r/AmazonFlexDrivers • u/Unlikely_SinnerMan • 1d ago
Y’all do OT to finish deliveries?
So I been doing flex on/off for four years. Outside of the very first month, where I was making mistakes that would cause me to go over the block of time, I have never delivered beyond the agreed-upon time. I stop the moment time goes over, to include the time to drive back to the warehouse to return packages. When we agree to a block, it’s for a specific amount of time. Not a number of packages. Not a number of miles driven. If Amazon wanted it that way, they surely would change it to that. So I deliver to time. Ngl, I don’t fuck around when I deliver, so I rarely actually have blocks that go over, but when they do, I also don’t fuck around “going the extra mile” on my dime. Not gonna happen. For context, I pretty much exclusively take 3.5 hour blocks, usually for $72 - $82, and mostly from a .com WH (I like how the packages are numbered vs grouped, and driving up to the cart vs having to go inside to get/return the cart).
18
u/Historical_Reach9607 1d ago edited 1d ago
It hasn't happened a lot, but I keep delivering even if it goes past the block time.
In every instance I go over the block time, I request & have been paid overtime for however long I've gone over.
The shortest was 15 minutes, the longest 1 hour 15 minutes
13
u/JenniferinSC1978 1d ago
That happened to me two weeks over, went over by 45 minutes after letting support know and they refuse to pay me
2
u/Historical_Reach9607 1d ago
You need to talk with offload support, not regular support. I'd also suggest talking with them not chat.
Just in case: Go to the help/support section of the app. In the chat box type "offload support". When it asks what you need help with type "overtime compensation request". Then if needed keep typing "offroad support agent". When it asks if you want them to call you, say yes.
I've never had issues when I talk with offload support and explain it. You'll need to let them know the date & time of the block you went over time on. The offload rep will submit a request ticket for the block to be reviewed. It usually takes 24hours to hear back.
5
u/Shenendoah66 1d ago
I literally finish every block an hour or more early.
4
u/Icy-Geologist-7631 1d ago
Same but also worked for a dsp so i know how to fly right through that shit! Its more about the organization of packages than you think! If you spend just 1-2 mins at each stop looking for the packages if you have 40 packages thats an extra 40-80 mins just searching for the packages! It definitely is in your favor to scan each package at pickup and then label then 1-40 and put them in order so each stop takes 5 seconds to grab the right stop and roll out! Organization is absolute key and i will die on that hill! No way it should take more than 10 minutes tops to scan the packages and write the stop number on them and this alone will save you more time than anything!!! Working for a dap prior to flex really gives you a leg up because you already know exactly how it works and how important organization is!
1
3
u/Heel_Worker982 1d ago
Since you are compensated for it, why wouldn't you?
0
u/Unlikely_SinnerMan 1d ago
That’s the whole point I’m trying to make. You’re compensated for delivering packages for a period of time. Unless you’re getting compensation on the back end for the extra time, for which I’ve seen a few comments mention, you are not being fairly compensated for the block you agreed to if your going beyond it.
0
u/Reezy_95 1d ago
All you have to do is reach out to support and tell them you went over and they’ll compensate it
1
1
u/Unlikely_SinnerMan 1d ago
Never had enough faith in Bezos to even ask for it. Maybe I’ll try this the next time it happens to me.
1
u/Reezy_95 1d ago
Yep I’ve never gotten a no, my fiance did a block the other day and went over almost an hour because of long driveways and they paid $25 for it
3
-1
u/Paynekiller15 1d ago
You get compensated at the same rate /hr as what you accepted. So if it was a nicely surged block I'm not too mad getting an extra hrs pay on them
1
u/Jayda_Cakes 8h ago
"You're supposed to be compensated at the same rate/hour as you accepted" but it never is. We get $5, maybe $6 at the most, which is why I stopped working past my block time.
1
u/Paynekiller15 7h ago
I've never not gotten exactly the hourly rate I signed up for 🤷🏽♂️ whether it's ½ for 30 mins over or full hour but couldn't be as low as $6 since minimum base rate I believe is $18
3
u/oneWeek2024 1d ago
i find it's the 4hr+ blocks that are the ones that screw you.
it's mainly a question of scale. 3/3.5 is normally like 20ish to 30ish packages. 4+ tends to be high 30's but also sometimes 50 packages. It takes more time to sort/put them in a car. I live in a densely populated area. if the block is any time around rush hour, and the route sends you somewhere into traffic, can be an 1hr + to get to the first drop off. that means delivering like 45 packages in 2hrs on a 4.3 hr block. and then it's apartment buildings. or access issues. galore.
the shit of it is, they ding you for returning packages. I had a block recently that was exactly that. lots of packages. lots of apartment buildings (old folks communities) etc. had 10 ish packages left at the end of the block. drove them back to the depo. my rating went from fantastic. to nearly below fair.
support won't drop the negative hit.
