Given that John Oliver’s latest story is all about the issues facing truck drivers, it’s not all that much of a surprise that Amazon’s name pops up.
After breaking down how difficult it is for truck drivers to earn a decent wage, Oliver turns his attention to the problem of drivers being classified as “independent contractors” instead of “employees” by some companies — a model that allows those same companies to avoid blame when legal issues occur.
“Amazon uses a similar model with its ‘delivery service partners’ and again, the appeal for Amazon is obvious,” explains Oliver. “Using drivers that aren’t direct employees allows them to distance themselves from liability when things go wrong, which they do — particularly given the ridiculous pace that Amazon expects.”
Oliver goes on to discuss the number of accidents drivers delivering Amazon packages have been involved in, including 13 deaths in a four-year window.
“But again, Amazon is basically off the hook here because these drivers are not their employees, they’re independent contractors, meaning that the contractor is responsible for anything that goes wrong, not them,” Oliver continues. “In fact under Amazon’s contracts, they’re even reportedly responsible for paying Amazon’s legal bills in the event of a lawsuit — which, you know what, is actually only fair. It’s not like Jeff Bezos can afford to pay all those lawyers, he’s spending his money on things that truly benefit society like launching himself into space before disappointing everyone and coming back home safely.”
Stick around to the end of the video, too, for a parody reality TV show that paints a far more honest picture of trucking life.
