AMAZON HASLET, TX (UPDATE II)
Week 6
I Googled "Amazon Haslet, TX" and my last blog post is number 4 on the search. I guess someone at Amazon has read my blog, because I'm no longer on the dock crew, I have been on the receive line all week except for half a day when I was pulled to do .... you guessed it dock crew. This week was our first with mandatory 11 hour shifts. 11 hour shifts are not mandatory for Camperforce, but we worked them to get a understanding on how they will feel during peak. There is a change form the other Amazon I have worked where the 11th hour is after the normal shift, At Haslet we have to come in one hour early. On those days we have to get up at 4:00am to be on the road at 5:00am for a 6:00am start. Just let me put it like this, on the days we work 11 hours they are very long days. Also this week we worked our first overtime day. I don't mind the work, because that's what I'm here for. But, that fifth day after an already 42 hour week kicked my A$$. I have made more simple errors in that shift then I have the last six weeks combined. The upside to this story is that I caught my errors (at least the ones I know of) before sending my tote forward. After my shift I walked up to all the problem solvers and thanked them for helping me out all day. Start of next week we are back on 11 hour shifts and overtime ...
I Googled "Amazon Haslet, TX" and my last blog post is number 4 on the search. I guess someone at Amazon has read my blog, because I'm no longer on the dock crew, I have been on the receive line all week except for half a day when I was pulled to do .... you guessed it dock crew. This week was our first with mandatory 11 hour shifts. 11 hour shifts are not mandatory for Camperforce, but we worked them to get a understanding on how they will feel during peak. There is a change form the other Amazon I have worked where the 11th hour is after the normal shift, At Haslet we have to come in one hour early. On those days we have to get up at 4:00am to be on the road at 5:00am for a 6:00am start. Just let me put it like this, on the days we work 11 hours they are very long days. Also this week we worked our first overtime day. I don't mind the work, because that's what I'm here for. But, that fifth day after an already 42 hour week kicked my A$$. I have made more simple errors in that shift then I have the last six weeks combined. The upside to this story is that I caught my errors (at least the ones I know of) before sending my tote forward. After my shift I walked up to all the problem solvers and thanked them for helping me out all day. Start of next week we are back on 11 hour shifts and overtime ...
Our off time has almost disappeared, if we are not working we are sleeping. We still get two days off, but that is used to do laundry, groceries, and cook our meals for next week shift. Leaving us very little time to get out and sightseeing. We did find Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Forth Worth. It's about an hour away, we go every other week for our groceries. It's the only place we have found that has our Japanese rice and the meats & chicken are cheaper then anywhere else we have looked.
The other day we got home from work and found that a friend from last year I worked with at Amazon has pulled in and starts working this week. If you have time check out her blog HERE
Week 7
We only worked a 40 hour week. Hiromi came down with a cold and there was no reason to work 11 hour shift. It gave her a few more hours of rest. Mandatory overtime this week was canceled at 9:00pm the night before. Hiromi was already in bed and I was on my way when the mass machine call went out. We had the choice to volunteer overtime, but Hiromi was still under the weather and we did not go making it three days off to rest. This week I was split between two days on the receive line and two day on dock crew. Amazon hired a new group of CampForce along with a new group of seasonal workers both assigned to receiving. We now have more workers than workstations. More than likely I will be back on dock crew next week, but only time will tell.
Hiromi has had a few broken nails and bruises from moving boxes off the receive line to her workstation. I on the other hand, have bruises and cardboard cuts on both forearms. Also, non work related from sleeping with my hand in a ball and slept on it all night and woke up with stiff wrist. The next morning I woke up with a stiff back. I guess I have to stay awake so I don't get hurt anymore.
The friend that arrived last week, she pulled out and moved to a campground closer to Amazon. She did not like the long drive into work. The drive is not that long to us, as we car pull and the people we drive with keep it fun and the time passes pretty fast.
Week 8
Last week on one of my shifts we set a building record of 445,000+ items received on one shift. However, we have not reached 200,000 items in one shift since that day and everyone seems to be excited if we reach 150,000 items. What's wrong with that picture? There is over a million items sitting in trucks outside the warehouse. Last year in Fernley, NV receiving close to a million in one day was the norm. On days I work the receive line I ask what my numbers are before I leave, just to see how I'm preforming. I have been around 2,500 - 2,900 items a shift, so I know I'm doing my part.
