Amazon is hiring its own drivers in Germany. This allows it to start offering services such as same-day delivery . It is also opening another 11 distribution centres in our eastern neighbours.
So says Bernd Gschaider, Amazon Germany's logistics boss in an interview with Reuters. "If we have last-mile in our own hands, we can offer more services, such as same-day delivery," Gschaider said. In Munich, the US company has started recruiting drivers. In that city alone, Amazon plans to employ around 200 couriers. It is also investing in an electric fleet of fifty delivery vans.
"By employing drivers ourselves, we can better understand their needs and improve the experience of all drivers. "The drivers will earn 12.80 euros an hour at Amazon. That's more than the minimum wage in Germany, but less than DHL's drivers get.
Own logistics infrastructure
According to Gschaider, the move to employ its own drivers is meant to cope with increasing volumes, but will be a drain on delivery partners Deutsche Post, DHL and DPD. Much of their German parcel sales come from Amazon.
In recent years, Amazon has increasingly developed into a competitor of these carriers, operating 390 distribution centres, 50 aircraft, 300 trucks and 20,000 delivery vehicles worldwide. Partly because of this, FedEx recently decided to stop delivering for Amazon in the US.
Eleven new DCs
Amazon also has plans in the field of warehousing. The company already has 13 distribution centres and four sorting centres in Germany. It will now add 11 DCs and two sorting centres. The sorting centres will open this year and should support Amazon during the rush around Christmas.
