Physically burned out

[u/VR1008]

I have been doing this job for couple months. Initially i was at a dsp where the stops were less (70-100) with 400-500 packages to most apts(big bulks and multi stops) consisting of 50 overflows on average. That was really tough on my lower back and tiring asf.

I recently switched to a new dsp which delivers to single family homes only. 200 stops everyday with 350 packages. Less overflows (18-30 on avg).

Getting in and out of the van 200+ times a day 4 to 5 days a week has completely wrecked my knees, feet, lower back. My knees are stiff and sometimes have sharp pain on the kneecaps. My right knee hurt from twisting every time to get to the back of the van. My feet are sore asf from landing on the same left foot 200 times with packages in hand.

And the stops increased from 180 when i started at this dsp to now 200 every mf day. How is amazon getting away with this? This shouldnt be legal to give us this much load.

Sorry for the rant.

[u/AutoModerator]

Thank You for your submission to r/AmazonDSPDrivers!

Please keep the comment section clean and respectful.

If you need to report a concern about your DSP, head to the Ethics Hotline https://secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/media/en/gui/65221/index.html

Looking to get some free shoes on behalf of Amazon? https://www.reddit.com/r/AmazonDSPDrivers/comments/m79v7m/free_125_credit_for_shoes/

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/stoodi]

Sounds about right. Try to focus on your diet and eating small(like 1/3 meals x 3) throughout the day. At least .7,.8 G protein per lb bodyweight a day. Take a week off.

Also if you havnt already, adjust your schedule to 2 on 1 off 2 on 2 off so you are never working more than 2 days in a row.

Hope this helps. & I agree, 200 stop, 250 location routes having you hop out every 30 seconds or 100’ is not sustainable if you can’t properly recover from it.

[u/VR1008 → u/stoodi]

Thanks for the tips!

[u/moneyman_699]

You have to learn to take the weight off your knees. Push off the wheel/ dash when you get up out the seat. Always 3 points of contact. Don’t be using the sliding door all the time if you have to drive old vans (slide out the driver side instead)

[u/He_is_my_song]

Are you running?

Glucosamine tablets, compression sleeves for your knees, icy hot or voltaren for your aches

[u/Unrealliving]

Gotta get in shape. I’m 40, six months, I was on five days for like two months, still doing 4 of course. My knees do ache a bit sometime, but I’m not like in pain. And if I ak hurting a bit it’s basically all gone by the time I’m home chilling.

The solution is get in shape. Light weights, do cardio. I haven’t had low back pain in a long ass time, cuz I made it strong.

I find so many empty bags of chips, jolly rancher wrappers, cookies in the vans. Eat good, workout, and you’ll at the very least be in less pain and god willing be in none 

[u/Sufficient-Pass8167 → u/Unrealliving]

This is great advice. What you eat will 100% affect your performance, and weight-lifting techniques will help mitigate a lot of the back/knee pains one can experience from this job. I'm willing to bet a lot of the back pain people get from this job is from lifting heavy totes/overflow without properly using their legs to lift.

About the only thing I'd add to this is to make sure you're getting good sleep and hydrate the night before.

[u/Proud_Olive8252]

How recently of a switch are we talking about? Yes it’s the same job, but that’s a major difference in work style between those types of routes. You might just need some time to adjust.

It’s going to be different types of physical wear that show up the most for routes like that. Do it for long enough and you’ll figure out the strategies and develop the unconscious muscle memory habits that reduce some of the physical toll.

I personally don’t think there’s THAT big of an innate difficulty gap between those two types of routes. Sometimes it’s more a matter of which specific physical stresses you have adapted to the most. For me, those single family home routes feel like (comparatively) light work. I do those the most. Anytime I get assigned a route like you described at your other DSP, it takes me all day and I feel absolutely wrecked afterwards. The extra foot travel distance, stairs, and unloading bulk stops are much harder on me physically than having a lot more small stops and extra van entry/exit.