Food delivery robots are being robbed in the US

Food delivery and grocery robots are an excellent way of getting meals delivered to customers efficiently and quickly.  Many have ventured into the business such as Estonian ride-hailing firm Bolt that announced in June of 2023 that it will begin delivering food to...

Heatwaves around the country are driving up gas prices in Louisville as refineries struggle

The heatwaves continuing to blister most of the country are causing gas prices to rise with the temperature, including in Louisville, experts say. Spokesperson Lynda Lambert told The Courier Journal on Tuesday that prices have risen lately not only because of the...

AI and Chat GPT: ‘White-Collar, Higher-Paid Workers’ Could Be Next To Have Jobs Replaced

Artificial intelligence’s rapid surge, mostly thanks to the release of ChatGPT, seems to be omnipresent. While the technology is revolutionizing everything and helping many people in the way they work or to make more money, one downside is the toll it’s taking on...

Scorching temperatures are making delivery a dangerous job — and it’s only getting worse

One hundred and twenty-four degrees in Portland, Oregon; 107 degrees in Yosemite National Park; 88 degrees in Vermont — in April. The climate crisis may be a creeping threat at a global level, but on the local level, it's playing out in big jumps.  And when it is...

Delivery drivers want protection against heat. But it’s an uphill battle

For nearly a decade, Viviana Gonzalez has spent her summers delivering packages for United Parcel Service under sweltering sun in Palmdale, California – in a truck without air conditioning. A typical work day means at least 10 hours in and out of one of UPS' brown...

The Loadchief Advantage – APP

Loadchief is a revolutionary platform that connects reputable courier companies with credentialed, independent delivery drivers to provide on-demand delivery through our digital marketplace. The platform leverages the scalability and flexibility of crowdsourcing to...

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Our Services We're Local CMI is a local company, based in the Valencia Industrial Center, providing transportation of time sensitive shipments of all sizes from envelopes to full truckloads. We Deliver Nationwide CMI provides same day, Overnight and Time definite Ltl...

The Shipping Industry Is Getting a Slew of New Vessels—Right as Demand Cools

Carriers plowed pandemic profits into a fleet of bigger cargo vessels. They’re arriving just as trade growth is softening. Look for vessels to triple in the coming months. Moving supplies faster and quicker around the world. More carriers bring more product around the...

Valentine’s Day Deliveries Made Easy with Courier Services

Valentine’s Day is only a month away, and there’s always that rush to get the gifts you’ve been wanting to get for your Valentine sweetheart. But what if you need those gifts picked up and delivered to your door in a rush? Maybe you want to keep those gifts discrete...

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Food delivery robots are being robbed in the US

Food delivery and grocery robots are an excellent way of getting meals delivered to customers efficiently and quickly. 

Many have ventured into the business such as Estonian ride-hailing firm Bolt that announced in June of 2023 that it will begin delivering food to people’s doors in Talinn using a fleet of autonomous robots. The development hailed from a partnership with robotics firm Starship Technologies which in 2019 expanded its fleet of autonomous food delivery robots to colleges across the US.

Vandals attack the robots

But the operations of such ventures come with some complications: mainly that as of late people in the US have been vandalizing and robbing these efficient machines, resulting in a potential loss of business for the companies that oversee the robots and forcing restaurants and grocery stores to replace their orders.

Los Angeles news outlet KTLA5 reported earlier this month that viral videos have surfaced of people kicking and forcefully opening the robots to steal their packages or just to simply destroy the machines. Luckily, for the establishments who supply the food, the robot company reimburses them.

“We have to remake the food, but luckily we still get reimbursed for that,” told KTLA5 Steve Avila, general manager of Blu Jam Café in Hollywood. “I can see how [delivery companies] can be hurting from it, especially because it seems like [the delivery robots] are pretty expensive.” 

Meanwhile, Serve Robots, a company supplying the autonomous delivery vehicles in West Hollywood, told the news outlet that they still have a 99.9 percent rate of successful deliveries, despite recent acts of vandalism.

Enforcing protective measures

Other companies, such as the previously mentioned Starship Technologies have enforced several protective measures to discourage and deal with vandalism and theft.

“If someone tries to block the robots, the robots will attempt to maneuver around them or politely ask them to move. If the situation escalates or the robot is tampered with, the robots have loud sirens, and any incidents are reported. Our robots are locked at all times and have 12 cameras,” said a statement from the company acquired by KTLA5.