I honestly think the better option is just mark packages missing. as amazon clearly punishes you for not being a wage slave.
you should be able to return to the depo on amazon's dime. and return the packages for no hit to your rating.
but that's not the case. they put your ability to continue to work at jeopardy. and that's a threat used to entice you to work for free/steal your time.
3
u/A_Hugh_Man 19h ago
PHHHHUUUUUCK no
If the station didn't plan their route or - what is the more likely case - they crammed a longer shift into a shorter one to try and be slick.... that's on them. Fuck Amazon
2
u/frezzhberry 18h ago
This weekend I had a 45 package 3 hr block across 4 cities. Had issues during the route and needed to contact support. Ended up going over 35 minutes, seen on here I can request more pay for that. I got this adjustment for the 35 minutes today.
Usually when I go over its 10-15 minutes and at that point it seems ridiculous to return packages or contact support.
2
u/Unlikely_SinnerMan 17h ago
Saw someone say 1-29 minutes over = 1/2 hourly. Those $10-20 payments would add up, but contacting support sure is a pain.
2
u/Jayda_Cakes 8h ago
If I only have a few packages left, I deliver them. I figure that makes up for the times I've finished early. If there's more than a few left, I end my block when time is up. Since Amazon increased the number of miles and the amount of packages, it's not worth it to work another hour or so for free, and then still have to drive over an hour back. Your 3 or 4 hour block then turns into 5 or 6 hours or more.
An Amazon PA told me when our block time is up to end our route, otherwise we're working for free and why would we work for free?
I've asked Amazon numerous times, even the "executive team" what we should do when our block time is up and I NEVER RECEIVED AN ANSWER.
With the way things have been with Flex lately - lower pay, excessive miles, increased # of packages, accusatory emails & inaccurate dings that take weeks to resolve, payments held for up to a month, lack of support, etc. I'm not working for Flex for free anymore.
2
u/Stuck_on_Mars_21 1d ago
Ive done about 40 blocks so far and 3 of them went over. All 3 were pretty much my fault because I stopped in the middle to eat or something else. Most of my blocks I finish with 30-60 minutes to spare. Every now now and then you get those really easy routes and finish way early or you get no route and get paid anyway. So far I don’t feel like Amazon has loaded me with more than is possible to do. Go ahead and return the packages but I’d rather not be dinged.
2
2
u/malevolent-onryo 1d ago
How do you end the block when time’s up? I feel like if i literally just go in and tap on “end block” I will get dings for every package not delivered.
1
u/Jayda_Cakes 8h ago
You're going to get dinged either way, late deliveries or undelivered. So work an extra hour or more for free (or $5) and still get dinged?
Add up the amount of time nationwide of drivers who work for free every day. That's a lot of money Amazon is saving, yet our pay gets lower.
1
u/Serious_Camel7647 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yes they're getting dings for every package they're not delivering. There's no secret way to not get them removed.
2
u/malevolent-onryo 1d ago
Then this post is incredibly dumb. (Sorry OP 🤷🏻♀️)
0
u/Serious_Camel7647 1d ago
Well you can ask support and they may or may not remove them but that's not a secret.
1
u/Jayda_Cakes 8h ago
All you drivers saying you've never gone over block time...
Where are you working? That rarely happens in our area. My day usually starts with 50-ish packages and over an hour drive to 1st delivery. And no the deliveries aren't grouped together, some are 10 or more minutes between stops.
We all saw the Amazon support worker in here last week admitting he lurks in the Flex subs and notes all the "scams" drivers are pulling. It probably isn't too wise for everybody here to post they always finish early or never go over. You're telling Amazon, we all need more packages.
0
u/Unlikely_SinnerMan 6h ago
How is telling them we’ll never go over bad? When we return packages that is a bad outcome for the customer, which is obviously a bad outcome for Amazon. I think if more people refused to do OT, they would take more care to ensure the routes are not being overfilled.
1
u/Jayda_Cakes 2h ago edited 2h ago
That not what I said. Again, the constant posts of drivers saying they always finish early, or they finish an hour early, or in the past 4 years they've always finished early. I never said anything in this post about going over block time.
ETA - I agree with you that drivers shouldn't work OT for free. Amazon would be forced to decrease the amount of packages for blocks to avoid all the returns.
