Anyone working Amazon in Fernley? UPDATE-First week of work completed and what a week of work is was!
FOSJ said
04:37 PM Oct 18, 2012
We are at Sparks Marina and will be starting work on Wednesday. I know there are quite a few Amazon workers here but not sure if any of them are RV-Dream members.
Haven't met any RV-Dreamers but there sure are a lot of rv workampers. You can read Steve's blog to see what we do. My feet are not very happy with me. I hope I'll be able to stay the time planned. Have to keep my feet happy since I plan to keep them for many more years!
-- Edited by FOSJ on Wednesday 31st of October 2012 12:27:54 AM
Lucky Mike said
03:52 AM Oct 19, 2012
Suggestion ........ put a sign in your front window that says "Rv dreams.com"....I'm a Dreamer!!!
I will bet you will find every member that walks by and see's it.........if not you will definitely find the ones that read it and want to know more about it......so its win win........you find members , we get new members!!!!!
Lucky Mike said
01:35 AM Oct 23, 2012
Hina said
11:12 PM Jan 23, 2013
Hi Joan and Steve,
Could you give me the specifics on working the season at Amazon? Like how, where and when?
Also, what's the weather like? Where did you park?
Thanks!
Jane
FOSJ said
05:18 AM Jan 24, 2013
Hi Jane,
I have to say that Steve and I may not be the best people to give advice on Amazon. You can read about our experience on our blog FOSJ. I will tell you that we are not afraid of hard work. You can read about that in the blog starting April 2012 when we were felling trees during our first workamping job in Mt Hood National Forest. That being said I will add that in the end it came down to me not being able to stand on my feet the required 10 hours a day (12 hours during peak if I had made it that far). I was miserable by the end of the day. My feet were killing me! I tried insoles, every pair of shoes I had and even bought an expensive pair of nurses shoes. Nothing helped. I feel that I might have made it if I'd been given the picking job which required walking. Our job as packers was standing pretty much in one spot. We requested a change but they wouldn't move us.
Lots of people do this job. We read many blogs about their experiences such as Wandering WingersWish Upon an RV Star! and RV Khronicles of Kevelyn Most people that take a job at Amazon talk about preparing for the job by getting out and walking. I thought about how you could prepare for the job we had or to even know if you could do it. The only thing I could come up with was to tell you to get up and stand from 7:00am until 5:00pm. You can walk thirty feet up and back. You can also bend, squat and reach during that time. Be sure to take a 15 minute break at 9 and 2:30 and a 30 minute lunch at noon. That includes the five minute walk to and from the break room. You can't talk to anyone while you're working because you are wearing earplugs to protect your ears from the very loud machinery. Remember, no sitting accept on break and during lunch!
I don't want to sound like a whiner. The job was just not for me. I have a whole new respect for people who work these type of jobs and have done so for 30 plus years! I'm glad for the experience.
As for now, Steve and I are volunteering for two months at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Give me the outdoors anytime!
Good Luck!
Hina said
06:32 AM Jan 24, 2013
Thanks for the input. Guess I'm glad the industrial revolution is over, and I don't work in China.
FOSJ said
08:18 AM Jan 24, 2013
Thoughts of China crossed my mind while working at Amazon!
K & E said
04:50 PM Jan 24, 2013
I saw reference to us above so I thought I'd chime in. We have worked at Amazon in Coffeyville, Kansas for two years. The first year we were packers. Although we did survive it, I just barely made it. Standing in one spot for 10 or more hours in a noisy, dirty environment was awful. I'd never do the packing job again!! This year we were pickers. We walked an average of 6 to 8 miles per shift. Being on your feet for 10 hours is HARD, no matter how good of shape you are in. Some people can do it, some can't. Nothing to be ashamed of if you can't. We will continue to return for at least a few more years. There are not many places you can earn the amount of money we did in the time we did. It allows us to take the winter off. The trade-off is worth it for us. You can read more about our experiences on our blog rvkhroniclesofkevelyn.blogspot.com
Hope this helps. If you have any questions, leave a comment on the blog.
Edit by moderator: Activated link. Terry
-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Thursday 24th of January 2013 07:58:14 PM
Hina said
01:04 AM Jan 25, 2013
So how much does Amazon pay?
Ckerr said
01:46 AM Jan 25, 2013
I (Carol) worked with Kevin and Evelyn at Amazon in Coffeyville for the last 2 years. Johnny can't be on his feet for that long so he hasn't worked there. Like they said, being on your feet that long is tough no matter what you are doing!
