How Joining an Association Like DEFT Can Help Our DSP Business

Running an Amazon Delivery Service Partner (DSP) business can feel like swimming upstream. We deal with constantly changing policies, tight margins, and challenges that seem unique to our situation—until we talk to other DSP owners and realize we’re all facing the same struggles. That’s exactly where joining a group like our DSPs Equitable and Fair Treatment (DEFT) organization makes a real difference.

We’re an Association, Not a Union

When we first hear about industry associations, many of us are skeptical. So let’s clear something up right away: we are not a union—we are an association. What’s the difference?

Unions focus primarily on collective bargaining and labor disputes between employees and employers. Our association does something different. We unite independent DSP owners so we can speak with a stronger voice to Amazon. We don’t negotiate wages or working conditions. Instead, we give ourselves the resources, advocacy, and representation we need to influence business contracts, protect our investments, and drive improvements that benefit every owner’s bottom line.

There’s Real Power in Numbers

Think about it this way. When one DSP owner calls Amazon with a concern, that call is easily dismissed or met with “follow the existing procedures.” When 500 DSP owners speak with one voice through an association, that same call gets transferred to senior leadership.

This isn’t wishful thinking. Major corporations, including Amazon, maintain entire departments dedicated to managing relationships with industry associations. They do this because they understand the influence that organized groups carry.

Our strength comes from numbers, data, and unified action. Together, we can:

• Commission industry-wide studies that no individual operator could ever afford
• Present Amazon with concrete evidence of systemic issues, backed by data from hundreds of operations across dozens of markets
• Speak with authority so that when we say “DSPs are struggling with driver retention,” we’re not sharing one person’s opinion—we’re presenting statistical proof from our entire membership

A Seat at the Table

Associations also give us legal and regulatory influence that no single business can match on its own. When new employment laws are being drafted, lawmakers consult industry associations to understand the real-world impact. When regulatory agencies need feedback on proposed changes, they turn to established associations first.

That means we get a seat at the table before policies are finalized—not after they’ve already hurt our businesses. We help shape the rules instead of simply reacting to them.

Why We Created DEFT

We built DEFT to harness this collective power specifically for the DSP community. We founded our organization with clear, focused goals: to improve the DSP program and make it better for everyone involved.

We’re not here to tear down Amazon or create conflict. We’re here to work together to build a stronger, more sustainable program—one that benefits both Amazon and DSP operators. When the program works better, we all win.

Join Us Today

Let’s make the changes that individual voices simply can’t achieve alone. By becoming part of DEFT, we join a community that’s actively working to improve the DSP program for all of us.

Our voice matters. Together, it’s powerful. Join us today and help build the future of the DSP program.