AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — A deep freeze is expected in Colorado this week as thousands are expecting packages during the holiday season. FOX31 looked into how Amazon drivers are preparing to deliver hundreds of thousands of packages to homes and businesses across the metro area.
Amazon On The Road Team Operations Manager Chris Frazier took FOX31 on a tour of the Himalaya Road Delivery Station, Colorado’s largest delivery site. More than 120,000 packages are processed there each day.
“It is the volume. We have to scale up for this part of the season, so we’re bringing in a lot of new associates and a lot of new drivers,” Frazier said.
The station has 500 employees and 700 drivers. Each day, 400 drivers work to deliver packages ordered by customers through Amazon.
What does Amazon do for workers in the cold?
Frazier said that when the temperatures drop, a cold weather plan is activated to ensure the safety of every driver while continuing to provide Amazon’s signature fast service. Weather conditions are closely monitored.
“We exclude certain delivery areas from their routes on days when we have bad ice, because you know, there are steep hills that are just not passable, at least safely,” Frazier said.
Drivers are outfitted with safety gear designed for efficiency and comfort.
“All the drivers are provided with ice cleats that they wear on their shoes that give them a lot of extra traction when they’re walking on ice. We also provide them with other things, such as these crew socks,” Frazier said.
He showed FOX31 several high-quality, branded items, including gloves and motion=activated head lamps. Drivers also receive hand and foot warmers.
Frazier added that safety protocols for drivers are important “because we care,” and explained, “Any time that we see that it’s safe enough to deliver, we are absolutely going to do that, even if I’ve got to take that package myself.”
Amazon will notify customers if their route is closed because of weather and of any alternate dropoff points. Customers can also arrange to pick up packages at specified Amazon locations.