We should create one thread that is purely dedicated to Amazon shenanigans and see how long it lives on, much like the "What if it snows?" thread. Just keep adding the wrecks to one thread.
I’d rather do this… Amazon’s customer service is a prime example of excellence. Getting deals on Amazon is my prime objective. Amazon’s delivery time is simply un-be-leaf-able during the fall. On Amazon, the only thing more popular than Prime membership is the puns that come with it—they’re always on the ‘cutting edge’ of humor! Door to Door Service
By the numbers, if the safety record for Amazon shipments were compared to the safety record for UPS shipments , Amazon would not do well. Comparing those 2 sets of numbers is impossible. Amazon uses literally thousands of carriers who may either haul for them exclusively, or part of the time. And in reality the public just doesn't care. It is the "free shipping" that they are after. The total number of members of the general public that get seriously injured or killed by a carrier hauling a load for Amazon at the time of the accident is statistically miniscule. And if it does happen, they enter the legal lottery "The Hammer" takes the case.
And that right there saves them more than the cost of lost freight. It becomes much harder to nail Amazon with a nuclear verdict based on poor hiring/training/supervision. As soon as a contractor 's csa score drops, so does their contract and Amazon can show a history of "self policing". Now if Amazon or any other company that hires power only had to have a dot number and csa score, the math changes.
We are a seasonal private carrier that uses Amazon to help fill in during the winter months., yes it doesn't pay very well but it pays our leases on our trucks that would otherwise be sitting all winter and helps keep drivers making money during the slow winter months. Do I wish they paid more, absolutely but it fills a need we have. I understand that this will upset some people who don't think we should be running for basically expenses, but it does help us in the long run. We initially started running for Amazon back in 2020 and we actually had to increase our insurance amounts in order to qualify for Amazon. At that time there was no waiting requirement to start hauling for them like today where you have to wait, I believe 6 months. Over the years I have seen some very sketchy looking trucks running for them as it is definitely the easiest way to start moving freight with a new authority. Most of the drivers I see in the facility's don't even do a walk around of the trailer they just hooked to, they just make a mad dash for the exit once they have the airlines hooked and the legs halfway cranked up. Unfortunately, a lot of carriers get out of the higher insurance requirements by "leasing" onto another carrier. I see all the time trucks doing the magnetic sign dance just down the street from the facility or at the closest truck stop. Amazon has been cracking down on this as they now require all drives who check in to be on the carrier's account. You have to send them pictures of your license and a selfie in order to get registered. They also will randomly ask for a selfie while under a load to be sure the person driving the truck is actually under the carrier's account. The flip side to that is it makes it harder for the legitimate carriers to keep up with the increasingly intrusive demands of the buggy technology. The last time I was asked for the selfie it was in the middle of the night and my selfies kept getting rejected, probably due to lighting even though I submitted selfies with and without the camera flash. I was informed that another failed selfie request would cause me to be permanently banned from their facilities even though I have done nothing wrong and am probably an above average safe driver. Back in the fall our Amazon account was suspended due to my drivers picking up a couple of speeding tickets during a safety blitz. It caused our unsafe driving basic to jump above Amazon's standards, it has since dropped down enough to qualify for Amazon again but we are still waiting for Amazon to update and reinstate our account. This was bad for the company as we completely missed the holiday rush and we had to put a few drivers on lay off. So, I guess the point of this post is to say that Amazon has increased their standards for carriers but some of their loads are probably still being transported by carriers who do not meet their safety or insurance requirements due to shady "leases" and magnetic sign swapping. And their attempts to keep that from happening are actually hurting legitimate carriers who are just trying to do a good job.
My first thought on seeing the picture: Pennsylvania. I've seen it so many times throughout the years. Trucking historians may disagree, but IMO it's the best state to truck. But when the temps drop, the snow falls and the roads get slick you gotta respect Mother Nature.
That's unfortunate. I never had to pay for my fuel. I love: the scenery The Trucker's guide to Pennsylvania that their DOT publishes Carlisle Esther's diner Chris's diner near Allentown All their big truck stops The clean efficient laundromat at the TA at exit 78 That Petro in Limestoneville with the abandoned double wides in the upper lot. Checking out the sales at Cabela's in Hamburg And so much more.
I'm amazed but not surprised how Amazon has bamboozled a lot of carriers to come work for them so cheap during peak season. Actually all year round really. The last Amazon load I hauled off the spot market was about 9 or 10 years ago. It was excellent paying freight for over a decade during peak season up until around 2015-16 when they focused on luring in carriers to pull their own Amazon owned trailers (which they used to have no trailers before then) on an abundance of lightweight drop and hook freight and some miniscule nothing fuel discounts. That's when the brokers were largely removed from the equation the rates fizzled out and they've never recovered. They never will either. Which was great for Amazon and their customers but not so good for anyone exploiting the natural highs of the spot market. It's still crazy to me how in a part of the year where trucks are hard to source they can get their freight moved for so cheap and your carrier willingly gets taken advantage of by them.
The old saying goes, you get what you pay for. I for one am not surprised at all by their shenanigans. I've seen their wrecks on bright sunny days. It's no secret the amount of money Amazon rakes in, but yet people will still pull their loads on the cheap, race back for another, rinse, and repeat. I see a baby blue trailer coming up behind me or next to me I move to the right just a bit and let them go by.
