A man recently sparked a debate on TikTok detailing why he quit his Amazon delivery job. He lasted four months.
TikTok user Jonathan (@thejonathanpulliam) recounted the “horrific” conditions at Amazon. His video garnered more than 190,800 views.
Dressed in a red Teamsters T-shirt, he started his TikTok video by saluting the people who didn’t last even one day at Amazon. “To the people that left on day one and day two, I salute you,” Jonathan begins.
Jonathan said numerous people left right after their Amazon training, with one even deciding to bow out “on the first break.”
Despite seeing people quit early on, Jonathan says he remained committed.
“I was determined. I said I’m gonna have fun with this. I’ll be on my own delivering packages. What can go wrong?” Turns out, a lot.
What pushed Jonathan to leave Amazon for good?
First, Jonathan explains that the training Amazon gave him didn’t match the actual demands of the job.
“The way they promote safety only stays in that training class,” he said. “It does not go with you when you’re actually on the road.”
Then, Jonathan mentions the AC or lack thereof. “AC non-existent… It’s just blowing out heat,” he says, adding that this was one of the reasons he ultimately quit.
Jonathan explained he was working 10-hour shifts, but with upward of 230 packages to deliver, even these long hours weren’t enough.
To make matters worse, Jonathan alleged that taking the breaks that were supposed to be built into the schedule left him behind.
“I took a 17-minute break and dispatch is texting me, asking if I’m good, as if I’m already behind,” he recalls.
The final straw came when Jonathan was switched back to driving the “old, beat-up vans with no AC.”
After being trained to drive the newer, more advanced electric delivery vehicles (EDVs), this felt like a step backward.
“That was my 13th reason,” he jokes, adding that when they put him back in those “busted-up, raggedy, no-AC-having vans,” he knew it was over.
Jonathan recounts that one day, after loading up his van and delivering just a few packages, he called his mom.
“Now, you know when a boy is calling his mama, it’s a wrap. I called my mama, I said, ‘Mama, I’m about to quit,’” he said.
After getting the approval from his mom, Jonathan says he drove back to the station with a full van of undelivered packages, left the keys on the seat, and walked out.
“I never quit a job like this ever before, but it felt so good,” he stated.
Jonathan ends the video with a message to Amazon shoppers and the general public, “Whenever you see an Amazon driver, pray for them. Their working conditions are horrific.”
Other Amazon drivers share similar experiences
Jonathan is not the first to complain about the working conditions of delivery drivers.
Previously, a woman shared that she quit on her second day, citing a “mental breakdown” after being forced to work in “100-degree” heat. For her, the struggle wasn’t worth the $18.75 hourly wage she was being paid.
A second Amazon driver also mentioned the AC not working “in 90-degree heat.” In the video, she can be seen sweating in her work uniform, saying the fan is only blowing hot air.
Another man went viral after he posted a video showing how he abandoned his van in the middle of the street mid-shift, writing in the overlay, “It felt good too.”
@thejonathanpulliam The time I quit amazon!! #fyp #amazon #amazondriver #iquitmyjob #deliverydriver #funny #storytime ♬ original sound – J O N A T H A N
How many delivery drivers does Amazon have?
About 275,000 of them. And it’s quick to say that they don’t technically work for Amazon but rather are “delivery service partners” who work for third-party contractors such as Battle-Tested Strategies. Then again as Inc. magazine flags, they’re called Amazon delivery drivers on the Amazon website.
Commenters are outraged and support Jonathan’s decision to quit Amazon
In the comments, users show the TikToker support and express outrage toward Amazon.
“Peace of mind and good mental health is important,” advised one user.
“Earth is too hot with not having a/c in vehicles,” remarked another. “Good for you!”
“They need to get sued for things to change,” wrote a third. “How can they get away with this?”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Jonathan (@thejonathanpulliam) via TikTok messages and comments, and to Amazon via email for further information.
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