We worked the night shift and the pay rate was $11/hour with time and half over 40 hours. There was also a $1 per hour bonus paid for each hour you worked if you stayed until your release date. The rate of pay is much better than your average workamping job and with all the standing/walking I lost a few pounds as well. Where else will you get paid to not eat for hours and walk miles??? lol
K & E said
12:12 AM Jan 26, 2013
We were paid the same as Carol stated in her reply. We liked being pickers and moving around much better than standing in one spot. Other people preferred standing and not doing all the walking. We worked 9 weeks. With the overtime and bonus we earned about $8,500 net between the two of us during that time, plus our RV site was paid for by Amazon and the campground did not charge for electricity. I know the pay is somewhat different depending which site you work at. I also heard you have to pay for electricity as some of the other sites. The year before we worked 10 weeks and earned just under $10,000 between the two of us with a free RV site as well.
Once you start working the 50 hour shifts during peak season, you don't feel like doing much other than sleeping so you safe money by not doing much else :)
We also lost about 10 pounds each so where can you get paid to lose weight :)
We are at Sparks Marina and will be starting work on Wednesday. I know there are quite a few Amazon workers here but not sure if any of them are RV-Dream members.
Haven't met any RV-Dreamers but there sure are a lot of rv workampers. You can read Steve's blog to see what we do. My feet are not very happy with me. I hope I'll be able to stay the time planned. Have to keep my feet happy since I plan to keep them for many more years!
-- Edited by FOSJ on Wednesday 31st of October 2012 12:27:54 AM
I will bet you will find every member that walks by and see's it.........if not you will definitely find the ones that read it and want to know more about it......so its win win........you find members , we get new members!!!!!
Hi Joan and Steve,
Could you give me the specifics on working the season at Amazon? Like how, where and when?
Also, what's the weather like? Where did you park?
Thanks!
Jane
Hi Jane,
I have to say that Steve and I may not be the best people to give advice on Amazon. You can read about our experience on our blog FOSJ. I will tell you that we are not afraid of hard work. You can read about that in the blog starting April 2012 when we were felling trees during our first workamping job in Mt Hood National Forest. That being said I will add that in the end it came down to me not being able to stand on my feet the required 10 hours a day (12 hours during peak if I had made it that far). I was miserable by the end of the day. My feet were killing me! I tried insoles, every pair of shoes I had and even bought an expensive pair of nurses shoes. Nothing helped. I feel that I might have made it if I'd been given the picking job which required walking. Our job as packers was standing pretty much in one spot. We requested a change but they wouldn't move us.
Lots of people do this job. We read many blogs about their experiences such as Wandering Wingers Wish Upon an RV Star! and RV Khronicles of Kevelyn Most people that take a job at Amazon talk about preparing for the job by getting out and walking. I thought about how you could prepare for the job we had or to even know if you could do it. The only thing I could come up with was to tell you to get up and stand from 7:00am until 5:00pm. You can walk thirty feet up and back. You can also bend, squat and reach during that time. Be sure to take a 15 minute break at 9 and 2:30 and a 30 minute lunch at noon. That includes the five minute walk to and from the break room. You can't talk to anyone while you're working because you are wearing earplugs to protect your ears from the very loud machinery. Remember, no sitting accept on break and during lunch!
I don't want to sound like a whiner. The job was just not for me. I have a whole new respect for people who work these type of jobs and have done so for 30 plus years! I'm glad for the experience.
As for now, Steve and I are volunteering for two months at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Give me the outdoors anytime!
Good Luck!
Thoughts of China crossed my mind while working at Amazon!
I saw reference to us above so I thought I'd chime in. We have worked at Amazon in Coffeyville, Kansas for two years. The first year we were packers. Although we did survive it, I just barely made it. Standing in one spot for 10 or more hours in a noisy, dirty environment was awful. I'd never do the packing job again!! This year we were pickers. We walked an average of 6 to 8 miles per shift. Being on your feet for 10 hours is HARD, no matter how good of shape you are in. Some people can do it, some can't. Nothing to be ashamed of if you can't. We will continue to return for at least a few more years. There are not many places you can earn the amount of money we did in the time we did. It allows us to take the winter off. The trade-off is worth it for us. You can read more about our experiences on our blog rvkhroniclesofkevelyn.blogspot.com
Hope this helps. If you have any questions, leave a comment on the blog.
Edit by moderator: Activated link. Terry
-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Thursday 24th of January 2013 07:58:14 PM
We worked the night shift and the pay rate was $11/hour with time and half over 40 hours. There was also a $1 per hour bonus paid for each hour you worked if you stayed until your release date. The rate of pay is much better than your average workamping job and with all the standing/walking I lost a few pounds as well. Where else will you get paid to not eat for hours and walk miles??? lol
Once you start working the 50 hour shifts during peak season, you don't feel like doing much other than sleeping so you safe money by not doing much else :)
We also lost about 10 pounds each so where can you get paid to lose weight :)