The New York City Council is once again considering the passage of the Delivery Protection Act, which would regulate last-mile delivery companies that contract with online retailers like Amazon. Streetsblog covered the last legislative push in December.
I own and operate COPR Industries — a small business that primarily uses e-cargo bikes to deliver packages to people across Brooklyn, serving neighborhoods such as Red Hook, Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO and Carroll Gardens.
My family immigrated to the United States from Colombia when I was in high school, and my sister and I were the first members of our family to go to college. After working in corporate America, I built my own business as an Amazon Delivery Service Partner, providing good jobs for about 120 people — many hired through local initiatives — and delivering packages primarily through e-cargo bikes. I named my company COPR to highlight my Colombian roots and my wife’s Puerto Rican background.
In ways big and small, we are the American dream. And now, what we’ve built is at risk.
I’ve been reading Streetsblog’s coverage of the Delivery Protection Act with great interest, but what’s been missing is the perspective of the real business owners like me, and the real impact this legislation would have on my employees and my company. I want to take a moment to address the falsehoods that are spreading, and ground New Yorkers in the reality of what’s at stake.
The Reality of the DSP Business Model
Let me be clear: I’m an independent small business owner, and Amazon is a partner. Like any other small business, I manage my employees—setting pay rates, benefits, and handling all operations. I decide how my organization is structured, how many e-cargo bike and van routes we run, and more. I can even partner with other companies besides Amazon, if I choose. While my relationship with Amazon is collaborative, these are the facts about how all DSPs operate, and they aren’t open for debate or alternate interpretations.
Generally, the DSPs that work across New York City have tenures that span years – not months or days. This is notable when you consider that the DSP program is only seven years old (and the e-cargo bike program is even younger) and has grown significantly during that time period.
The idea that this isn’t a real business model or that our businesses come and go on a whim is deeply insulting. My team and I have invested too much time, resources, and sweat to let that happen to my business, and the same can be said for most other DSPs I interact with. My team is highly tenured — the notion of a revolving door at every DSP is false.
I’m proud that my team has grown to be able to support more than 50 daily routes delivering every day essentials to our neighbors in Brooklyn. I’m also proud of the fact that my team has embraced e-cargo bikes and not just because they allow us to deliver faster for customers. Rather, I’m proud that we’re playing a role in limiting pollution and congestion on Brooklyn streets.
Our commitment to employees and safety
Recent coverage wrongly suggests we run fly-by-night operations with inadequate safety training. There’s nothing more important to me as a small business owner than the safety of my employees and people living in the communities we serve. Continuous safety instruction and training are fundamental to how we operate, and it isn’t optional. Every e-cargo bike rider and van driver that works with me completes about a week of classroom and hands-on training before beginning a progressive ramp-up period.
Even more though, my fellow DSP colleagues and I care deeply for our teams — we view them as extensions of our families and mirrors of our communities. I hire locally in Brooklyn and ensure everyone earns more than $20 per hour to start. I also provide my employees with access to health care, dental, and vision benefits, paid time off, 401(k) with a match component, and tuition reimbursement.
But even more important to me is the ability to change someone’s career trajectory. For example, my operations manager Matthew has been with me since I started my business and has served in various roles. He’s now my right hand, and I’m excited about the prospect of helping him achieve his goal: becoming a small business owner by starting his own DSP.
Consequences of rushed legislation
The enactment of broad legislation like the Delivery Protection Act would have serious consequences for my business and the 120 people I employ. I urge the lawmakers supporting this legislation to come talk with me and my team. Learn about our business, understand what we do and how we do it before rushing forward with a flawed bill that will have far-reaching ramifications for New Yorkers.
With all the challenges around affordability and opportunities facing New York City, it seems short-sighted to devote resources to killing small businesses and eliminating jobs across the city. Our employees, our families and our communities deserve better than legislation crafted without understanding the reality of what we’ve built.