Amazon rant...

[California]

Amazon has a nice website pertaining to their employment opportunities. Too bad they don't pay beans.

Working at Amazon is so bad that they are continually pressured by union organizers. They could avoid that by paying decent wages.

But my personal experience with Amazon deliveries is acceptable. In town, first rate. I think the vans are coming out of a regional warehouse near the airport, a few miles from me.

Out at the ranch, most everything is delivered only as far as the local post office for USPS to do the 'last mile'. So always one day more than city delivery. Occasionally there's an Amazon van down the lane. Maybe a neighbor paid extra for next-day delivery.

My worst delivery was, as I recall, FedEx. I bought a ROPS from Hoyetractor in Texas. 100 lbs, partly in cartons. After a week searching I finally found it hidden in 3 ft weeds, off the lane halfway to the ranchhouse. There was no reason to put it there so I assume the driver was pissed about having heavy awkward stuff in the truck.

 

[California]

I've only seen Amazon deliveries by private cars a couple of times. Mostly Christmas. Its usually their vans or USPS.

But I've read they have regions where Uber-like individuals do the delivery. Maybe they need a certain density of customers to make van runs cost-effective.

 

[Jchonline]

Amazon home / farm delivery is getting worse and worse or at least around here it is. Last package I ordered from them the shipping notice said delivered and I signed for it. Was not even home and the package was tossed in the front yard. Time before that. the delivery person (Amazon driver) delivered the package to the wrong address (down the road a mile) and the only reason I got it was the person where it was delivered to knows us and brought it down to the farm.

I'm beginning to think that one, their delivery people cannot read or are too lazy to or just don't care or they don't pay their delivery people an equitable wage or something, has to be something because they are totally ignorant when it comes to proper delivery. Have a bunch of Christmas stuff on order with Amazon and I cannot wait to see if any of it actually gets delivered. Not holding my breath.

We have no issue with Fed-Ex or UPS at all. Amazon, big issue. Couple weeks ago an Amazon delivery driver backed out of the driveway and ran smack into our roadside mailbox and caved in his (or her) rear door and kept right on going, never stopped and the mailbox did a number on the rear doors on the truck. Destroyed the mail box as well but not the post because the post is a 6x6 in concrete. Had to purchase a new USPS approved box but the damage to the truck was quite substantial and like I said, the driver just kept on going... amazing stuff.

I'm beginning to think that the quality of Amazon delivery people is very low, or they don't pay enough to get quality people or something is amiss with them.

Like I stated above, I'm wondering what will get delivered and what will become 'lost in space'....

We just dropped Amazon Prime. Takes them 4 days to get anything here...Walmart is faster. They dont deliver up where I am directly so its just not worth the $$...sure Music and Videos but dot use them.

 

[WM75Guy]

After putting up gates we switched to a local Ship Shop for receiving our packages. Wife stops by on her way home from work and gets them. So far it has worked out well.

 

[California]

After putting up gates we switched to a local Ship Shop for receiving our packages. Wife stops by on her way home from work and gets them. So far it has worked out well.

Daughter did similar when she lived in NYC. She specified delivery to a UPS store that was one subway stop before the one by her apartment. She had been advised that 'home' delivery to her door in an apartment complex, was never going to work.

Now living near San Francisco airport, everyone in her apartment building specifies delivery to the first floor mailroom. Its usually littered with bags and boxes. No problems.

 

[5030]

You have to remember fed ex isnt structured like UPS. They have multiple companies or "groups" . Air is separate from ground. Then they sub contract everything.

There is no fed ex delivery. It's a contractor working for FedEx.

Ups is almost all employees.

Amazon is closer to Uber than anyone else in their structure.

Fully aware of the Fed-Ex employee situation. Everyone that works in the warehouse-distribution center are Fed-Ex employees but all the transportation is handled by independent contractors and like I stated previously, one of my good friends and hunting buddies manages 60 road tractors, all leased to Fed-Ex and all his drivers make a big buck and have excellent health and welfare and it's all paid from the revenue the trucks generate. In fact, he turns them over every million miles for new ones. He currently has 5 coming in and 5 getting sold off.

 

[5030]

Makes sense. My Amazon deliveries are mostly various rag-tag unmarked vans, not the official ones.

I see that as well here. Sometimes an Amazon grey van, sometimes something else but usually dirty anyway.

 

[5030]

We just dropped Amazon Prime. Takes them 4 days to get anything here...Walmart is faster. They dont deliver up where I am directly so its just not worth the $$...sure Music and Videos but dot use them.

I've never had Prime and candidly don't want it and never did. I don't see how the fee makes it worth it anyway. Only 'club membership I have is the Harbor Freight Inside Track Club and we always get our money's worth out of that. I'm a big fan of waiting and watching the ITC monthly coupon online ads for things I want but can wait. Just bought a new Titanium Plasma Cutter and saved 300 bucks off the regular price so that 29 buck fee (ITC) was covered in one single purchase and FYI, the Titanium Plasma Cutter is an excellent inverter machine as well.

 

[California]

I've never had Prime and candidly don't want it and never did. I don't see how the fee makes it worth it anyway.

Our Prime was free with five Metro-by-TMobile phone lines, $150 total, flat rate. I wouldn't have subscribed otherwise. But now after a few years with it, I realize the savings on shipping would be cost effective if we did pay for it.

 

[sandman2234]

Fully aware of the Fed-Ex employee situation. Everyone that works in the warehouse-distribution center are Fed-Ex employees but all the transportation is handled by independent contractors and like I stated previously, one of my good friends and hunting buddies manages 60 road tractors, all leased to Fed-Ex and all his drivers make a big buck and have excellent health and welfare and it's all paid from the revenue the trucks generate. In fact, he turns them over every million miles for new ones. He currently has 5 coming in and 5 getting sold off.

Holding onto them for a million probably isn't a great business plan. Most companies turn new vehicles in or sell them off when they approach the end of the warranty period of half a million miles. He is passing up a chance to recoup a good part of his investment and adding a major cost of doing an in-frame before he gets rid of them at a million. If he passes on the in-frame, the million mile truck isn't going to make him near the return on his investment as he would have made turning it over at half a million. I had to fight my last 2 companies to get them to let me stay in my truck past 450. Makes me happy to stay in the same truck. I have driven more than my share of brand new trucks, and prefer to get used to one and find out what makes it tick, instead of spending time in dealership getting warranty work done!
David from jax