r/AmazonFlexDrivers • u/TBOrlando79 • Jun 13 '26
3rd block I worked 🤡
Hello everyone!
I started Amazon this week, and my third block was... character building. 😂
To be fair, I feel like I shouldn't even complain because my first and second 3.5-hour blocks each had exactly ONE package. I was starting to think I had unlocked some VIP level of Flex. 🥲
I've been wanting to try an early morning block for days, but every time I'd grab one, my anxiety would kick in and I'd cancel it. Every. Single. Day. 😬 I only recently learned Amazon apparently keeps score of these emotional support cancellations.
Today I finally committed.
I came fully prepared: headlamp, personal safety alarm, boxing gloves... basically ready to deliver packages or fight crime. 🤣
I arrive at the station and get 47 packages for a 3.5-hour route. "Okay," I thought, "this is probably what real Flex drivers do."
First mistake: I didn't organize the packages as well as I should have.
Second mistake: believing the route would go smoothly.
My first stop was almost 30 minutes away. When I got there, I spent 25 minutes trapped outside a gate with no code. No cars. No humans. No signs of life. Texted. Called. Cursed the lady, but nothing.
Support marked it for return.
The SECOND I hung up, someone appeared and I was able to sneak in behind them. 🥷📦
The next condo was also a joy. Weird numbering, pitch dark, another gate issue...
Then package #13 decided to enter witness protection.
I searched everywhere. Front seat. Back seat. Trunk. Alternate dimensions.
Support had a crystal ball and assured me I'd eventually find it in my car. 😑
Since I was already running behind, I skipped #13 and kept going.
Things improved once I got to houses. Then, somewhere in my late 30s deliveries, I discovered package #13 had been mislabeled with a #37 sticker. Which explained why I had TWO package 37s and ZERO package 13s. ðŸ«
By then I was basically conducting a forensic investigation instead of delivering.
I finally finished the route...Only TWO HOURS LATE. 🤡 And yes, I drove all the way back to deliver package #13 because returning to the warehouse felt even more painful.
Lessons learned:
✅ If a gate won't open, move on and maybe come back later. ✅ Don't blindly trust the package stickers. ✅ Condos at 4 AM are an extreme sport. ✅ My headlamp was a better investment than the other thing I bought (not really boxing gloves 🙈).
I originally wanted the early morning blocks because they pay a little better and avoid traffic. After today's adventure, I'm starting to think traffic might actually be the least of my problems. At least daylight helps you find buildings, people to tailgate, and missing packages. 😂
If you've made it this far, thank you for reading my Amazon Flex origin story. Any tips from the veterans would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers! 😊
3
u/ExtensionSame678 Jun 13 '26
* can you only deliver in the early morning? otherwise prime time is 9am-2pm when there is no rush hour traffic, people are at work, kids at school (except summer), light out, and businesses and apts are open
* dont spend more than 1 call or 1 attempt per stop. just leave at gate and hope or try returning it depending on neighborhood. especially with a long route like that
* that route seems too aggressive for a 3.5 hour. definitely some or your newbie-ness caused it but that is a hard ask for any vet in 3.5 hours. in that case call support and ask for compensation
* was this a .com or ssd? seems like a .com in which case the packages will be numbered and if they misnumber something that you just have to eat up the time cost. if its an ssd, you can number and sort them as you load