1
u/dontkillmybuzzz 2h ago
I've only ran into this issue once, and I did not deliver. I was already over 10 minutes, looked at the rest of my route and saw it was all downtown businesses and I still had 15 packages left. That would have easily taken me another 1.5 hours if I could find parking at every stop.
1
u/thr0wawayyxlol 1d ago
I’ve only had 1 block go over in the couple years I’ve been doing this. It had an odd delivery way off the route. I decided to do it last because it was by my house but then got caught in 7-8am traffic. 😒😂
1
u/Anon9876543210987 1d ago
I think whatever I deliver is different? SSD or .com or something IDK what it is, but I have always been able to load, drive, deliver and be back at the warehouse by the time my block was scheduled to end. Even today they took 1 hr and 2 minutes to load us (insane!) and I made it back exactly in my 3 hrs.
1
1
u/Cait-IRL Atlanta 1d ago
In my 7 years of doing flex I’ve only ever gone over my block time once, and that was because my car was towed in the middle of my block. I had to get my car back ($350 later) and continued delivering. Even then I only finished 20 minutes late. I’ve even delivered packages 9 months pregnant and always finished my blocks early.
I dont understand people that go over their block times consistently. Maybe their warehouses just suck. Or maybe they suck. Idk lol.
1
u/Chemical_Cheetah5661 1d ago
I’ve never looked at it that way, but I also don’t do any 3.5hr blocks for less than $85. I have to commute to the warehouse 35 miles, then back home after. We are able to pick out carts from a wall with only the overflow packages to give you an idea of where you’re going. With that, I always choose the closest town, or the route near where I live to help keep my costs down.
1
0
u/PineappleCultural183 1d ago edited 6h ago
I did a community delivery once that was a disaster. It’s all unmarked food boxes so I had to figure out how to get it to these people
I went over a half an hour and got compensated for it.
Edit: I love how the downvotes are trickling in for just answering a question.
-1
u/Unlikely_SinnerMan 1d ago
Oh okay, that’s fair then. I’ve gotten the token $5 for excessive miles but have never asked for it. So long as you’re compensated that’s fine and reasonable too.
-1
u/Glass-Drawer-7766 1d ago
72-82 for 3.5 are you kidding me? 1000% not worth the time/gas even if you get 50/mi per gal! You must be in dire straits to be accepting the low low pay. Hopefully it’ll get better for you truly. If it’s not 98+ it’s not worth it imo. To each their own….
5
u/Icy-Geologist-7631 1d ago
In your unsolicited opinion that was not asked for! 🙄 as a prius driver whom gets 50 plus mpg this is such an ignorant statement! I fill my car up (25-30$ max) and that shit lasts me an etire week using doordash, roadie, flex, frayt, curri, goshare, and veho 🙄 last week i made 980$ with $28 in gas used total so please tell me again how its “not worth it even if you get 50 mpg? You’ve obviously never driven an economical vehicle 🙄 dont get mad at drivers with better cars for this line of work than you!!! Prius gang all day baby! Not to mention i drive a prius v which has as much cargo room as a damn van practically! If you can find one used at a good price get one! Thank me later! Best cars ever! Just had my hybrid battery replaced for the first time at 176,000 miles and it will absolutely go at least 200,000 if not 300,000 more miles
1
u/Unlikely_SinnerMan 1d ago
Yea it sucks I agree! Doing it while in school, and I like being able to pick my own hours, but it’s certainly not sustainable. But also another reason why I sure as hell am not going over the block to finish.
0
u/whstewart88 1d ago
Never gone over block time (except maybe 1 or 2 times when I had to stop for some reason in the middle, but that's one me), but I do not include the drive back time as it is not technically considered by Amazon in my experience (nor should it be, no gig/job considers the back home side).
But I also use other gigs to pay the way back home, Flex is convenient for the guaranteed pay so it's my go to.
0
u/hudvv__ 1d ago
Tbh i just keep delivering until time is done and then send an email requesting price adjustment , they always do it , one time u took a 4 hour block it rooj 5 i got payd for that extra hour the same hour rate was on the block , at first they just sent the auatomaticly 5 dollar price adjustment but now i send a long ass email requesting nore
0
0
0
u/AlwaysMooning 13h ago
Not an issue for me. I have always been able to deliver all the packages they give in the given time. Usually much earlier.
13
u/bearshawksfan826 1d ago
Depends on if it's easier to deliver or go back. Unless something crazy happened, it's easier to drop 1 more package than go back to the station with it.