The disturbing accounts of Amazon delivery drivers may reveal the true human cost of 'free' shipping

Business Insider

Zachariah Vargas was six hours into his shift delivering packages for Amazon.

He was about to drop off a package when he accidentally slammed the door of his truck on his hand. The door clicked shut, trapping his middle and ring fingers.

Once he freed his fingers, the blood began to pour. Both of Vargas' arms started to shake involuntarily. The lacerations were deep. Vargas thought he glimpsed bone when he wiped away the blood.

Panicked, Vargas called his dispatch supervisor, who was working at a nearby Amazon facility.

He said he received no sympathy.

"The first thing they asked was, 'How many packages do you have left?'" he told Business Insider.

Business Insider spoke with 31 current or recently employed drivers about what it's like to deliver packages for Amazon. Some drivers described a variety of alleged abuses, including lack of overtime pay, missing wages, intimidation, and favoritism.

Many of these drivers also described a physically demanding work environment in which, under strict time constraints, they felt pressured to drive at dangerously high speeds, blow stop signs, and urinate in bottles on their trucks.

Here's our story: Missing wages, grueling shifts, and bottles of urine: The disturbing accounts of Amazon delivery drivers may reveal the true human cost of "free" shipping