Life at Amazon, NY, PA and Florida bound

[decodancer]

I survived the Amazon experience! I can honestly say that there were more positives than negatives about the two months I spent in KY but it was definitely no walk in the park. At orientation we were told "You are not here to change things, you are here to put things in boxes". The hours were long, every muscle in my body hurt, not enough sleep and yes I will do it again.
Amazon, or at least the one in Kentucky does everything in it's power to make your time there tolerable. We were greeted at the entrance with hard candy and a "Thank you for being here". A trip to the vending machines (no money needed) gave you a choice of coffees, hot chocolate, or fluffy cappuccino drinks. Free cold bottled water in every department of the warehouse. Dozens of microwaves and refrigerators for your use in the break room. TVs and computers to catch up on e-mail and current events. A vending machine (also no charge) filled with packets of aspirin, Ibuprofen, antacids, and every other needed over the counter med you could need. The smoking "cage" turned out to be a huge sheltered area with picnic tables and heated lighting.
We got a full Thanksgiving dinner (a few days before the holiday) and extra time to eat it. Chili and baked potatoes three times in one week. Dominos pizza for everyone one night. Nachos with cheese and fruit were given out several times on break. I think the best part was that we were served by our area managers. They were also there to thank you for coming as we left the building. My supervisor knew everybody by name by week two and we're talking hundreds of people.
I chose "The Stables" for my campground and it was the right choice for me. First the negatives. Internet service ranged from a quick e-mail check to nonexistent which is why I have not been to this forum in so long. No cable tv which was really hard for me though I did buy and trade dvds just to have a little entertainment on my time off. My bed measures 32" x 80" and with one large and two small Poodles sharing it, lets just say it was a bit too cozy. Cooking was also a challenge as well as cleanup in such tight quarters. Having to move 5 things to make space for everyday necessities is just a pain in the you know what.
The positives were the great people at the campground. I never had a problem getting a ride to work or to the store. We had a rec hall that looked like a saloon and there were regular gatherings for drinking and socializing. Loved the karaoke and made a fool of myself several times. The place was super dog friendly and dogs were welcome inside the bar unless we were having a meal. My Poodles got lots of off leash time and enjoyed socializing with everyone. We had a huge Thanksgiving pot luck with over 60 people attending which was a great time. The owner of the campground was great and went out of his way to help you.
I left KY on Dec. 23rd and made my way to NY. where I helped with watching 24 dogs while their owners were on vacation. It was a breeze compared to Amazon and I actually got more than 5 hours of sleep. A couple of days at another friends home and I'm fully recovered. I probably gained 5 pounds in NY but considering I lost about 20 in Kentucky, I didn't mind so much.
I'm back home in PA. for a few days. I'm going to start working on my new class C today which I'm looking forward to. I'll finish the remodel when I return from Florida. I'm feeling a little cramped back in the van after living in a house for the last 10 days but we can certainly survive another week. I'm glad to be back on the forum and I'll update on the trip to Florida. Kathleen

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

awesome post, thanks!

 

[Patrick46]

Cool to hear that Amazon treats their employees with respect. That point alone makes my opinion of them go up a notch.

We've missed you dear, and it's good to hear that your working trip was such a success. Welcome Home!

 

[SoulRaven]

The weather in the Pocono’s looks grim with –0 temps so get out while you can!

You are more than welcome to come to the Florida Snowbird Rendezvous (™).

https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-1st-Annual-Florida-Winter-Snowbird-Gathering-2015

 

[sparky1]

Thanks for the review---I had wondered last time I mentioned Amazon jobs..glad your rested up-

 

[thatchickinpa]

Interesting post ... I sell on Amazon and about a third of my inventory is FBA. Always wondered what life was like at their warehouses, although I usually don't deal with Kentucky.

Have fun on your trip to Florida. I'm heading there from PA myself next month

 

[jimindenver]

Nice read, thank you.

I read some on Amazon a while back thinking it may be an option if I went this route. Unfortunately since then changes mean I'm don't think I physically up to the task anymore.

 

[LeeRevell]

Night temps here in north Florida will drop to the high twenties mid week - but that'll be no problem for y'all that are used to winter up north. NO snow or ice really makes a difference!

 

[Theadyn]

Glad you are kicking and glad Amazon treats their employees well. I don't mind shopping with them, not that just reinforces it.

Glad to see you back!

