In 2018, Amazon implemented its Delivery Service Partner (DSP) program, which is designed to help people looking to start their own delivery businesses using Amazon’s technology, logistics, and infrastructure. The program accomplishes this by providing partners with delivery vehicles, uniforms, and training so that they may deliver packages on behalf of Amazon.

However, these Amazon DSP drivers face many demands from busy schedules, intense physical demands, and long hours. In some instances, these drivers can end up dealing with lost pay or unpaid wages, whether it’s working before shifts begin or after they end, due to driver prep tasks like vehicle inspection, scanning packages, and loading vans. In other cases, drivers may lose pay by choosing to continue working during unpaid breaks.

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers must pay non-exempt employees time-and-a-half for all hours worked over 40 in a single work week. As Amazon DSP Drivers are independent contractors, they are not protected by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This model can cause complications when the hours reported don’t exactly match the actual hours the drivers worked. Several class action lawsuits have been filed against Amazon due to their driver classification, leading to unpaid wages.