June 29, 2018 – Amazon announced yesterday a new program called Delivery Service Partners — a program designed to let entrepreneurs run their own local delivery networks of up to 40 vans emblazoned with Prime logos. Each Delivery Service Partner can start a business with as little as a $10,000 investment. The partner is vetted by Amazon, and once accepted, will lease Prime-branded vehicles from Amazon, but the entrepreneur will be in charge of recruiting and hiring drivers. Amazon will offer discounts for costs incurred to run the business on expenses like fuel, insurance and benefit programs. The company says the program is set up so successful delivery partners can make profit each year. Each delivery unit will start their day at one of 75 current Amazon stations in the U.S. where parcels ordered from Amazon.com are picked up by drivers wearing blue-collared shirts with an Amazon logo and black hats. Algorithms will determine which packages are sent to these delivery stations, and which are sent to other delivery partners, like FedEx and UPS. Canaan Transport urges caution as these new delivery service partners will need to be properly vetted. If not properly managed, customer’s private information may be at risk. At worst, it may allow criminals to access homes on a legitimate basis.