Although no reason has been given for the acts of violence committed against these small but helpful machines, it can be assumed that some people are angry about them taking jobs away from humans. Machines are increasingly becoming more agile and efficient taking away more and more positions previously occupied by humans.

This has caused some to worry about their source of income and their viability. Others may simply see a good opportunity to get a free meal as a robot will not respond or attack back. Whatever the reason for these attacks it can be agreed that they are not warranted and should stop at all costs.

As next steps, it might be wise for authorities to place heavy fines and perhaps even jail time for any tampering of the machines. This will likely deter future vandals and ensure the security of food delivery and grocery robots everywhere.

COURIER-MESSENGER, INC. – BIG OR SMALL WE SHIP IT ALL

  • CMI is  based in the Valencia Industrial Center, Santa Clarita, providing transportation of time sensitive shipments of all sizes from envelopes to full truckloads.
  • CMI provides same day, Overnight and Time definite Ltl point to point deliveries, through out the USA. Same day truck service is determined by availability at time of call.
  • CMI provides our customers with internet tracking, and proof of deliveries at time of completion in real time.

Phone: (661) 257-8689 – Fax: (661) 257-1895
Email: [email protected] – Website: ShipCMI.com

Heatwaves around the country are driving up gas prices in Louisville as refineries struggle

The heatwaves continuing to blister most of the country are causing gas prices to rise with the temperature, including in Louisville, experts say.

Spokesperson Lynda Lambert told The Courier Journal on Tuesday that prices have risen lately not only because of the typical high summer demand, but the rising price for crude oil and recession fears. Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at Oil Price Information Service, said high temperatures around the country have forced some refineries in Southern states to decrease production, which also causes pain at the pump.

The average price for gas in Louisville this summer has surpassed last year’s average as gas prices continue to soar across the country, officials at AAA East Central said Tuesday.

“This is the actually the first time that we’ve been able to say our prices here in Louisville are higher than they were this time last year in a very very long time,” Lambert said.

Average prices for gas around Louisville stand at around $3.88 per gallon, roughly 18 cents higher than last year.

The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded jumped 13 cents last week to $3.71, an eight-month high, according to AAA. But last year still stands as a record-breaking year for gas prices, as gasoline reached $5 across the country last year due to the war between Ukraine and Russia, Lambert said.

Why is gas going back up in 2023?

Lambert said heat waves around the country were also affecting refineries. The barrel of crude oil was $81 on Tuesday, and between $84 and $85 a barrel last week compared to just $50-60 earlier in the year.

“We are seeing refiners in Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee and some other states struggle to run anywhere near at maximum rates,” Kloza said. “Petroleum engineers can tell you that when ambient temperatures get to the 100-degree neighborhood, it is difficult to run at maximum levels.”

Nationwide, refinery utilization decreased by 0.9 percentage points from last week to 93.6%, De Haan said. Gasoline production fell to 9.5 million barrels per day, and distillate fuel production dropped to 4.8 million barrels per day last week.

West Coast refineries posted the largest drop (2.4%) to 90.9%, followed by the Gulf Coast’s 1.5% decline to 93.3% and the Midwest slid 1.1% to 97.7%, he said. The last two regions – Rocky Mountains and East Coast – each rose.

“These percentages show how much of a region’s overall capacity was used to refine oil,” De Haan said. “It’s important to note these percentages because the lower the utilization percentage, the lower output, which has a direct impact on local gasoline prices.”

Is the price of oil going to go up?

Oil prices, the largest single contributor to gas prices, rose $10 per barrel in July to a three-month high last Tuesday. “Raw crude price increases add 24 cents per gallon to the price of gasoline and other refined products,” Kloza said.

Production cuts from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies and sanctions on Iran, Venezuela and Russia shifting global crude supply are all affecting supply and boosting prices, said Natasha Kaneva, J.P. Morgan’s head of global commodities strategy.

Exports also cut into our supply at home. “We are exporting about two cargoes of gasoline (mostly from the Gulf Coast) for every cargo we import,” Kloza said. “We are the supplier of choice for Latin America, which has no additional refining capacity coming up this year.”

Are gas stations just gouging?

Retail gasoline margins are around 27 cents per gallon now, or about one-third of what they were a year ago, Kloza said. “Thanks to higher wages and other costs, most retailers need something above 30 cents per gallon in order to maintain reasonable fuel profits,” he said. “So for now, the beneficiaries of the return of inflation to energy prices are producers of crude, and refiners, but not retailers. They are the messengers blamed for the message.”

Will gas prices drop any time soon?

In the short-term, prices may depend on refineries.

