Teamsters tell senators Amazon’s subcontracting model shields company from safety accountability

Senators heard testimony that Amazon’s use of contractors and freight service partners (FSPs) fragments safety oversight and can shield large shippers from accountability for fleet performance.

Sean O’Brien, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, told the subcommittee that Amazon’s use of contractor networks makes it difficult for FMCSA and other regulators to “connect the dots between individual carriers to establish a pattern of unsafe behavior across a fleet contracted by Amazon.” He added that an FMCSA study and consolidated safety metrics for companies using contracted fleets are needed.

O’Brien cited data he said show higher violation rates among Amazon contractor networks compared with large, direct‑employer carriers such as UPS. Senators discussed the limits of existing labor and safety enforcement when work is performed by subcontracted entities that have independent DOT numbers and separate corporate records.

Senators asked about remedies including directing FMCSA to require consolidated reporting where a single company controls routes, equipment purchases or operating policies; a study of safety in Amazon’s last‑mile delivery operations (including vehicles under 10,000 pounds); and stronger labor law enforcement where plaintiffs allege joint‑employer relationships. No formal rulemaking or agency directive was adopted at the hearing.