How to organize packages for Amazon Flex and plan your stop order

Short answer: write the stop number on every package before you leave the station, sort them, and load them in reverse — last stops in first, next stops on top. Keep the stops you’re working on in the front seat. Then look at your route on the map once: if it doubles back, fix the order before you drive, because Amazon pays for the block, not for the miles.

Before your block

Start with a full tank and an empty trunk and back seat. Throw in two or three sturdy boxes or crates — they turn a pile of packages into sections you can actually find things in. Amazon also suggests gloves, a flashlight and a hand truck or dolly.

At the station: scan and count

At a delivery station you scan the QR code on your cart’s route sheet, then each package. At Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods, the number on the cart sign matches the number in the app. Don’t leave until the count matches. A missing package you discover 20 miles later costs more than the minute it takes to check.

A loading system that works

1. Number your packages. Write the stop number on each one, or on a sticky label, as you scan it. Hunting for a 12-digit tracking number at every door is where minutes disappear.
2. Sort in a parking lot, not at the curb. If the station is busy, load quickly, pull into a quiet spot nearby and sort there.
3. Load in reverse stop order. Last stops go deepest in the trunk; your first stops go on top or in the back seat.
4. Use three zones. Front seat: the stops you’re delivering now. Back seat: the next few. Trunk: everything after that, in order. Refill the front seat at a stop, not while driving.
5. Keep heavy boxes reachable. If a heavy box is for stop 3, put it where you can lift it out without unloading half the trunk.
6. Apartment buildings: one box per building. The Flex app already groups packages by entrance, then floor, then unit, and its Gather packages screen shows everything for one stop together. Stage them the same way so you carry them in one trip.

Is the itinerary’s order the best one?

Usually, yes. The Flex app puts your stops in a sequence for you, and it groups packages for one building into one stop or back-to-back stops. Most of the time, following the itinerary is the right call.

It’s worth a second look when:

• the map shows the route doubling back over the same streets or highway;
• your block starts or ends far from where you are, so the best direction around the route changes;
• you know the area better than the app: a closed road, a gated community with one entrance, a school at pickup time.

Drivers have long reported that they can go to stops in a different order than the itinerary shows. The way the app reacts when you skip ahead can change with updates, so try it on a short block first — and check delivery deadlines before you change anything. Saving miles is no good if a timed delivery ends up late.

What Amazon allows

• Your own navigation app: yes. Amazon says you can use mapping apps already on your phone, like Google Maps or Waze.
• Your own stop order: the Flex terms we could find say drivers are free to plan their routes and the order of deliveries. Terms change, so read the current version in the app (Settings → View Legal Information).
• Bots: no. Amazon bans tools that grab blocks for you, and apps that try to read or control the Flex app itself. Planning your order in a separate app, with addresses you type in yourself, is a different thing.
• Your costs are yours: Amazon doesn’t pay for mileage, parking or tolls. That’s exactly why the order matters — every mile you skip stays in your pocket.

Planning a better order with a route planner

If a block looks spread out, put its addresses into a route planner and compare its order with the itinerary. MyWay Route Planner takes stops typed one by one, pasted as a list or read from a photo of a list, finds the fastest order for up to 15 stops for free (up to 200 on Pro at $9.99 a month), and opens each stop in Google Maps, Waze or Apple Maps with one tap.

Is it worth the effort? On a compact block of 30 packages in one neighborhood, usually not — the itinerary is fine. On a long block with stops spread over 60 to 100 miles, a few saved miles add up: 5 miles a block over 20 blocks a month is 100 miles — about $19 of gas, or $76 if you count wear on your car too. More on that in what one stop really costs, and on block sizes in How many packages are in an Amazon Flex block.

FAQ

How do you organize packages for Amazon Flex?

Number each package with its stop number, sort them, and load them in reverse so the next stops are always on top. Keep current stops in the front seat, the next ones in the back seat, and the rest in the trunk in order.

Can you deliver Amazon Flex packages out of order?

Drivers report that they can pick a different stop from the itinerary, and the Flex terms we found say drivers are free to sequence their deliveries. Check the current terms in the app and watch delivery deadlines before you change the order.

Can I use Google Maps or Waze for Amazon Flex?

Yes. Amazon says you can use mapping apps already on your phone instead of the built-in navigation.

Is using a route planner app against Amazon Flex rules?

Amazon bans tools that grab blocks and apps that access the Flex app. A route planner where you type in addresses yourself and only plan the order does neither. If you’re unsure, read the current terms in the app.

How we checked

We used Amazon Flex’s own pages (FAQ, first-block checklist and the Flex blog, checked 2 October 2026). The note on navigation apps is from the FAQ (“your already installed third party mapping apps”). The grouping by entrance, floor and unit and the Gather packages screen are from Amazon’s April and June 2026 blog posts. The line on planning your own route is from the US Independent Contractor Terms of Service as published in 2019 (“free to map out your own routes, sequence your deliveries”); the current terms are only shown in the app. Amazon’s ban on block-grabbing tools comes from an Amazon statement to CNBC (2020) and Amazon’s 2025 posts on bot prevention. In a 2023 case, a Virginia appeals court described the app’s sequence as the “most timely way” to complete a block. Numbering packages and loading them in reverse order is also what Veho, another delivery platform, tells its drivers.