Starting week 8 and that means only one thing, we are at the half way point of our commitment and everyday from now is all down hill. I have to start looking and calling for reservation for December - February as this is the prime time for everyone to head South for the winter. The military base campgrounds should be no problem, it's Fort Myers that I'm worried about as we plan to attend Red Sox and Twins Spring Training in Florida this winter.
I was on the dock crew three and half days of the five days worked this week. I got a cardboard cut on my ankle and woke up to the whole area black and blue. We have decided to work only 10 hour shift even if they have 11 hour shift. Getting up at 4:00am and working all day is hard for anyone. Also, from lunch to the the next is break 3 hours 15 minutes, it's hard to keep a good attitude after that time block is completed. When working on 10 hour shift there is a break every 2 1/2 hours. It's only one extra hour of work, but we get to leave before the rest of the warehouse leaves and the traffic is almost nothing. We have not agreed on volunteer overtime yet. I would still like to work them days, Maybe, Hiromi can stay home on those days while I got to work.
Texas weather: days are no longer in the 90's it has cooled down to the 80's. Mornings are cool low 60's. We did have a storm come through last week with rain off and on all day that cooled everything down. Now that the storm has passed it's back in the 80's.
We only worked a 40 hour week. Hiromi came down with a cold and there was no reason to work 11 hour shift. It gave her a few more hours of rest. Mandatory overtime this week was canceled at 9:00pm the night before. Hiromi was already in bed and I was on my way when the mass machine call went out. We had the choice to volunteer overtime, but Hiromi was still under the weather and we did not go making it three days off to rest. This week I was split between two days on the receive line and two day on dock crew. Amazon hired a new group of CampForce along with a new group of seasonal workers both assigned to receiving. We now have more workers than workstations. More than likely I will be back on dock crew next week, but only time will tell.
Hiromi has had a few broken nails and bruises from moving boxes off the receive line to her workstation. I on the other hand, have bruises and cardboard cuts on both forearms. Also, non work related from sleeping with my hand in a ball and slept on it all night and woke up with stiff wrist. The next morning I woke up with a stiff back. I guess I have to stay awake so I don't get hurt anymore.
The friend that arrived last week, she pulled out and moved to a campground closer to Amazon. She did not like the long drive into work. The drive is not that long to us, as we car pull and the people we drive with keep it fun and the time passes pretty fast.
Week 8
Last week on one of my shifts we set a building record of 445,000+ items received on one shift. However, we have not reached 200,000 items in one shift since that day and everyone seems to be excited if we reach 150,000 items. What's wrong with that picture? There is over a million items sitting in trucks outside the warehouse. Last year in Fernley, NV receiving close to a million in one day was the norm. On days I work the receive line I ask what my numbers are before I leave, just to see how I'm preforming. I have been around 2,500 - 2,900 items a shift, so I know I'm doing my part.
Starting week 8 and that means only one thing, we are at the half way point of our commitment and everyday from now is all down hill. I have to start looking and calling for reservation for December - February as this is the prime time for everyone to head South for the winter. The military base campgrounds should be no problem, it's Fort Myers that I'm worried about as we plan to attend Red Sox and Twins Spring Training in Florida this winter.
I was on the dock crew three and half days of the five days worked this week. I got a cardboard cut on my ankle and woke up to the whole area black and blue. We have decided to work only 10 hour shift even if they have 11 hour shift. Getting up at 4:00am and working all day is hard for anyone. Also, from lunch to the the next is break 3 hours 15 minutes, it's hard to keep a good attitude after that time block is completed. When working on 10 hour shift there is a break every 2 1/2 hours. It's only one extra hour of work, but we get to leave before the rest of the warehouse leaves and the traffic is almost nothing. We have not agreed on volunteer overtime yet. I would still like to work them days, Maybe, Hiromi can stay home on those days while I got to work.
Texas weather: days are no longer in the 90's it has cooled down to the 80's. Mornings are cool low 60's. We did have a storm come through last week with rain off and on all day that cooled everything down. Now that the storm has passed it's back in the 80's.
Wow, good recap of Amazon work! I think the hours would kill me, but it sure is a means to an end, which makes it possible for many people to enjoy the extra cash for travel. Hiromi is a champ for going into the work force with you. Take care and hope you get to enjoy all your baseball training season!
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