Amazon grey vans

[Western 52]

Amazon's grey delivery vans are everywhere these days, but most of them look like they've had a few bumps. This morning I was following one which was dented on both sides and also at the rear. Is this common everywhere, and what does it say about their driving standards?

 

[Sun Chariot]

Amazon uses many subcontracted drivers. My wife and I discovered this, during one of our many calls to Amazon asking them to stop using our house's driveway as a surrogate public turning circle. Other vans and cars use it, too, rather than using the actual turning circle about 15 metres farther on.

 

[Bald Rick]

It’s not just Amazon. It’s almost every delivery van.

 

[Belfastmarty]

The Amazon fleet in NI is particularly bad. I've often seen vans with bumps and scrapes in odd places and wondered 'how did that happen ?'

 

[Western 52]

I've just seen one with a big dent above the back door. Maybe reversed into a low bridge?!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Amazon's grey delivery vans are everywhere these days, but most of them look like they've had a few bumps. This morning I was following one which was dented on both sides and also at the rear. Is this common everywhere, and what does it say about their driving standards?

TBH my general observation of driving standards among vehicles obviously for business use but driveable on a class B licence is that it's universally woeful, be it vans (courier or trade), sales reps in Audis and BMWs (identifiable by the suit jacket hung on the hook in the back seat), private hire "taxis" or whatever.

Maybe there should be a "not for hire or reward" stipulation on the regular Class B licence and a stricter test to get one permitting business use.

I'd certainly support, knowing what I do about minicabs and driving tired, tachographs (or some sort of equivalent) being mandatory for all business use on all motor vehicles. Certainly couriers too. Long hours when driving for work* are dangerous.

* Or in any context. Perhaps if insurance had to be via "black box" behaviours would change when the policy cost went up.

 

[507021]

The obligatory post slating BMW and Audi (again) in a thread about Amazon delivery vans. Why am I not surprised?

But yes, I've noticed a lot of Amazon's vans sporting various degrees of damage. It's usually dents and scrapes along the skirts, broken rear light lenses and/or missing pieces of trim. It's sad really, but I guess that's what not really caring about a vehicle which isn't yours results in.

 

[deltic]

Given drivers get paid per parcel delivered its not surprising that driving carefully is not prioritised

 

[Western 52]

Their insurance premiums must be massive!

 

[En]

Their insurance premiums must be massive!

the excesses will be significant that anything short of a total loss will be within the excess , the insurance carried will primarily be for the benefit of third parties

 

[OscarH]

Given drivers get paid per parcel delivered its not surprising that driving carefully is not prioritised

And in the case of Amazon are all round treated rather unpleasantly based on performance

 

[Peter Sarf]

I have always noticed delivery vans are often driven as though the driver is under pressure - no surprise there. I have seen some bad driving of courier vans over the years but YES I keep seeing dented grey Amazon vans over and over again. They are usually alarmingly new - I keep wondering what they will be worth after a couple of years.

 

[Western 52]

Yes even the newest amazon vans seem to show signs of accident damage. In fact it's rare to see any of their vans undamaged. Other couriers vans sometimes show damage, but not every one.

 

[Cowley]

One of our boys briefly had a job driving for Amazon. Unfortunately he scraped someone’s front wing reversing down a very narrow lane and when he got back to the depot they instantly fired him and said that their policy was one knock and you’re out!

 

[Western 52]

If their drivers are dismissed for one knock there must be a lot of ex Amazon drivers out there. Each van could account for several!

 

[Cowley]

If their drivers are dismissed for one knock there must be a lot of ex Amazon drivers out there. Each van could account for several!

Yes I was surprised by that. He had had a problem with keeping up with the amount of drops he’d been given for a couple of days before that, so I did wonder if that was a factor.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Yes I was surprised by that. He had had a problem with keeping up with the amount of drops he’d been given for a couple of days before that, so I did wonder if that was a factor.

I did know how many drops couriers are supposed to do per hour and I thought I would be hard pushed to drive the route without even stopping and knocking on doors.

Needs to be some regulation of the courier industry as drivers are under too much pressure. Same with food delivery bikes and e-bikes whizzing around on pavements and disregarding road rules (eg one way streets).

 

[Western 52]

I did know how many drops couriers are supposed to do per hour and I thought I would be hard pushed to drive the route without even stopping and knocking on doors.

Needs to be some regulation of the courier industry as drivers are under too much pressure. Same with food delivery bikes and e-bikes whizzing around on pavements and disregarding road rules (eg one way streets).

Absolutely. Driving hours for couriers need to be restricted to a sensible maximum. Tired drivers are a hazard to everyone.

 

[OscarH]

Absolutely. Driving hours for couriers need to be restricted to a sensible maximum. Tired drivers are a hazard to everyone.

Absolutely they need to be under similar rules to HGV drivers, but I don't think that is actually far enough here. Many of the companies are bad, but Amazon are the worst for giving the drivers absolutely ridiculous schedules, and having ridiculous punishments for not meeting it - there needs to be some action to stop it both because the drivers are horribly mistreated, and because it makes them a danger to other people

 

[Peter Sarf]

Absolutely they need to be under similar rules to HGV drivers, but I don't think that is actually far enough here. Many of the companies are bad, but Amazon are the worst for giving the drivers absolutely ridiculous schedules, and having ridiculous punishments for not meeting it - there needs to be some action to stop it both because the drivers are horribly mistreated, and because it makes them a danger to other people

I think primarily there needs to be a limit to how many drops per hour couriers are expected to do. Furthermore these promised delivery times are convenient for the recipient BUT add even more pressure to a driver. It is just not realistic to expect competing courier firms to regulate this themselves.

