“When things go wrong, I go crazy,” Elizabeth told CNN Business. ‘That’s my job, it’s over. They are going to see it on camera. ‘
Amazon spokesperson Deborah Bass told CNN Business that drivers couldn’t lose their jobs for a single mistake, but declined to detail how Amazon advises partner companies that make their deliveries to handle feedback, coaching and discipline. Amazon has said video footage from the cameras will only be sent to him under certain conditions, including hard braking, hard acceleration, and U-turns.
“Security is Amazon’s top priority,” Amazon’s Bass said in a statement. “Whether it’s the very latest telemetry and advanced safety technology in last mile vans, driver safety training programs or continuous improvements in our mapping and routing technology, we’ve invested tens of millions of dollars in safety mechanisms in our network, and communicate best practices on a regular basis. the area of driver safety. ”
Companies tracking commercial drivers is nothing new. Companies like UPS and DHL rely on telematics systems that track driver behavior, such as seat belt usage, speed, acceleration and braking. UPS says it has relied on telematics for over 20 years. Amazon goes further and is embracing cameras that are consistently targeting drivers, who rely on artificial intelligence to provide real-time feedback. Drivers receive real-time alerts if they drive a stop sign, tailgate or are distracted.
Amazon drivers say negative experiences with the company’s existing driver control system add to their concerns.
Directors already Use an app called Mentor that scores driving by tracking braking, accelerating, cornering, speeding and distraction. But drivers interviewed by CNN Business say the app could unfairly penalize them for misinterpreting reasonable driving. Their smartphone falling to the ground or sliding over their vehicle could be interpreted as hard cornering or braking hard, they say. Receiving a text message could be considered distracted driving, they say, even if they don’t look at their phone to read it. Mentor scores can affect a driver’s compensation.
The app has a rating of 1.2 out of 5 in the Apple App Store and a rating of 1.3 out of 5 in the Google Play App Store. Many reviews of the app say it causes anxiety because the score can feel unpredictable.
“This app has given me nightmares!” said a reviewer in the Apple App Store.
Bass told CNN Business that Amazon is working with suppliers to keep improving their products, but declined to comment on whether it is satisfied with the quality of the Mentor app and whether it feels the reviews reflect the quality of the app. Amazon also declined to share data as to whether the new CCTV system has been shown to improve security.
But “the potential is enormous,” said Matthew Camden, a researcher at Virginia Tech Transportation Institute who has studied driver tracking systems. The Camden study found that older driver monitoring systems reduced the number of accidents by 38.1%. The addition of AI-driven skills should add to the benefits he said, as real-time feedback can coach drivers to improve. Companies offering AI-powered driver tracking systems have reported that collisions have been reduced by more than 50%, but independent researchers have not yet studied the systems, Camden said.
Elizabeth said there are some positives such as security and driver safety. She said she had colleagues who were robbed, or that a gun was pointed at them. (Amazon says in its video that drivers can upload footage if someone approaches their vehicle.)
Juan Ramos, who delivers for Amazon in Garland, Texas, told CNN Business that he likes some of the camera’s new safety features, such as distracted driving, speeding, and distance tracking. The cameras can get drivers out of trouble if they are involved in a crash, he said. But he’s heard from drivers who think the cameras are micromanaging them, worried they’ll get in trouble or lose their jobs for what appears to be a minor offense. He said he is aware of drivers covering the cameras opposite them out of concern.
“To be fast, I have to do things that I shouldn’t,” said Fuentes, citing the example of often not wearing his seat belt, but holding it behind him. He declined to comment on this story.
“If a driver has to make a U-turn or reverse or do something to keep deliveries going and they are going to be scored or talked about, then I feel like that’s not fair,” Ramos told CNN Business . .
Still, Amazon may be on the brink of a new trend.
The market for automated cameras is expected to triple in the next five to seven years, said Jason Palmer, a manager at Omnitracs, which offers a driver monitoring system. Amazon relies on a system from Netradyne, which declined to comment on this story. Its competitors include Omnitracs, Lytx, Jungo and Samsara.
Amazon’s top delivery competitors, UPS, FedEx and DHL, all declined to say whether they have considered using AI-powered driver monitoring systems. FedEx has previously worked with Lytx, but declined to comment on the scheme. UPS said it had briefly tested a camera unit, but has not yet decided whether to adopt it.