Amazon CamperForce 2020: What You Need To Know!

By Sal & Rebecca, The Tin Can Travelers – We use affiliate links. When you click an affiliate link, we may receive a small compensation at no cost to you.

Well, we did it! We just completed our third year at Amazon as part of the Amazon CamperForce 2020 team. And, just as we have every year in the past, we’re pushing out a blog post detailing the changes and updates you need to know about. This post covers everything from pay and campgrounds to new job assignments and working during the pandemic. When you’re finished here, you may want to read over our 2018 and 2019 Amazon CamperForce posts. The information contained in these articles is still quite relevant, as many of the changes implemented this year due to the pandemic will most likely revert once things return to normal. They also include more detailed information on the application process, job descriptions and our thoughts on working in Tennessee.

Application Process

The Amazon CamperForce 2020 application process was much easier than last year’s. As CamperForce Alumni, we were offered the opportunity to apply for the 2020 Amazon Peak season before other potential hires. After submitting our applications online, a mandatory New Hire Event (also online) was scheduled. This event was short and provided basic information such as wages, locations and end-of-season bonuses. A drug test was then administered at Quest Diagnostics approximately sixty days prior to our start date. And finally, a hire-confirmation email was received two weeks before that same start date, and an assigned shift was attached. Note: all communications and instructions were sent and received via email.

Campgrounds

Because the Phoenix, AZ facility was our location of choice, we received a list of all campgrounds near that facility to choose from. It’s important to note that all Amazon CamperForce applicants must choose a campground from the provided list. The list is vague and only provides the location and contact information for the campgrounds. It does not include any of the several restrictions implemented by them. Even the campground employees failed to provide information about the restrictions until we specifically asked if there were any. FYI… age, child and dog breed restrictions are a few you can expect to encounter. Also, some of the campgrounds required an application and deposit for electricity.

Why is this important? Because if you secure a site at a campground without understanding or having been informed of the restrictions, you could be denied your site upon arrival. And since these campgrounds fill up very quickly, and long before your start date, you may find yourself without a place to “park it.” Do your homework early and take it upon yourself to ask about any and all restrictions. Don’t rely on campground employees to volunteer this information. Also, if an application is required, or anything to be read is sent to you, read it in its entirety and as soon as possible. What they don’t tell you on the phone may be in the contract. The sooner you know you don’t qualify for a campground, the sooner you can get into another one before they all fill up.

Amazon CamperForce 2020 Locations

We thought we’d include all the locations Amazon CamperForce applicants had to choose from in 2020. We chose Phoenix, AZ, but you may find a city and state on the below list that interests you.

Phoenix, AZ

Hebron, KY

Campbellsville, KY

Reno, NV

Logan Township, NJ

Troutdale, OR

Carlisle, PA

Lewisberry, PA

Lebanon, TN

Murfreesboro, TN

Chester, VA

Pay And Shift Differential

The hourly wage was $15.00 with a $.85 night-shift differential. We didn’t get shift differential last year in Murfreesboro, TN. We also know Amazon CamperForce workers in other locations who aren’t receiving it this year either. So, obviously, the shift-differential pay is not consistent across the board, and we don’t know why.

Overtime

Amazon CamperForce 2020 didn’t provide workers with many opportunities for overtime. During my nine-week stint, we were only required to work three extra days. So, if overtime was your motivation this year, you most likely left disappointed.

Direct Deposit

We’ve heard nightmare stories from other Amazon CamperForce workers about not getting paid due to direct deposit complications. I guess this year was our turn. During the online application process, you will be asked to fill out a direct deposit form that will be attached to your profile. Somehow, my form never got attached. As a result, it took three weeks to get my first paycheck via mail. It was sent to our mailing service, which serves as our permanent and legal address. This would be a good time to mention the importance of having a reliable mailing address while full-time RVing.

Long story short, the direct deposit finally kicked-in and pay was like clockwork until the end of the season. With all that in mind, we recommend loading the Amazon AtoZ app as soon as you can. This app, as depicted in the above photos, allows you to check your schedule, track your paid-time off amount, sign up for over-time and take days off, and most importantly, monitor your pay.

Work-Camper To Regular Employee

Amazon CamperForce 2020 came with a few surprises in store. This one, however, came with little explanation. This year, CamperForce workers received notification that our employment status would be switched from “CamperForce” to “Regular” employees unless we opted out. Read this notification carefully when you receive it, as it is an opt-out, not an opt-in. There’s also a deadline date. If you forget or fail to opt-out of the switch, you will be changed to a regular employee and no longer eligible for a free campsite.