 

[GusB]

I think primarily there needs to be a limit to how many drops per hour couriers are expected to do. Furthermore these promised delivery times are convenient for the recipient BUT add even more pressure to a driver. It is just not realistic to expect competing courier firms to regulate this themselves.

Ultimately, the people who are responsible for this are the consumers who increasingly expect things to be delivered within an unrealistic timescale, and at a completely unrealistic price. People just don't consider that wanting to have everything delivered now has a far wider cost to society.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Ultimately, the people who are responsible for this are the consumers who increasingly expect things to be delivered within an unrealistic timescale, and at a completely unrealistic price. People just don't consider that wanting to have everything delivered now has a far wider cost to society.

My fear is that we cannot rely on individuals who don't want to see the whole picture (customers or even couriers).

The pressure is people buying things that need to be delivered quickly before they change their mind *. It is the same as supermarkets where making the choice easy leads to more sales (and more theft, but bearable apparently). People don't make such impulse purchases if they have to ask across a counter in an old fashioned corner shop or wait longer for delivery.

* = Worse still cooked food !. The customers reluctance to wait or venture out even extends to a third floor flat getting McDonalds delivered from next door (a conversation I had with a cycle delivery guy). Been told by a mini cab driver he had pizza from Pizza Hut to the hotel (Holiday Inn iirc) on the same plot - in that case I wondered because I would be desperate to get out of the room in my experience.

 

[Blackpool boy]

If their drivers are dismissed for one knock there must be a lot of ex Amazon drivers out there. Each van could account for several!

I think that would be one knock for hitting a parked car - hitting street furniture is probably different

 

[Sun Chariot]

I think that would be one knock for hitting a parked car - hitting street furniture is probably different

I guess you mean street lighting, etc - rather than fly-tipped sofas and beds.

 

[ThameslinkUser]

I guess you mean street lighting, etc -

The infrastructure known as street furniture then?

 

[bramling]

TBH my general observation of driving standards among vehicles obviously for business use but driveable on a class B licence is that it's universally woeful, be it vans (courier or trade), sales reps in Audis and BMWs (identifiable by the suit jacket hung on the hook in the back seat), private hire "taxis" or whatever.

Maybe there should be a "not for hire or reward" stipulation on the regular Class B licence and a stricter test to get one permitting business use.

I'd certainly support, knowing what I do about minicabs and driving tired, tachographs (or some sort of equivalent) being mandatory for all business use on all motor vehicles. Certainly couriers too. Long hours when driving for work* are dangerous.

* Or in any context. Perhaps if insurance had to be via "black box" behaviours would change when the policy cost went up.

DPD are horrific round here, and many of the local taxi drivers round here are not much better (though to be fair they seem to manage not to have actual scrapes).

I’ve had so many near-misses with taxis here in the evenings failing to stop at pedestrian crossings and traffic lights, and worse they often aggravate their incompetence by making out that it’s your fault for being there. Not really a good idea to start when someone’s on their way back from the gym!

Ultimately, the people who are responsible for this are the consumers who increasingly expect things to be delivered within an unrealistic timescale, and at a completely unrealistic price. People just don't consider that wanting to have everything delivered now has a far wider cost to society.

It doesn’t help that it’s often not possible to buy things from shops now. I’d absolutely love to be able to walk into a shop and buy something over the counter, but it’s got to the point now where round here you can guarantee that either

* the shop no longer exists in the first place

* they don’t have the required type or size and tell you to “try online”

* the staff are so unwelcoming and unhelpful that it’s just easier to do it on Amazon or whatever

I prefer to try and order stuff directly from businesses instead of using Amazon though.

 

[Sun Chariot]

The infrastructure known as street furniture then?

Yes I know. The double entendre is in the second part of my sentence and emoticon at the end...

 

[Peter Sarf]

DPD are horrific round here, and many of the local taxi drivers round here are not much better (though to be fair they seem to manage not to have actual scrapes).

I’ve had so many near-misses with taxis here in the evenings failing to stop at pedestrian crossings and traffic lights, and worse they often aggravate their incompetence by making out that it’s your fault for being there. Not really a good idea to start when someone’s on their way back from the gym!



It doesn’t help that it’s often not possible to buy things from shops now. I’d absolutely love to be able to walk into a shop and buy something over the counter, but it’s got to the point now where round here you can guarantee that either

* the shop no longer exists in the first place

* they don’t have the required type or size and tell you to “try online”

* the staff are so unwelcoming and unhelpful that it’s just easier to do it on Amazon or whatever

I prefer to try and order stuff directly from businesses instead of using Amazon though.

This is my problem. Limited hardware store capability - we don't have a proper one or even a Robert Dyas. It is getting to the point where my first port of call is the internet so I now seldom look on the high street first.

Amazon I avoid - usually overpriced and I get confused with suppliers that purport to offer same or similar but ends up different. I too like to deal direct with the manufacturer where possible as no need for a middle man most times. So I start at eBay.

 

[DarloRich]

It's sad really, but I guess that's what not really caring about a vehicle which isn't yours results in.

added to the payment structure meaning you have to race round deliveries to make any money - in those circumstances it is hardly a surprise the vehicles get bashed.

 

[bramling]

added to the payment structure meaning you have to race round deliveries to make any money - in those circumstances it is hardly a surprise the vehicles get bashed.

We shouldn’t really accept this as a fact of life though. Notwithstanding that it increases insurance premiums for all of us (which ultimately filters through into overall costs of everything that relies on an element of transport), it’s also a safety hazard.

One of the many negative lasting elements of Covid is the proliferation of delivery vehicles. The supermarket ones are another scourge round here. I’d be quite happy to see Ocado in particular go bust.