(Bloomberg) —
For its first 20 years, Amazon.com Inc. relied on UPS and other delivery companies to get packages to its customers’ doorsteps. Then a shipping disaster one Christmas made Jeff Bezos decide to build his own transportation network. Today, Amazon has hundreds of warehouses of all sizes, nestled around and inside major cities around the world. Its recognizable, grayish-blue vans navigate many neighborhoods, dropping off the stuff ordered online just a day or two before.
The fifth episode of Foundering: The Amazon Story chronicles the remarkable expansion of the Amazon supply chain into our cities and communities. It also tells the story of Amazon’s strained relationship with its new delivery contractors, the so-called delivery service partners. Those small businesses are at the mercy of Amazon’s shifting demands and unpredictable algorithms. Caught in the middle of it all are drivers, who wear Amazon uniforms but do not technically work for the technology giant. The challenges include unfriendly dogs and little time for bathroom breaks.
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