“There is the fear of more refinery downtime along with the major fear of a hurricane probability cone in the Gulf of Mexico,” Kloza said. “If those fears are removed, we will see substantial gasoline price drops, even if crude oil remains above $80 per barrel.”

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was last at $79.67 per barrel and world benchmark Brent was at $83.81. Both are on track for a fifth weekly gain.

Reach Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez at [email protected]; follow her on Twitter at @SoyAnaAlvarezMedora Lee is a money, markets, and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected] and subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Gas prices in Louisville high thanks to struggling refineries

COURIER-MESSENGER, INC. – BIG OR SMALL WE SHIP IT ALL

  • CMI is  based in the Valencia Industrial Center, Santa Clarita, providing transportation of time sensitive shipments of all sizes from envelopes to full truckloads.
  • CMI provides same day, Overnight and Time definite Ltl point to point deliveries, through out the USA. Same day truck service is determined by availability at time of call.
  • CMI provides our customers with internet tracking, and proof of deliveries at time of completion in real time.

Phone: (661) 257-8689 – Fax: (661) 257-1895
Email: [email protected] – Website: ShipCMI.com

AI and Chat GPT: ‘White-Collar, Higher-Paid Workers’ Could Be Next To Have Jobs Replaced

Artificial intelligence’s rapid surge, mostly thanks to the release of ChatGPT, seems to be omnipresent. While the technology is revolutionizing everything and helping many people in the way they work or to make more money, one downside is the toll it’s taking on jobs. And the next segment of the population that might be threatened could be “white-collar, higher-paid workers,” according to a new Pew Research Center study

“AI is distinguished from past technologies that have come over the last 100-plus years,” Rakesh Kochhar, an expert on employment trends and a senior researcher at Pew, told CNBC. “It is reaching up from the factory floors into the office spaces where white-collar, higher-paid workers tend to be.”

The study found that in 2022, 19% of American workers were in jobs that are the most exposed to AI, in which the most important activities may be either replaced or assisted by AI. What’s more, nearly six in 10 workers are likely to have varying levels of exposure to AI.

“Overall, AI is designed to mimic cognitive functions, and it is likely that higher-paying, white-collar jobs will see a fair amount of exposure to the technology,” according to the study.

Yet, the analysis doesn’t consider the role of AI-enabled machines or robots that may perform mechanical or physical tasks, which may reduce both employment and wages.

“Jobs held by low-wage workers, those without a high school diploma, and younger men are more exposed to the effects of industrial robots,” the study noted.

According to Pew, the top five jobs for men among the most exposed occupations to AI include sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing; lawyers; computer occupations; couriers and messengers; and accountants and auditors.

For women, they are secretaries and administrative assistants (except legal, medical and executive); office clerks; receptionists; accountants and auditors; and booking, accounting and auditing clerks.

Phil Siegel, founder of CAPTRS, noted that while some jobs will disappear, they will tend to be entry-level jobs and those workers will have other opportunities assuming they are skilled.

“But the vast number of jobs will be made more effective and this will be the result of having an “angel on the shoulder” of the worker,” said Siegel.

“Salespeople, accounting and finance, supply chain, research and development, high-level coding, and many more will have AI-enhanced software that raises productivity but doesn’t lower jobs.”

While Siegel said he agreed with the premise that the impact of AI will be greater than some past technologies, he nuanced it by adding that in and of itself, it will not dramatically change the structure of many industries other than the software industry itself.

COURIER-MESSENGER, INC. – BIG OR SMALL WE SHIP IT ALL

  • CMI is  based in the Valencia Industrial Center, Santa Clarita, providing transportation of time sensitive shipments of all sizes from envelopes to full truckloads.
  • CMI provides same day, Overnight and Time definite Ltl point to point deliveries, through out the USA. Same day truck service is determined by availability at time of call.
  • CMI provides our customers with internet tracking, and proof of deliveries at time of completion in real time.

Phone: (661) 257-8689 – Fax: (661) 257-1895
Email: [email protected] – Website: ShipCMI.com

Scorching temperatures are making delivery a dangerous job — and it’s only getting worse

One hundred and twenty-four degrees in Portland, Oregon; 107 degrees in Yosemite National Park; 88 degrees in Vermont — in April. The climate crisis may be a creeping threat at a global level, but on the local level, it’s playing out in big jumps. 

And when it is uncomfortably, unseasonably, intolerably hot, those jumps inspire the thought: “Wouldn’t it be nice to skip the store and have that delivered?” 

