Amazon Delivery Vans

Amazon Rolls Out Delivery Van Program

Company wants entrepreneurs to take over from UPS

By Newser Editors and Wire Services

Dave Clark, senior vice president of worldwide operations for Amazon.com, talks to reporters, Wednesday, June 27, 2018, in Seattle.   (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Amazon packages, which usually show up in a UPS truck, an unmarked vehicle, or in the hands of a mail carrier, may soon be delivered from an Amazon van.
The online retailer, wanting more control over how its packages are delivered, is rolling out a program Thursday that lets entrepreneurs around the country launch businesses that deliver Amazon packages, the AP reports. They'll be able to lease blue vans with the Amazon logo stamped on it, buy Amazon uniforms for drivers, and get support from Amazon to grow their business. In return, Amazon gets more ways to ship its packages to shoppers without having to rely on UPS, FedEx, and other package delivery services.

Amazon says it can cost as little as $10,000 for someone to start the delivery business. The company says that with these vans on the road, more shoppers will be able to track their packages on a map, contact the driver, or change where a package is left—all of which they can't do if the package is in the back of a UPS or FedEx truck. Recently, the company has come under fire from President Trump, who tweeted that Amazon should pay the US Postal Service more for shipping its packages. Dave Clark, Amazon's senior vice president of worldwide operations, says the new program is not a response to the president, but a way to make sure the company can deliver its growing number of orders. "This is really about meeting growth for our future," Clark said.