I’m a 22-year-aged Amazon shipping and delivery driver. The cameras in my truck hold me on superior notify, but it is my dream task and the versatile hours are wonderful.

• Ulises Perez, 22, has been an Amazon shipping and delivery driver in Salt Lake City because 2020.
  

• He reported he mentally prepares himself every single early morning for the arduous and busy day in advance.

• Perez commenced making TikTok video clips to share task recommendations and converse with fellow drivers. 

This as-instructed-to essay is dependent on a dialogue with Ulises Perez, a 22-yr-previous Amazon delivery driver in Salt Lake, Utah. It has been edited for size and clarity.

I’d constantly required to be an Amazon driver as shortly as I knew of the job’s existence. This was for the reason that of the marketed versatility and benefits that arrived with the career.

Over-all, it appeared like it would be the proper healthy for me. I was the typical manager of a vehicle clean for a yr and a half, but the fork out wasn’t good and I identified myself on the verge of a burnout for the reason that I was in cost of a significant range of staff members with very little to no advice.

I commenced to bide my time right up until I turned 21 — which is the formal age to start out function as an Amazon driver — and I could be a part of my aspiration profession. A whilst just after leaving my earlier work, I came throughout an opening for a driver on In truth, which I utilized for. The software system was fairly straightforward, and I grew to become a driver in Oct 2020.

I delight in the overall flexibility of the task

I ordinarily drive all around in a vintage step van, which I want due to the fact of the spaciousness in the cargo place and other favorable extras inside of. You will find a enthusiast that allows in the course of warmth waves and a rear doorway that can make my movements obtainable.

The impartial contractors that I operate with are versatile with scheduling, which allows me to engage in other daily life situations and vital actions exterior of the position. I am a health and fitness center buff and content material creator on different social-media platforms on the side, so this assists a good deal. (Editor’s be aware: Perez, like a lot of Amazon delivery motorists, was hired by a nearby shipping and delivery-company partner and is viewed as an unbiased subcontractor with Amazon.)

Tale continues

Currently being a driver in a fewer populated metropolis has its strengths

As opposed to doing the job in much larger metropolitan areas, my job is easier most of the time. I do sometimes get chased by dogs, but other than that, I ordinarily continue to keep to myself and limit my discussions with shoppers, besides for circumstances when I have trouble accessing the buildings.

When undertaking deliveries, I make confident to drop off customers’ deals at their front doors. I often have to be on higher notify and do my rounds with pace and efficiency to be ready to effectively address all of my specified routes.

In some cases I get to see folks I know, like my good friends and family, when I’m providing via a acquainted route. I truly feel blessed and grateful to be able to hook up to the people today in my lifetime in this minimal way although I am on the career.

I have to mentally get ready myself for the hectic shifts

Amazon’s AI-run, 270-diploma cameras that the company employs to detect our actions even though driving was at first 1 of the most annoying areas of the job for me and other drivers, but I have occur to acknowledge it. It typically only data if I skip a stop indicator or velocity, but given that this is one thing I do not do, I have occur to see it as a needed increase-on at function. It will not appear like it will be likely any where whenever soon.

A usual day at perform begins with me waking up and obtaining a minor me time wherever I mentally get ready myself for the rigorous working day forward. Then I get to the warehouse commonly all-around 8 a.m. where by we have a typical meetup. We then get our pouches, which have the keys to the van we’ve been assigned that day in them, and line up to load the supply packages into our vans.

I normally get on the street immediately right after this for 10 hours or additional, with little to no break time in between. I attain home late in the evening with an typical of above 40 several hours on the road just about every 7 days. Our supervisors and managers are regularly increasing the bar on how quite a few much more goods we can deliver in a day in the span of this time body.

The other drivers and I occasionally don’t get to go on lunch breaks

In some techniques, being an Amazon driver is a physically demanding career exactly where you have to be on substantial notify to stay clear of staying reprimanded or composed up, but it can be also simple at the same time.

I consider it would be a excellent fit for students and persons wanting for an excess occupation on the facet. Nevertheless, my city’s seasonal-weather whiplash during peak durations unquestionably provides to the anxiety of the work.

I use social media as a medium to minimize my worry

I like to share facts on the position and converse with my fellow drivers. I frequently use my TikTok to produce fun and partaking films even though on the street. I share tips, info, and typical expertise with my followers — some of whom are fellow motorists with Amazon or other platforms.

I like to think that I have established a market neighborhood of some sort. I was by now creating TikToks just before signing up for the company, but I resolved to use my do the job activities to create content, and it’s been a really satisfying journey.

I sometimes even get identified by some of my followers whilst driving on the street. When this occurred the to start with time, it truly threw me off. I imagined it was a joke or that I was becoming confused with a person else, but it turned out to be true. We both equally laughed at the absurdity of it all before I drove off.

We want to advocate for improved pay

I would say that me and other Amazon staff that I know are in support of arranging a union. I hope that this transpires soon as we all are entitled to greater residing wages and a healthful doing the job environment with significantly less pressure.

Study the initial report on Company Insider