The app also features a dashboard for drivers to 'see how they stack up against the rest of their team.' Mentor's score-based system raises concerns that the app intensifies the pressure of the job, pitting drivers and competing DSPs against each other to an unhealthy degree.ĭSPs are already under intense pressure due to the ease with which Amazon can cut contracts with delivery partners. The ranking system for DSPs ranges from 'Poor' to 'Good' to 'Fantastic' to the top tier, referred to as 'Fantastic+.' A surplus of poor Mentor scores among a delivery partner's workforce can drag down the DSP's ranking, which can potentially jeopardize their access to benefits provided by Amazon, such as optimal delivery routes, the drivers said. Whether it's state-of-the art telemetrics and advanced safety technology in last-mile vans, driver-safety training programs, or continuous improvements within our mapping and routing technology, we have invested tens of millions of dollars in safety mechanisms across our network, and regularly communicate safety best practices to drivers.'īut Bass did not respond to any of the specific allegations DSP drivers made to CNBC about the Mentor app detailed in this story, as well as questions about how the app uses certain behaviors to score drivers. But multiple delivery drivers who spoke to CNBC described the app as invasive and raised concerns that bugs within the app can, at times, lead to unfair disciplinary action from their manager.Īmazon spokesperson Deborah Bass told CNBC in a statement: 'Safety is Amazon's top priority. Just like the AI-equipped cameras rolling out to contracted delivery companies, Mentor is framed as a 'digital driver safety app' to help employees avoid accidents and other unsafe driving habits while they're en route to their destination. In just a few years, the program has grown to include more than 1,300 delivery firms across five countries, threatening to upend an industry that has traditionally been dominated by shipping partners such as UPS and FedEx. The delivery service partner (DSP) program, launched in 2018, is made up of contracted delivery companies that handle a growing share of the online retail giant's last-mile deliveries.

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