But for the workers making those deliveries, their jobs are getting more dangerous with every degree — and these temperatures are no longer confined to certain regions of the country. 

The true toll of heat stress isn’t known, and there’s no simple fix to the risk it presents. Some of the best strategies to fight dangerous heat push against profits. 

“This is one of the most brutal jobs out there day in and day out,” a FedEx contractor in the South said. “You can’t just go out there and deliver 150 to 200 boxes on a whim. The next day you can’t move. It takes time to acclimate.” The contractor asked to remain anonymous because they are not authorized to speak with the media.

When recruiting new drivers, they have a routine intended to scare applicants away.

“We’re pretty brutal about it. If they stay after the brutal parts, we’ll tell them about the good parts,” the worker said. 

Traditionally, the cons of the job have been dealing with territorial dogs and prickly customers and the strain of carrying heavy packages. Now, the stress and outright danger of facing the heat are at the top of the list. 

“The Pacific Northwest heat wave in 2021 pretty much showed that everywhere is vulnerable,” Jeff Goodell, the author of “The Heat Will Kill You First,” told Insider.

Extreme heat threatens some 15 million people who power the “sweat economy,” Goodell said. That number includes delivery drivers and everyone else whose jobs keep them outside at least some of the time — such as farm and construction workers — and the millions more who work inside poorly ventilated and barely temperature-controlled buildings and warehouses.

In recent years, the number of delivery drivers reporting heat-related illnesses was second only to construction workers, according to Occupational Health and Safety Administration statistics reported by E&E News. And when it comes to delivery workers, at least, companies are coming to the realization that this major threat requires concerted attention. 

A sweaty Amazon driver wipes his face with a towel.
Shawndu Stackhouse, an Amazon driver, wipes away sweat while delivering packages in Washington, DC. 

Heat deaths often stay hidden

An ice chest, 15 bottles of water, and two towels: That’s the daily checklist for a nearly 20-year-veteran UPS driver in Northern California who spoke to Insider. His first introduction to heat exhaustion in July 2017 changed his perspective forever. 

“I started feeling so weak that I was slumped over on the steering wheel. I was walking to a stop with a 10-pound package and it felt like 50,” he said on the condition of anonymity. He staggered and then vomited. He didn’t call an ambulance, but in hindsight, he said he probably should have. The temperature that day was 106 degrees. 

In the years since, the town where he’s based hit a record 116 degrees. But heat can be dangerous even if it doesn’t break records. 

The 2022 death of 24-year-old Esteban Chavez, a UPS driver in Southern California, made national headlines. On the day he died, the high in Pasadena was 97 degrees, according to AccuWeather. 

Chavez wasn’t the first UPS driver to die on the job on a hot day. He wasn’t even the only delivery driver to die that month, ABC News reported.

His death came less than a year before the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents UPS workers, began renegotiating its contract with UPS. The tragedy galvanized the union to make heat a top priority in ongoing contract negotiations— and it became an early win in fraught negotiations that resulted in a last-minute deal on Tuesday. 

The manner of death was described as “natural causes” by the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. Labor Department statistics show that between 32 and 56 worker deaths resulted from heat exposure each year between 2017 and 2021. Goodell said the low numbers are unsurprising since officials aren’t always aware that heat has contributed to those deaths. 

“As our bodies heat up, our hearts are pumping faster and faster, trying to get blood to the surface of the skin to cool off. And that puts a tremendous strain on the heart,” Goodell said. “In fact, most heat deaths are from some kind of cardiac failure.”

A UPS spokesperson told Insider via email that following the death of Chavez, the California Division of Occupational Health and Safety investigated UPS’s heat training and programs and no citation was issued.

A UPS driver keeps a towel on his head while driving along Broadway during warm weather on July 6, 2012 in New york City.
A UPS driver keeps a towel on his head while driving along Broadway during warm weather in New York City. 

Companies are changing, but there’s no simple fix

UPS has agreed to equip all newly purchased vans with air conditioning and install fans in all cabs. It will also install heat shields to keep the floors of the vans cooler and add air-intake systems to funnel cooler air from the cab into the cargo bay.

While adding air conditioning is a start, it’s not a catchall solution. With just minutes between stops and hot air rushing in every time the door opens, “the vehicle is really no refuge from the heat,” one Amazon delivery contractor operating in New York City told Insider. 

Amazon, FedEx, UPS, and the US Postal Service say they have mandatory heat-safety training for drivers covering how to stay cool and how to spot the signs of heat-related stress. Most facilities have ice machines, most companies said.

