Amazon's contract drivers are hanging cell phones in TREES next to distribution stations and Whole Foods stores in Chicago so they can get notifications to pick up deliveries before rivals
Amazon drivers have devised a plan to increases their chances of grabbing new delivery orders at a Whole Foods Store – hanging smartphones in trees. Bloomberg spotted at least a dozen phones connected to branches outside a location in Chicago. The devices belong to contractors of the Amazon Flex app, which chooses drivers to carry out deliveries based on proximity to the grocery store – giving those with a device in the tree first dibs at a new order. There are a handful of drivers in on the scheme, as multiple devices will receive the same alert making it difficult for the tech giant to uncover the system, sources said. Another person familiar with the matter said the setup is a work around for certain requirements, like having a drivers license - a Flex contractor will pay some one a small amount to take the route, while still taking a portion of the fee. A driver who has observed the phones hanging in trees said Amazon knows about it, 'but does nothing.' Amazon drivers have