 

[decodancer]

Thanks for all the great responses. My boss here at the campground offered me the free use of a cabin for the next couple days because of below zero temps. Last night I didn't feel cold but the dogs water bowl was frozen so I did accept her offer. I plan to leave for Florida on Friday or Saturday weather permitting.
I didn't mention much about the actual Amazon warehouse and since some of you seem interested, I'll add a little synopsis. Safety is a major thing and everything is labeled and color coded almost like a preschool classroom. The pedestrian walkway from the front to the back of the warehouse is nicknamed the green mile and although it may not be a mile long, it's pretty darned close to it. The pickers clocked from 12 to 16 miles per night on their pedometers and many worked 6 ten hour night shifts. I was a packer and pushed and pulled a huge heavy cart on a track to chutes filled with purchased items. Yes my feet and knees paid the price for 10 hours on concrete but the work itself was not hard. I'd scan the chute number and the onboard computer told me what sized box to make. A tape machine spit out the right amount of prewetted tape. I'd scan each item and put it in the box, fill it with bubble cushions, tape it shut and usually that was all there was to it. Unless the item was under the conveyer belt and you had to crawl on the floor with a boat hook trying to retrieve it. Or was missing or was damaged or it wouldn't fit into the box. I would cringe when I'd see the word "custom box" on my computer screen. It meant a long walk to retrieve one of the oversized monster boxes. Got a good laugh once when I saw a young kid trying to tape two boxes together to make his own version. My department was loud, very loud at times with alarms going off constantly. Conveyer belts above and below. A monorail type trolley with boxes of all sizes to restock your cart. I was and still am amazed at how smoothly it went the majority of the time. How the heck do they keep track of ten thousand items a night and actually manage to get them to the right people? Enough of this novel, I gotta brave the cold and get the dogs out.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

did you go thru a temp agency or apply to amazon directly thru their site or something?

 

[decodancer]

There were lots of workers from temp agencies there but I went in through the Camperforce program. I chose from one of 6 campgrounds and my camp site and utilities were paid for by Amazon. There were a few vandwellers and even a girl with her pets in a motorcycle tent at the campground right across from the warehouse. Didn't mention the 4 free t-shirts and 2 $50 gift cards I got just for working my 50 hours a week. They are big on incentives there, there's a referral bonus too.

 

[Hereandthere]

Fascinating, thanks for sharing! I'm beyond some things and I think this is one of them, but loved reading about it.

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

I've always wanted to know more about working for Amazon. The main question is how much can one make? Do you get time and a half for those 60 hour weeks? Thanks for the good information.

 

[LeeRevell]

Looks like you'll miss the 22 degrees we had this Wednesday morn...... It'll be warmer by the time you get down here.

 

[decodancer]

Yes Bruce, you do get time and a half for everything over 40 hours. Campers are only required to work 50 hours but can work up to 60. The overtime wasn't required for us until black Friday, I guess that would vary according to how busy and which location you were at. I made $10.50 per hour plus overtime. There is also a $1 per hour worked bonus if you stay until released on or before Dec 23rd. How much you could make would depend on your start date and whether you chose to work the extra overtime offered. I did not, 50 hours was enough for me but with free rent and utilities I think I did pretty good.
We had wind chills at -16 last night Lee, I don't mind cold but that was ridiculous. 22 sounds balmy in comparison.

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

Based on my rough calculations, it sounds like 50 hours work / week, plus the $1 / hour completion bonus, would amount to $627 / week, plus other incentives that you eluded to. If I can get in shape, I may try it next year just to show my kid I've still got it (plus the money would be nice).

 

[decodancer]

Captains Log Jan. 10th... Settled in for the night at a KOA in central Virginia. Forecast is for a low of 18 tonight which is 3 times the temp we woke up to. Snug under the electric blanket in the van but even with the space heater, everything froze. My little Poodles just stood and shivered when I took them out this morning with a "you've got to be joking" look on their faces.. No snow here so at least they have grass to go on. I plan on stopping tomorrow night near the Florida border and will get to my Mother's home early on Monday. I'm looking forward to seeing my family but have to admit I'm anxious to get back and get to work on my class C. My van is leaking transmission fluid again, I had it fixed for the same issue a year ago. I put a quart in this morning and it was hesitating when going into reverse and back into drive here at the campground. I can see it dripping when the van is idling, just let me make it to Mom's and I'll get it fixed there.

 

[SoulRaven]

This is how I fix my trans leaks and never leave home w/o it.

When trans is hot add 12 oz (1/2 bottle) of Lucas with a qt of trans fluid drive for 1/2 hour to mix lucus around trans to swell up seals.

My trans has not leaked since treatment 4 months ago, still have not added any trans fluid after driving from PA to Fla in just one day in 1992 Chevy.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/16777815?...34259352&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=81191014952&veh=sem

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

This is how I fix my trans leaks and never leave home w/o it.

When trans is hot add 12 oz (1/2 bottle) of Lucas with a qt of trans fluid drive for 1/2 hour to mix lucus around trans to swell up seals.

This can work IF (BIG IF) it's a seal. Unless the seal is actually TORN, in which case it's useless. It's also useless if the problem is a pinhole or loose hose or line connection. It always pays to crawl underneath and see where the leak is.

Deco, if you're going to wait until you hit FL to fix it, Pick up several quarts of tranny fluid and stop and check your fluid level every few hours. Keep it topped up or you could burn out your transmission. $$$!

Regards
John