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We all know about Uber, Lyft, Sidecar, and other ride-sharing services where you can make money by driving around strangers.
Now, however, you can become a driver for Amazon and drive around packages, all for $18-25 an hour (comparable to the aforementioned). Amazon has created the Amazon Flex program, which means people can get items from Prime Now within a tw0-hour window and restaurant deliveries within a one-hour window.
And that’s where the drivers come in. It began in Seattle in 2015, and and is now available in 32 other major cities and regions.
The cities and regions Prime Now currently serves and where Amazon Flex drivers are used includes: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dallas and Fort Worth, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Orange County, Manhattan and Brooklyn, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle and Eastside, Tampa, Virginia Beach and the Washington, D.C. metro area.
Amazon Flex also notes that it’s looking for drivers in some of the regions where Prime Now isn’t actually available, including Detroit, Jacksonville, Tucson and more. See the full list from the Amazon Flex site below:
Pretty soon, we may not have to brave traffic on the roads and in malls—all we have to do is order something via Prime Now and an item will be on our doorstep faster than if we went to get it ourselves.
Once a driver is approved, he or she can choose to work in 2-hour shifts, and work up to 12 hours at a time. The driver then uses Amazon’s delivery app to pick out shifts, which can occur any day of the week. The delivery area will depend on how long of a shift the driver chooses.
Interested? Apply now to open positions or get alerted when it’s coming to a city near you. The Amazon Flex website is currently offering new driving opportunities in Austin, Baltimore, Kansas and Seattle—but you can still fill out an application in order to be contacted when opportunities crop up in your region.
Requirements to be considered:
- Must be at least 21 years old
- Must have a valid driver’s license (no deliveries via bike or on foot)
- Must a pass a background check
- Must have access to an Android smartphone
Personally, I think it’s a win-win for the drivers and shoppers alike. It’s a great way for people to make money on their schedule, and it’s also a big benefit to consumers who need something immediately or who cannot leave their location (due to working, children, or other demands).
According to the Prime Now website, the delivery service currently “offers 25,000+ items across 25 categories, including household items, groceries, electronics, gifts, seasonal items, and more.” The hours of availability for delivery are from early morning to late evening 7 days a week.
I just hope it doesn’t isolate people too much and turn them into hermits, never wanting to leave home again and spoiling them with prompt deliveries.
However, for the drivers, it’ll be a nice change from shuttling around passengers—at least the boxes won’t talk back or come into their cars drunk at 2 a.m.
Article updated 8/7/17 to reflect new cities where Prime Now is available as well as the current areas that Amazon Flex needs drivers.