UPS has brought in new company-issued gear — cooling sleeves and hats that when wet, stay 30 degrees cooler than body temperature for roughly 45 minutes. Amazon provides drivers with coolers, tumblers, electrolyte powder, cooling bandanas, and sunscreen, the company said.

“The big problem is that outdoor workers, whether it’s at FedEx or the agricultural workers that I talked about in my book, whether it’s the guys who are working on the asphalt crews here in Texas, they fear that if they take breaks and retreat to the shade in the middle of the day when it’s really hot, they’re gonna get fired,” Goodell said. 

A black man in a postal uniform wipes his sweaty brow in the shade of his truck.
James Daniels wipes sweat from his forehead after a grueling walk in the hot sun delivering mail in San Clemente, California. 

Heat protection is at odds with efficiency

Water, ice, towels, and air conditioning help, but the one thing that’s hard to provide is flexibility. 

“The driver calls and says ‘I’m overheated and the manager says take 30 minutes. But the system says ‘Hey whats wrong — you stopped for 30 min?,” an Amazon contractor said on the condition of anonymity since they are not authorized to speak to the press. 

The contractor now schedules extra staff on days when the temperature is forecasted to be over 89 degrees. In New York City, humidity is likely to make it feel much hotter and a predictable percentage of drivers will call out sick the following day, he said. 

An Amazon spokesperson told Insider that last year the company worked with its delivery contractors to adjust routes so drivers could take additional breaks — adding up to two hours of break time on some routes. 

“How often and how long breaks are needed is an important part of the conversations our drivers are encouraged to have with their managers,” a UPS spokesperson said. A FedEx spokesperson said drivers are encouraged to take breaks when needed. 

Shade and water breaks can be lifesaving in the summer, but labor laws largely haven’t caught up with climate science.

Some states mandate shade and water breaks for outdoor workers — most don’t. Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas recently signed a bill that effectively eliminated mandatory water breaks for construction workers. 

What may be required in the long run is the one thing that most logistics companies — especially those delivering online orders expected in a few days — could struggle to do. They may have to slow down. 

“The simple fact is too much exposure to high temperatures is a health risk and a mortality risk,” said Goodell. “And you can certainly imagine that delivery personnel can operate in high temperatures if they’re well equipped. But there’s a limit, and it’s simple physics.”

COURIER-MESSENGER, INC. – BIG OR SMALL WE SHIP IT ALL

  • CMI is  based in the Valencia Industrial Center, Santa Clarita, providing transportation of time sensitive shipments of all sizes from envelopes to full truckloads.
  • CMI provides same day, Overnight and Time definite Ltl point to point deliveries, through out the USA. Same day truck service is determined by availability at time of call.
  • CMI provides our customers with internet tracking, and proof of deliveries at time of completion in real time.

Phone: (661) 257-8689 – Fax: (661) 257-1895
Email: [email protected] – Website: ShipCMI.com

Delivery drivers want protection against heat. But it’s an uphill battle

For nearly a decade, Viviana Gonzalez has spent her summers delivering packages for United Parcel Service under sweltering sun in Palmdale, California – in a truck without air conditioning.

A typical work day means at least 10 hours in and out of one of UPS’ brown delivery vehicles, where temperatures in the back, Gonzalez said, at times surpass 150 degrees. Her only relief is a fan that blows hot air into her face.

Gonzalez has come to expect waves of nausea and weakness throughout the day. 

“We’re out there for hours, so you can only think about how much stress we’re putting on our bodies,” Gonzalez said.

Delivering packages is a solo task. Sometimes, Gonzalez calls her friends for support while she’s on her delivery route, in case her health takes a turn for the worse. 

Last June, a 24-year-old Palmdale UPS driver named Esteban Chavez was found unconscious in his truck while on his delivery route in Pasadena.Chavez died of sudden cardiac dysfunction, according to the medical examiner’s report. Temperatures exceeded 90 degrees that day, and his family believes his heart failure was due to the heat.

Another driver, 23-year-old José Cruz Rodriguez, died from a heat-related illness, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, during his UPS delivery shift in Waco, Texas, in August 2021. His family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against UPS and ultimately settled with the company.

Gonzalez often thinks of her 18-year-old son when she’s out driving.

“What would’ve happened to him if I had died in the back of the truck?” Gonzalez said. “We are putting our lives at risk by delivering in these hot weather conditions. And we’re human – we don’t know what our body is going to take.”

