Amazon Flex is the (relatively) new kid on the gig-economy block, and one local man isn’t shying away from the newfangled means of package delivery to bring in some extra cash to supplement his retirement.
In fact, some might say Daniel Jensen isn’t retired at all, considering the 70-year-old Vancouver resident is still spending 30 to 40 hours a week zipping around in his vehicle delivering packages to customers of the Seattle-based retail giant Amazon.com.
That’s the premise of Amazon’s program, in some ways similar to Uber and Lyft in terms of how it operates: People who sign up are considered contract employees and can start and stop working whenever they’d like.
The pitch to drivers is that they are their own boss, with their smartphones guiding the way. And users aren’t hauling sometimes inebriated humans after 2 a.m. with Amazon Flex. Rather, like Santa Claus, they’re delivering packages.
“I had a good friend who was actually working for Uber, and he was enjoying that, and it was kind of intriguing to me because it’s the type of work that, if I want to go chase the grandkids or am doing something with my life, I can basically turn the job off,” Jensen said.
After doing some of his own research on YouTube, he stumbled on a few videos of people detailing their experience as a driver for Amazon Flex, which boasts that drivers can make between $18 and $25 an hour.
“I was intrigued by Amazon because it’s not just picking up passengers,” he said.
When Jensen decides he wants to spend some time doing deliveries, he’ll check in with the app, then venture to the nearest Flex warehouse to pick up a load of packages. Then it’s off to all the various places in the Vancouver and Portland metro area. According to an Amazon spokesperson, Flex was introduced in Clark County in 2016 and extends to customers in Vancouver, Orchards and Ridgefield.
Jensen previously served in the U.S. Army until 1975, then was hired as a deputy sheriff about two hours southeast of Vancouver in Sherman County, Ore., where he grew up. He left law enforcement to work in the real estate business in Clark County in 1979-1980. He has owned five different brokerages. He opened Jensen White and Equity Northwest Properties, both in Clark County, and sold to his business partner.
Jensen retired last year when he saw a good opportunity to bow out of real estate and “start thinking about doing some of the things you’ve delayed in life.”
He and his wife have a goal of seeing as much of the United States as they can — and he said working in real estate isn’t particularly amenable to spontaneous travel.
“Well, you can, but clients that are engaged in finding a home or selling their current home in order to move to another one — when they’re needing service, they need service. So when you’re gone out of the area, it makes it really almost impossible to give quality service and professionalism,” Jensen said. “The other thing is, your real estate license doesn’t really travel well.”
Driving for Amazon Flex fulfills his desires of working when he feels up for it and taking the spontaneous trips with his wife when he likes.
Amazon Flex isn’t going to work wonders for everyone looking for extra money, however. The program has come under fire for a variety of reasons since its rollout, including issues with traffic making it difficult to deliver orders on time — with no compensation for the extra time, as well as difficulties carrying large packages, according to writers who have detailed their experiences for various news outlets.
“Yes, traffic can be a real challenge sometimes. I was stopped because of a bad accident one time and there was nothing that could be done. So in an instance like that, I notify support,” Jensen said. A spokesperson said that the “vast majority” of blocks are completed within or less than the estimated time that Amazon predicts it will take, however.
Other Flex drivers have sued Amazon, seeking compensation for overtime and not providing breaks. A complaint was filed in King County Superior Court in December 2017 and was seeking class action status, The Seattle Times reported. The case is still pending.
Contrary to others arguing their status as Amazon Flex drivers, however, Jensen says he enjoys being a contract worker. He said some people may be “wired” for gig work, or maybe they’re not.
“I’ve been a self-employed business owner and entrepreneur all my life. So most of my business has been 1099 commissions,” he said, referring to the IRS document.
He’s looking forward to venturing to Colorado in September to see three grandchildren.
“That’s extra money that I’ve made consistently since I’ve worked with the Flex program. We just got back from a trip — jaunts I’ve called them. It allows us to do that kind of thing, because that extra money isn’t coming out of the budget. It’s what I’m earning,” Jensen said.
