phased Out



## jaxbeachrides (May 27, 2015)

At the warehouse yesterday, employee told me flex is being phased out.

I didn't believe it, and then went to an auto auction.










Brand new 2019 Amazon vans for sale.

Today Bezos announced a mega purchase order for 100000 electric delivery vehicles.

From the explanation of the warehouse employee, flex drivers will be gradually weeded out.


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## oicu812 (Aug 29, 2016)

What does flex being phased out have to do with Amazon Prime vans for sale? Warehouse employees aren't a good source of info. You should know better but probably don't.


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## Chicago-uber (Jun 18, 2014)

That’s weird. Why would amazon sell their vans. At my warehouse the DSPs are waiting for the vans. Amazon says there’s a shortage of prime vans being made.


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## Uber's Guber (Oct 22, 2017)

jaxbeachrides said:


> Today Bezos announced a mega purchase order for 100000 electric delivery vehicles.


Substantial order. Who is Bezos purchasing from?


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## Paladin220 (Jun 2, 2017)

Do you really think that amazon would allow their vans to go to an auction yard with the logos still on them? I don't.


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## Who is John Galt? (Sep 28, 2016)

Uber's Guber said:


> Substantial order. Who is Bezos purchasing from?


TomatoPaste Motor Corp is the lucky vendor apparently.

.


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## jaxbeachrides (May 27, 2015)

oicu812 said:


> What does flex being phased out have to do with Amazon Prime vans for sale? Warehouse employees aren't a good source of info. You should know better but probably don't.


Well golly gee then my bad they sure did provide a lot of specific information and being backed up with an order for 100,000 of buying their own vans doesn't line up with that statement at all now does it. I guess 2+2 should not equal 4 after all.



Paladin220 said:


> Do you really think that amazon would allow their vans to go to an auction yard with the logos still on them? I don't.


They absolutely do just as police cars go to the auction with the lights and Sirens still on the vehicle it is up to the auction yard to remove any decals labeling and equipment as necessary before the vehicle is picked up but not necessarily before it is sold.

Part of the bezos announcement included a 0 carbon emission statement which means obviously they won't be using gas driven Flex vehicles to achieve that goal I don't think


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## cvflexer (Apr 27, 2017)

The purchase of all those 100,000 units will not be completed until *2030*. I'm sure that is enough time to find another gig ?


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## Uber's Guber (Oct 22, 2017)

Who is John Galt? said:


> TomatoPaste Motor Corp is the lucky vendor apparently.


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## observer (Dec 11, 2014)

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.th...electric-delivery-van-rivian-jeff-bezos-order
Since Ford is an investor in Rivian, I'm thinking maybe they converted a bunch of those Ford delivery vans to electric.



cvflexer said:


> The purchase of all those 100,000 units will not be completed until *2030*. I'm sure that is enough time to find another gig ?


2024.



oicu812 said:


> What does flex being phased out have to do with Amazon Prime vans for sale? Warehouse employees aren't a good source of info. You should know better but probably don't.


Not necessarily, over the years, I've heard many things from employees before I heard it from management.


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## BigJohn (Jan 27, 2016)

jaxbeachrides said:


> They absolutely do just as police cars go to the auction with the lights and Sirens still on the vehicle it is up to the auction yard to remove any decals labeling and equipment as necessary before the vehicle is picked up but not necessarily before it is sold.


Um, no. An vehicle auction company does not do anything to the vehicles. (Manheim, Copart, etc) Now, there are speciality companies that are vehicle disposition services where they take fleet vehicles and prep them for disposition, but generally speaking they will not be considered a vehicle auction company. In most states (if not all) a vehicle auction company is specifically licensed by the state department of motor vehicles.



Chicago-uber said:


> That's weird. Why would amazon sell their vans. At my warehouse the DSPs are waiting for the vans. Amazon says there's a shortage of prime vans being made.


Most likely it was a Amazon contractor who owned the vans and the contractor either went out of business or was forced out do to less than legal activities.


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## Chicago-uber (Jun 18, 2014)

BigJohn said:


> Most likely it was a Amazon contractor who owned the vans and the contractor either went out of business or was forced out do to less than legal activities.


actually all prime vans are owned by amazon. Amazon then rents them out to DSPs


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## jaxbeachrides (May 27, 2015)

BigJohn said:


> Um, no. An vehicle auction company does not do anything to the vehicles. (Manheim, Copart, etc) Now, there are speciality companies that are vehicle disposition services where they take fleet vehicles and prep them for disposition, but generally speaking they will not be considered a vehicle auction company. In most states (if not all) a vehicle auction company is specifically licensed by the state department of motor vehicles.


Well you must be an official expert because I've only been a licensed dealer for years but anyways.....

I've gone out to auctions and driven police cars around the lot with lights and sirens on that would have been removed other than the fact they were probably not reusable parts. Common models would have had the equipment removed to reinstall on another vehicle already other than waiting for the auction to take it off which they would have had to do for the car to be street legal.

All auctions are licensed by the state for tax purposes so they must collect state taxes if not sold to a licensed dealer.

If you have any other questions or discrepancies I can probably answer those questions for you too otherwise have a good day and thank you sir for your concern.


