KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Hundreds of jobs are now in the area after Amazon opened its new delivery station in Knoxville on Monday.
Located at 3001 Knoxville Center Drive, the company has already hired about 250 people to work at the facility. But they are also contracting out hundreds more.
Amazon is contracting other logistic companies to help deliver packages. Once the packages arrive, they will be sent out to one of almost 700 contract employees.
Shane Stanifer is a Knoxville native and owns TC7 Logistics. He has 70 drivers who work for him delivering packages.
"We take care of the delivery from that point on. We have the vehicles and the drivers, and we handle all the shipments to the customers," Stanifer said. "Amazon has dialed in a structure to let owners partner, and partner quickly."
While the contract workers will use their company’s vehicles, Amazon is bringing new technology to its electric delivery vehicles.
“This is going to be your best friend out there, your personal assistant," Charles Cousins, a driver trainer, said.
The vehicles have a 360 camera that allows drivers to look all around the outside of the vehicle from the inside.
As far as dropping off the actual packages, drivers can open a door to the bag cabin with the click of a button. And the dashboard will tell them exactly which package to drop off.