New heat safety measures at UPS

Conditions are set to change for UPS delivery drivers nationwide. UPS and the Teamsters union, which represents 340,000 UPS workers, negotiated a tentative heat safety agreement in June to install air conditioning systems in all of the company’s small package delivery vehicles purchased after Jan. 1, 2024.

UPS said it will send the new vehicles to the hottest parts of the U.S. first, when possible. The company has also agreed to add new heat shields and fans in delivery vehicles. 

The agreement will be finalized once UPS and the Teamsters negotiate a new contract – a process that could lead to the largest strike against a single employer in U.S. history.

Teamsters President Sean O’Brien called the heat safety agreement a “significant step towards a stronger new reality for so many workers and their families.” UPS said in a statement that worker safety “remains our top priority.” 

Jim Mayer, a UPS spokesperson, said the company currently supplies its employees with cooling gear. But drivers have to get through this summer’s heat waves – mostly without air conditioning.

“We’re still going to have to live through this peak, but it’s almost like a touchdown,” Gonzalez said. “We’re almost there.”

Drivers at UPS competitors also concerned about heat risks

OSHA lists mail and package delivery as one of the primary industries where outdoor workers suffer from heat-related illnesses. The agency’s work-related injury database shows at least 40 UPS drivers have been hospitalized due to heat-related illness since 2015. 

It’s not just a UPS concern. Drivers working similar jobs for UPS’ competitors – including Amazon and FedEx – are also raising alarms about heat on the job as climate change causes temperatures to rise. 

Both companies said their delivery vehicles are equipped with functioning air conditioning. But drivers Renica Turner and Demetria Forte, who deliver packages for Amazon, as well as Johnathon Ervin, the owner of an Amazon subcontractor, told NPR the air conditioning is often broken in Amazon-branded vans.

Most workers at Amazon and FedEx aren’t represented by a union – and they aren’t even classified as company employees, making it that much harder to demand protections.

Amazon workers join the fight

Last April, Turner was delivering Amazon packages on a 110-degree day in Victorville, California – northeast of Los Angeles – when her body started to tingle. She thought she might pass out.

Amazon said company-branded vehicles have functioning air conditioning, and those without it are immediately grounded. 

But Turner said the air conditioning and fans in the van weren’t working on that day. When she rolled down the windows, hot air drifted inside. She said she let the Amazon dispatcher know about her symptoms.

All she got was a 20-minute break.

“They never sent no one out to help me with the rest of the route,” Turner said, referring to the 300 packages she was expected to deliver, at a rate of 25 per hour. “I had to deliver the rest of that, feeling woozy, feeling numb, and just really overwhelmed.” 

Turner works for an Amazon subcontractor called Battle Tested Strategies, or BTS. It’s one of about 3,000 independent contractors in the e-commerce giant’s delivery network – small businesses contracted by Amazon to deliver packages.

BTS owner Johnathon Ervin, who leases vans from Amazon, said Amazon regularly fails to fix broken air conditioning in the vehicles. He said it can take weeks, even months, for Amazon to repair the vans.

“It’s insane that we’re forced to drive these vehicles,” Ervin said. “We went to Amazon, asked them to retire the vehicles, and it went on deaf ears.”

Email communications reviewed by NPR show BTS has reported several cases of malfunctioning air conditioning in leased vehicles. On September 1, 2022, Ervin wrote in an email to Amazon that the air conditioning units in five vans stopped working on that day alone. 

Similarly, in June 2021, emails show it took weeks for BTS to get air conditioning units fixed, as the subcontractor navigated delays from Amazon’s third-party repair companies. An Amazon spokesperson said Amazon is not responsible for delays, adding that subcontractors are in charge of fixing the vans. 

Turner and 83 of her colleagues unionized with Teamsters and bargained a contract with BTS in April, in large part to push for heat safety measures. It’s the first union of its kind in the Amazon delivery network. 

These newly-unionized drivers have been on strike since late June over Amazon’s termination of its contract with BTS. Ervin and the Teamsters union allege Amazon is retaliating against the workers for unionizing; an Amazon spokesperson, however, said the company ended its contract with BTS over unrelated contract breaches.

Regarding heat safety, the spokesperson said Amazon adjusted some of its delivery routes last year so drivers can take more breaks to cool down. 

The burden falls on drivers

OSHA, the federal agency that oversees workplace safety, has recommendations for how employers should handle heat – but it’s still in the process of drafting heat-specific worker protections. 

This means, currently, the county’s biggest delivery companies have no legal obligation to provide nationwide heat protections for drivers.

Brenda Jacklitsch, a heat stress expert at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, said outdoor workers can experience heat-related illnesses ranging from heat rash and heat cramps to heat stroke.