We have no idea why Amazon would switch full-time RVers to regular employment status unless it was specifically requested. We also have no idea whether or not this notification is something only the work-campers in AZ received. Either way, be on the lookout for it and reply appropriately as soon as you receive it. Otherwise, you could find yourself shelling out your hard-earned dough for your campsite.

Job Assignment

2018 was the only year we were able to choose our shifts and job assignment with Amazon. Every year since we’ve had no control over either, and this year was no exception. I was hired as a Picker, but then put to work with ICQA (Inventory Control and Quality Assurance) upon arrival. My job consisted of standing in place for long periods of time and counting items in bins.

With ICQA, I was either tasked with “Simple-Bin Count” or “Cycle Count.” With Simple Bin Count, I was required to manually count every item in the bin and then input the total number into the scanner. This is done to ensure the number of items in the bin match what Amazon has on file. Cycle Count entails scanning each item individually and comparing the item in hand to the description given on the scanner. We were not given a quota, but accuracy of the count and comparison was monitored. During this process, I was also tasked with looking for and identifying damaged products and possible theft.

The great part about this particular job was that I could sit on a stool while inspecting the lower bins. This gave my back a much-needed break. I don’t have back issues, but standing in one place for the majority of a ten-hour shift, and sometimes on a concrete floor, will start to hurt anyone over time. For this reason, and the fact that this particular job is extremely boring, I would never choose this assignment.

Free Shoes

Amazon partners with ZAPPOS in providing a $110 credit toward an approved pair of Amazon safety-rated shoes. These shoes and boots come in many brands and styles. The inventory is a bit limited, and during peak hiring it’s even further stressed, so order early and keep checking back if your particular item isn’t available. I purchased a stylish and comfortable pare of Keens.

The free, or highly discounted, shoes seems to be one of those Amazon perks that’s not consistent across all locations. Either that, or it was just implemented this year. During the two years Rebecca and I worked in Tennessee, this program wasn’t available for Amazon CamperForce employees.

Breaks

As Amazon CamperForce workers, we’ve always been provided two fifteen-minute breaks and one thirty-minute lunch break. This year, however, we were given two twenty-minute breaks and the same thirty-minute lunch break. This actually made a huge difference! In the past, Amazon CamperForce workers spent at least five of their fifteen minutes just walking to and from the break room. Then, there were many occasions when additional time was needed to reacquire the necessary tools to continue the job. This meant workers were really only getting between a five and ten-minute break.

Unfortunately, we were advised the reason behind the extended breaks was to allow workers time to wash their hands. This would imply that the breaks may revert back to fifteen-minutes once the circumstances change.

Working During The Pandemic

Working at Amazon during the COVID pandemic was definitively an experience. Every day started by having my temperature taken and declaring whether or not I was experiencing any COVID symptoms. Once cleared, I was given a colored wrist band to be worn for the remainder of the day. Employees were  encouraged to wear their masks prior to entering the facility, but it was mandatory after screening. And if you didn’t have a face mask, you were given one.

There were reminders of social distancing everywhere throughout the warehouse. Arrows and stickers were on the floors and signs were posted by time clocks. You could also find posters decorating the bathroom walls and stalls. There were even video monitors that displayed whether or not workers were maintaining a six-foot distance from each other.

Hand sanitizing stations were staged throughout the facility, and break rooms were outfitted with tables designed to accommodate single seating. Employees were allowed to remove their masks only while eating or drinking. And, as previously mentioned, the fifteen-minute breaks were extended to twenty in order to give employees time to wash their hands. Finally, Amazon offered voluntary COVID testing onsite and provided each employee with two reusable (washable) face masks.

Wrapping It Up

As in years past, we don’t have anything too negative or too positive to say about our experience. Our thoughts and opinions remain somewhere in that murky area between the two spectrums, which I suppose is what’s responsible for that love/hate relationship so many people have with Amazon. The best way I can sum it up is… It is what it is!

The money’s not bad and you get a free campsite, but it is labor and you are just a number. The important thing to realize is that it’s an opportunity for many full-time RVers to help fund their lifestyle. It may not be a favorite work-camping job, but it shouldn’t be taken for granted. Most importantly, it’s temporary. And we can do anything temporarily! This closes the chapter on Amazon CamperForce 2020. We survived another year!

Thanks for reading and don’t forget to like and subscribe! Until next time…

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