Page overview
We’re small-business owners
Carlecia: We work closely with Amazon, but as DSPs, we decide how we want to run our individual business. We do all of the hiring, and set our own wages, benefits, and team culture.
James: One of the biggest things to me is the ability to provide a livelihood for my employees. I started with 13 people on my team, running four routes a day. Now I have nearly 100 employees and more than 30 routes. As a small-business owner, I know people count on me and my ability to make sure their paycheck comes so they can provide for themselves and their families.
James: All of our vans have functioning air-conditioning and heating systems. If they’re not working, we take that vehicle out of service until it’s repaired. Michigan winters are no joke. I make sure my drivers are prepared and have their vehicles stocked with ice scrapers, ice cleats, snow shovels, warm-up kits, and other supplies. (And while you’re reading this—a quick reminder to please turn on your outside lights to help our drivers see at night!)
Carlecia: One of the biggest reasons why I became a DSP owner was to be able to give back to my community. I was always interested in the DSP program, and during COVID, the nonprofit I founded provided hot meals in the community. As I began speaking with people, I realized that by becoming a DSP owner, I could give back to my community in a meaningful way while creating more jobs. I’m one of the more than 800 DSPs in the U.S. and Canada who have participated in the "Together, We Give" program, which gives DSPs grants up to $5,000 to support charitable donations to nonprofits in our community. This fall, we donated to an organization that provides school supplies to local students. One of my drivers pulled me aside recently and told me she is proud to work for my company because of what we were doing in the community.
Carlecia: We’re both members of Amazon’s Community Advisory Group (CAG), a group of DSP owners who advise Amazon to make sure our voices are heard in program, technology, and policy changes. We also participate in pilot programs and provide feedback.
Carlecia: One of my passions is creating a good experience for my drivers. It’s important to me to create a culture of caring at work. My drivers know that our team cares about their well-being in and outside of work. I have an open-door policy and love to get their feedback on things that make their jobs easier. I also enjoy showing appreciation to my drivers by bringing donuts or bagels for breakfast and having pizza or tacos waiting for them when they return to the station. During the holidays, drivers get excited about the Thank My Driver program (don’t forget to say “thank you” with your Alexa devices or on Amazon). And, Amazon also just announced a partnership with 7-Eleven to offer free drinks to drivers in December to help them stay warm and hydrated.
James: As small-business owners, we offer a range of benefits to our employees like medical, dental, and vision insurance and a flexible schedule that works for their family life. We also increase our hiring efforts during busy times like Peak and Prime Days so we make sure we have more drivers to help spread out the workload, and I offer more opportunities for overtime in case people want to make additional money during the holidays. To bring a little holiday cheer during Peak, we cater lunch for drivers—usually something that’s easy to take and go—and I have contests based on safety, quality, and attendance metrics with prizes for the winners. Some of the drivers also like to wear Santa and elf hats, which is fun to see out on the road.
James: I’ve always wanted to run my own business. To be a successful DSP owner you need to have grit, persistence, and the ability to deal with ambiguity. All of the managers on my team started out as drivers, and I’ve promoted them from within, which is something I’m really proud of. At the end of the day, I don’t know what the next 20 years looks like, but I’m excited to be teamed up with Amazon. I can’t think of a better partner.
James: If our drivers want to pursue a college degree, skill certification, or high school completion courses, we can help them through third-party services that Amazon connects us with like Next Mile.
We also have access to industry-leading 401(k) plans and receive reimbursement from Amazon to help us match employee contributions. And if our drivers or other employees are interested in becoming DSP owners themselves, we can nominate them for Road to Ownership, a program that helps them launch their own delivery business.