Employers, she said, can schedule the most physically intense work activities for cooler times in the day – and provide air conditioning and fans when possible. 

“Even having an air-conditioned vehicle that is pre-cooled is a great way to help cool somebody down during a rest break,” Jacklitsch said.

Jacklitsch added that “buddy systems” can help workers look out for one another and monitor symptoms of heat stress. This can be a challenge for drivers who deliver packages on their own.

For now, delivery drivers are doing what they can to protect themselves from extreme heat. 

Forte, another driver who delivers packages for Amazon in Palmdale employed by subcontractor BTS, said Amazon’s expectation of 25 to 30 package deliveries per hour puts a strain on her health when temperatures surpass 100 degrees.

Forte rotates through different vans for her delivery shifts. She tries to secure a van equipped with working air conditioning when she reports to work in the morning.

But she said some days, she’s stuck without AC, in which case she pours frozen bottles of water over the van’s cooling rack.

“(Customers) don’t see all of that. They just see, ‘Oh, yes, my package is here, great,'” Forte said. “They don’t see what we go through on a daily basis.”

COURIER-MESSENGER, INC. – BIG OR SMALL WE SHIP IT ALL

  • CMI is  based in the Valencia Industrial Center, Santa Clarita, providing transportation of time sensitive shipments of all sizes from envelopes to full truckloads.
  • CMI provides same day, Overnight and Time definite Ltl point to point deliveries, through out the USA. Same day truck service is determined by availability at time of call.
  • CMI provides our customers with internet tracking, and proof of deliveries at time of completion in real time.

Phone: (661) 257-8689 – Fax: (661) 257-1895
Email: [email protected] – Website: ShipCMI.com

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The Loadchief Advantage

For Courier Companies

PROBLEM: Difficulty locating and vetting professional independent drivers with the appropriate credentials for the delivery?

SOLUTION: LoadchiefTM eliminates this problem altogether by identifying and vetting drivers so they fit your requirements.


PROBLEM: Difficulty demonstrating IC Compliance (that IC drivers are actually not w-2 employees).

SOLUTION: Through its proprietary application, you can easily generate reports that confirm the drivers who conduct your deliveries are genuine ICs.


PROBLEM: Are deadhead miles and empty loads draining your company profitability?

SOLUTION: LoadchiefTM can help you identify additional jobs that eliminate deadheading. With LoadchiefTM you can also schedule other ICs to take work so you avoid deadhead miles altogether.


PROBLEM: Are you tired of paying retail to fulfill a job in a hard to reach market or on overflow deliveries?

SOLUTION: With LoadchiefTM you set the price for your deliveries. You can also access drivers in other markets, thereby expanding your reach and helping you grow your business.


For Drivers

PROBLEM: Tired of waiting sometimes weeks for invoices to be processed and paid for the deliveries you perform?

SOLUTION:Through our partnership with Stripe Technologies, drivers like you can be paid daily at no additional charge.


PROBLEM: Difficulty finding new deliveries to accept outside of the primary companies you work with (too much down time)?

SOLUTION: With LoadchiefTM you can take full control of your day, your schedule and your lifestyle by accepting jobs from all of the companies that use this system. 


PROBLEM: Do you have trouble accepting and managing jobs from multiple companies, all with their own software?

SOLUTION: LoadchiefTM is a universal application that allows any company to enter job details for you. If you accept a delivery through LoadchiefTM it is the only application you will need to utilize for that delivery.


PROBLEM: Is your career limited by the companies that give you work?

SOLUTION: With LoadchiefTM you can BE YOUR OWN DAMN BOSS. You control what deliveries you accept and how your career grows.

COURIER-MESSENGER, INC. – BIG OR SMALL WE SHIP IT ALL

  • CMI is  based in the Valencia Industrial Center, Santa Clarita, providing transportation of time sensitive shipments of all sizes from envelopes to full truckloads.
  • CMI provides same day, Overnight and Time definite Ltl point to point deliveries, through out the USA. Same day truck service is determined by availability at time of call.
  • CMI provides our customers with internet tracking, and proof of deliveries at time of completion in real time.

Phone: (661) 257-8689 – Fax: (661) 257-1895
Email: [email protected] – Website: ShipCMI.com

Courier- Messenger Inc

Our Services

We’re Local

CMI is a local company, based in the Valencia Industrial Center, providing transportation of time sensitive shipments of all sizes from envelopes to full truckloads.