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## oicu812 (Aug 29, 2016)

jaxbeachrides said:


> Well golly gee then my bad they sure did provide a lot of specific information and being backed up with an order for 100,000 of buying their own vans doesn't line up with that statement at all now does it. I guess 2+2 should not equal 4 after all.


You called employee telling you flex is being phased out a lot of specific info? Amazon's order of the vans is just Amazon's commitment of going carbon neutral by certain year. The order could be modified, changed or even cancelled before any of the Rivian's custom vans for Amazon even rolls off the assembly lines. I'm not saying phase out of Flex won't happen. It just won't happen even when the 100,000 vans are delivered by 2024. Amazon's current Prime fleet of vans including all of the DSPs' vans does not even come close to 100,000. What is Amazon going to do with all the extra vans?


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## mbd (Aug 27, 2018)

Probably some issue with the van .. too much issues with the van , it is sold .
More and more drops done by the contractors , but flex is still going on .


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## John McYeet (Feb 10, 2019)

You’d think they’d keep flex around for holiday times.


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## Cynergie (Apr 10, 2017)

jaxbeachrides said:


> At the warehouse yesterday, employee told me flex is being phased out.
> 
> I didn't believe it, and then went to an auto auction.
> 
> ...


Oh wow. It's happening. It's finally happening. Besos is finally making his power play official for absolute control as market leader of all online retail, transportation logistics and distribution network. This is pretty much his first step towards global domination.

As a gig economy source of income, RIP Flex. A LOT of ppl will be hurting economically (some serioiusly if they've come to depend on this full time) when the final phasing out happens.

The only light at the end of this tunnel is if Besos is planning to

1. hire and train more Amazon employees to take over the Flex part of the business or
2. Keep his existing independent white van contractors and give their white vans a new paint job with the Amazon logo for free. Let the white van contractors hire former Flex drivers as new employees if necessary.

Odds are #2 will probably happen since it will keep whatever operational risk to Amazon's logistics network the same. With negligible change to Amazon's O&M costs. But either way, a lot of Mom & Pop self employed Flex drivers are going to be hitting the unemployment line real soon...


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## cvflexer (Apr 27, 2017)

Sure... The world might also come to an end with Trump... ?


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Paladin220 said:


> Do you really think that amazon would allow their vans to go to an auction yard with the logos still on them? I don't.


Would look bad.
A bank heist with heavily armed bandits leaping from Amazon van shooting up the public.

U.P.S. scraps its vans. To avoid this type of scenario.


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## Paladin220 (Jun 2, 2017)

tohunt4me said:


> Would look bad.
> A bank heist with heavily armed bandits leaping from Amazon van shooting up the public.
> 
> U.P.S. scraps its vans. To avoid this type of scenario.


Would be a perfect vehicle for the professional porch pirate...neighbors wouldn't ask any questions about someone getting out of an amazon van and going up to people's doors.


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## observer (Dec 11, 2014)

Paladin220 said:


> Would be a perfect vehicle for the professional porch pirate...neighbors wouldn't ask any questions about someone getting out of an amazon van and going up to people's doors.


https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-new...ties-up-family-and-steals-125-000-69915205651


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Uber's Guber said:


> Substantial order. Who is Bezos purchasing from?


Chairman Mao


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## Cynergie (Apr 10, 2017)

observer said:


> https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-new...ties-up-family-and-steals-125-000-69915205651


And to think Besos decided to make it a policy and let Flex drivers drop packages off INSIDE the customer's residence (apparently at the customer's discretion). Is this still a thing with Flex or was it discontinued? I shudder to think of the consequences of potential lawsuits from alpha pets. Or Ted Bundy/John Gacey meets Jeffrey Dahmer psychotic customer types. It's too bad that family wasn't a set of Hannibal Lecters. Would've made for excellent tabloid and MSM entertainment.

Anyways, WTH were these ppl thinking stowing $100K+ under their mattress? I get the rationale for vertical distances in NYC being too intimidating between your apt condo and the local bank. Or are ppl just that plain lazy? Dodging Uncle Sam's tax man? Are a drug cartel family which does money laundering and has to function as it's own bank?

But seriously, squirreling away 125 grand in your crib?? They were asking for it IMO.


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## oicu812 (Aug 29, 2016)

It's easy to get an "Amazon van". It's a high roof Sprinter or a medium roof Transit 350. Paint it the right color and slap a big Amazon smile sticker and you'll have a recognizable Amazon van. Buy a uniform off Ebay and you can be an Amazon "driver"/porch pirate.



> But seriously, squirreling away 125 grand in your crib?? They were asking for it IMO.


It doesn't take much jewelry to be 125 grand.

https://www.tiffany.com/jewelry/necklaces-pendants/tiffany-cobblestone-necklace-60665087/
$138k


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## observer (Dec 11, 2014)

observer said:


> https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.th...electric-delivery-van-rivian-jeff-bezos-order
> Since Ford is an investor in Rivian, I'm thinking maybe they converted a bunch of those Ford delivery vans to electric.
> 
> 
> ...


https://www.autonews.com/manufacturing/ford-build-some-evs-mich-next-transit-connect-mexico
Transit vans with Rivian innards??


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