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Amazon Launches 'Flex,' a Crowdsourced Delivery Service

Posted by Soulskill on from the for-when-you-need-a-book,-a-sewing-machine,-and-a-trombone-in-60-minutes-or-less dept.

sckirklan writes: Amazon has rolled out a new service called Amazon Flex. It lets people sign up to deliver packages using their mobile phone and their car, earning $18-25/hr while doing so. Think Uber, but for package delivery. Their goal is to fully support one-hour delivery within certain cities. The service is available in Seattle to start, and it'll soon expand to Manhattan, Baltimore, Miami, Dallas, Austin, Chicago, Indianapolis, Atlanta, and Portland. No news on what they think of bicycle couriers, but given their focus on being green, I'd imagine something is in the works.

5 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. No News on bikes? by OverlordQ · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It's on the main page:

    Can I bike or walk?
    Currently we are only offering options to drive but in the future we may offer opportunities to deliver via bike or on foot.

    --
    Your hair look like poop, Bob! - Wanker.
  2. Does this work out for the driver? by Harlequin80 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    8 hour shift is $200 max. Out of that comes fuel & vehicle wear and tear, IRS say 57c per mile and I would have thought 20 miles an hour was reasonable including stops etc so that $91.20 on an 8 hour shift. Add to that cost of capital of the car, insurance, accountants, other ancillary "run your own business costs" and I'm struggling to see you making $10 an hour.....

    1. Re:Does this work out for the driver? by Pinky's+Brain · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Over here in the Netherlands delivery services mostly started using "independent contractors" (but not really) and that's about how it ended up, they were working for less than minimum wage.

    2. Re:Does this work out for the driver? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 3, Insightful

      vehicle wear and tear, IRS say 57c per mile

      Unless you are putting miles on a brand new luxury car, there is no way that normal wear and tear is going to be anywhere close to 57c per mile ... yet you can still deduct that much, which makes most of your actual income tax-free.

      I'm struggling to see you making $10 an hour.....

      Plenty of people would be happy to clear $10 an hour in a job that allows them to be out on the road with no boss looking over their shoulder. You live a sheltered life if you think $10/hour is a bad wage for someone with no skills.

  3. 1930s depression all over again. by peterpolle78 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    As the subject says, this is 1930s depression all over again. Lots and lots of people being forced into dayjobs not having a stable income to support themselves or their families, and absolutely no securities if they get sick or somehow are not able to work. It might be ok now but just wait until millions of unemployed people are flooding into this area of work pushing the wages way down. In the 1930s people went to the dock where a foreman would handpick a lucky few. The rest could go home without any money for that day. Only difference today is that the foreman will be some app for your smartphone telling you if you got a customer or not... what a horrible life that would be longterm.