We Deliver Nationwide

CMI provides same day, Overnight and Time definite Ltl point to point deliveries, through out the USA. Same day truck service is determined by availability at time of call.

Internet Tracking

CMI provides our customers with internet tracking, and proof of deliveries at time of completion via email.

Direct

Pick up shipment and go directly to destination.

Rush

Picked up and delivered within 3 to 4 hours in Los Angeles County. Add an hour for every county traveled through i.e. from Valencia to Orange County would be 4 to 5 hours.

Regular

Must be placed by 11:00 A.M. and will be delivered by the end of day in Los Angeles County. Regular shipments outside of Los Angeles County must be called in by 10:00 am (Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties).

COURIER-MESSENGER, INC. – BIG OR SMALL WE SHIP IT ALL

  • CMI is  based in the Valencia Industrial Center, Santa Clarita, providing transportation of time sensitive shipments of all sizes from envelopes to full truckloads.
  • CMI provides same day, Overnight and Time definite Ltl point to point deliveries, through out the USA. Same day truck service is determined by availability at time of call.
  • CMI provides our customers with internet tracking, and proof of deliveries at time of completion in real time.

Phone: (661) 257-8689 – Fax: (661) 257-1895
Email: [email protected] – Website: ShipCMI.com

The Shipping Industry Is Getting a Slew of New Vessels—Right as Demand Cools

Carriers plowed pandemic profits into a fleet of bigger cargo vessels. They’re arriving just as trade growth is softening. Look for vessels to triple in the coming months. Moving supplies faster and quicker around the world. More carriers bring more product around the world!

COURIER-MESSENGER, INC. – BIG OR SMALL WE SHIP IT ALL

  • CMI is  based in the Valencia Industrial Center, Santa Clarita, providing transportation of time sensitive shipments of all sizes from envelopes to full truckloads.
  • CMI provides same day, Overnight and Time definite Ltl point to point deliveries, through out the USA. Same day truck service is determined by availability at time of call.
  • CMI provides our customers with internet tracking, and proof of deliveries at time of completion in real time.

Phone: (661) 257-8689 – Fax: (661) 257-1895
Email: [email protected] – Website: ShipCMI.com

Valentine’s Day Deliveries Made Easy with Courier Services

Valentine’s Day is only a month away, and there’s always that rush to get the gifts you’ve been wanting to get for your Valentine sweetheart. But what if you need those gifts picked up and delivered to your door in a rush? Maybe you want to keep those gifts discrete so that your loved one won’t figure out their Valentine’s surprise until it’s time? That’s where a dedicated courier service could become incredibly useful!

Treat Your Packages to Personalized Shipping

When you’ve an important gift package that needs to be safely and quickly transported to your residence or to another location, a courier service can provide you the personalized attention that your package needs. Courier services often have bonded drivers who will be assigned to your deliveries alone, so that you don’t have to worry about your packages bouncing around with other items as they’re being transported. This also means that your packages will be transported and delivered promptly and without distraction because your assigned driver won’t be zooming all over town delivering packages for anyone else but you.

Get Unmatched Speed and Reliability

With Valentine’s approaching, there’s no room for error for your gift deliveries. A courier service can provide same day shipping for your packages—giving you a sense of security and peace of mind as your gift purchases are rushed to your destination. With additional features like real-time tracking and delivery confirmation, you can relax knowing that you can follow the progress of your parcels every step of the way.

24/7 Convenience

Unlike a lot of the more traditional delivery services out there, a courier service can offer its many same day delivery services, including shipping options for your gift ideas, on a 24/7 basis. This can be a lifesaver for situations where certain gift items might go missing due to a shortage, only to reappear before the final hour. With a 24/7 courier service, you can still get that gift idea you’d been thinking of, and have it rushed to its destination in quick time to still make it for your Valentine’s occasion.

Entrust Your Valentine Gifts to COURIER-MESSENGER, INC. – BIG OR SMALL WE SHIP IT ALL

  • CMI is  based in the Valencia Industrial Center, Santa Clarita, providing transportation of time sensitive shipments of all sizes from envelopes to full truckloads.
  • CMI provides same day, Overnight and Time definite Ltl point to point deliveries, through out the USA. Same day truck service is determined by availability at time of call.
  • CMI provides our customers with internet tracking, and proof of deliveries at time of completion in real time.

Phone: (661) 257-8689 – Fax: (661) 257-1895
Email: [email protected] – Website: ShipCMI.com

© 2017 Courier-Messenger, Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

Web Design by Bright Mind Media

© 2017 Courier-Messenger, Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

Web Design by Bright Mind Media