11 Effective Amazon Delivery Driver Tips and Tricks to Consider in 2024

Amazon is a customer-centric e-commerce business, but it also cares for its employees, especially the drivers.

As an Amazon Flex driver, you must take advantage of the bonuses and rewards you get for delivering the service. 

Working smart while delivering packages can get you a satisfactory bonus. So, how can you be smart while doing your job? And how is Amazon going to pay you for that?

A few of the best Amazon flex delivery driver tips and tricks will help you crack this code. Scroll down to check out more details.

11 Amazon Flex Driver Tips and Tricks to Get More Money

Without tips or bonuses, your earnings will be around $18 to $25 for timely completion of Amazon flex deliveries. The actual earnings can exceed this bar, depending on the time it takes you to complete the assigned deliveries, your location, and other factors.

You can easily multiply your earnings by implementing a few effective Amazon flex driver tips that are listed below:

1. Organize the packages properly

At the pickup warehouse, Amazon ensures you how many packages you load onto your delivery vehicle or truck in an organized manner. Check the codes on the package to determine the delivery area.

Now, place them in your delivery truck in descending order of the delivery area or addresses. You should start loading the vehicle from the end of the trailer with the packages you will deliver last.

The package to be delivered at the first stop should be at the door end of your vehicle’s trailer. This will make it easy for you to quickly unload the packages at each stop. 

2. Collect your gas cashback

Amazon flex drivers find gas bills as one of the biggest expenses in completing their delivery gigs. Amazon offers cashback on gas refills, but most newcomers are unaware of it. You need to download the ‘GetUpside’ app, where you will get cashback for every refill.

You can use these cashbacks to encash your next fuel purchase, which will cut down your payable amount. There are times in a year when Amazon will host double cashbacks for a limited period of time on gas refills. So, make sure you take advantage of it

3. Keep track of mileage and cumulative expenses

Amazon Flex makes you an independent contractor, for which you will be liable to bear all expenses. So, if you do not track these expenses, you will eventually lose your money in tax deductions. 

As per Amazon Flex, you are expected to pay quarterly taxes after completing one year with the company. Tracking the mileage and actual expenses allows you to get some tax claims later that year.

Use some mileage tracker applications to track the mileage you cover. Apart from that, you can also do this manually by recording the vehicle’s ODO meter daily. For expenses, you must keep a record of the receipts.

Upper Route Planner is a specialized route optimization software that displays the total mileage you will cover daily when you plan delivery routes through its portal. So, things will be pretty much easier for you.

4. Claim more Amazon Flex blocks

You must sacrifice your morning sleep and wake up early to claim more blocks than other Amazon delivery drivers. The more blocks you claim, the higher your earnings will be for the day. This is probably one of the best Amazon Flex driver tips for earning more money from delivery gigs.

The delivery gigs you get will be from the blocks you choose for the day. So, invest your time and effort in picking the demanding blocks to get more delivery gigs for the day and make good money by the end of your service time that day.

5. Keep the Amazon Flex app updated

It is a common tip but can have a huge impact if you miss out on it. Make sure you check for updates for the Amazon Flex app at periodic intervals.

If you don’t update your application, you will be automatically signed out and receive no notification of any new high-paying delivery block being added to the list. You will miss out on any offer, and other drivers will benefit from it.

Imagine waking up in the morning to claim the blocks, but you are logged out and have to enter credentials, which takes time. Meanwhile, you will lose the priority blocks you could have easily gotten. 

6. Try different delivery types

Don’t just stick to only one type of delivery for your gigs. Instead, keep exploring the options that Amazon offers for its flex drivers.

As an Amazon Flex driver, you can take delivery gigs for Amazon Logistics, Amazon Fresh, Amazon Restaurants, and Prime Now.

You typically get the logistics delivery gigs, but try and keep looking for other options to maximize efficiency. The wider you open your window, the more earning opportunities you will have.

7. Keep some empty boxes with you

Your earnings also depend on the tips you get from customers. So, when you deliver packages that are crumpled and torn, can you expect any monetary tips? Probably not.

Along with all of the other customer satisfaction aspects, getting a clean and damage-free package is one of the most crucial ones.

So, it is better to have spare boxes with you if you notice some delivery boxes experiencing damage due to the transit routes. Remember to have boxes of different sizes to match the original box. 

To reduce the damage caused to original boxes during transit, you can choose to use better routes that don’t jerk the trailers much to disorient the position of boxes. As stated above, Upper Route Planner can help you assess such routes through satellite mapping and embedded algorithms. 

8. Get a good insurance policy

Amazon Flex drivers should have insurance for their delivery vehicles as a mandatory requirement. Insurance will back you up if you want to secure your earnings and don’t want to spend them on any possible accidental repair.

While you are signing up to make Amazon Flex deliveries, it is evident that you will be driving all the time throughout the city or state. In that process, you will be vulnerable to any possible accident, irrespective of how experienced a driver you are.

With insurance, you can return to making most deliveries without emptying your bank.

9. Carry necessary essentials

As an Amazon Flex driver, if you want to earn more, you will have to cover back-to-back routes for more deliveries. And for that, you will need all the assistive essentials on the go.

Some of the things you should not forget to pack are a good phone mount, a power bank, a charger cable, snacks, drinks, a flashlight, a pen, and a first-aid kit. These things will help you in your overall journey of delivering Amazon Flex packages without any halt.

10. Use other delivery apps

It is common sense for a delivery driver to keep looking for opportunities. Even though you are an Amazon Flex driver, you are still an independent contractor. You can still take other jobs from various delivery applications other than the Flex app, such as Uber Eats, Instacart, and DoorDash. 

Different applications have different payout rules. Make sure you study their policies before signing up with the delivery service. And, you are all open to fulfilling your goal of earning good by serving customers of different brands.

11. Have a planned route 

Without a planned route for covering various delivery addresses, there is a high chance you will get lost in the cosmos of highways in an unknown state. Moreover, wandering on the wrong routes will cost you more gas and might consume more driving time leading to late deliveries.

Late Amazon deliveries will not help you earn even the standard amount of money. So, it is better to use an automated route planner to add your pre-destined stops or addresses and get a well-planned and shortest route to cover them all.

Try using Upper Route Planner, as it has an advanced route optimization algorithm with many other features to streamline the jobs for delivery drivers. 

How Can Upper Route Planner Help You Maximize Your Gig Economy?

What’s better than having the perfect and shortest route to your delivery station? These shortest routes will help to reduce delivery miles, thus saving money, fuel, and time. Apart from that, you will also be delivering packages on time to earn good bonuses.

The Upper Route Planner has an algorithm that uses satellite mapping technology to point the given addresses on a route map. As per the route plan, your journey will commence from the pickup location and follow the shortest route possible to multiple delivery stops.

Delayed or incomplete deliveries incur penalties for Amazon Flex drivers, and we are here to minimize those penalties. The routes generated by our software can also be modified based on priorities to ensure better pay at those blocks.

Prefer taking a 7 days FREE Trial with our Upper Route Planner. We will integrate it into your Amazon Flex delivery services for a week and let you assess your business growth with it.

Summing Up

Amazon supports flex drivers with good standard pay and performance bonuses. They are also open to accepting tips from generous customers to supplement their earnings.

However Amazon has some rules and regulations you must follow to avoid being canceled as a driver by the company. Pay your taxes, be punctual, and don’t over-swipe the blocks. These are basic rules for you to follow and keep earning with Amazon. 

Try Upper Route Planner and optimize your routes to make faster deliveries. To learn more about this advanced route planning and optimization software.