The Tale of Our Amaz(on)ing Journey!

On February 12, 2026, Mr. Townsend’s Fifth Form Algebra II class visited the BDL4 Amazon Fulfillment Center. The following morning, we shared what we learned with the school during Assembly.

Located about four miles from Bradley Airport and roughly an hour from Eaglebrook, the BDL4 facility is massive. It took three years to build, has five floors, 32 miles of conveyor belts, nearly 10,000 robots, and employs around 3,000 people. The building itself is the size of 66 football fields. We were amazed by the engineering and technology that work together to make sure packages arrive correctly and on time.
—  Daniel J. ’27

The first step in the process is Receiving, where associates unload, scan, inspect, and register incoming products. Items are checked for quality, and damaged goods are separated. Each product is scanned and sorted before moving on to the next stage of the process.
— James K. ’27

Next, we observed Stowing on the second floor. Autonomous robots moved large pods to employees, who placed items into shelves. Sensors tracked hand movements and scanned QR codes to record each item’s location. Shelves even flashed purple when full to prevent mistakes. Once a pod was filled, robots transported it to storage, where items stayed until purchased.
— Darcy Yu. ’27

After an item is ordered, the Picking process begins. Robots bring the correct pod to a station, where lights indicate the exact location of the item. The picker removes the item and places it into a yellow tote. Green and red lights signal when to add items or switch totes, making the process quick and efficient.
— Lucas W. ’27

Picked items are sent to Packing, where they travel along a conveyor belt to various stations. At single-item stations, employees scan the item, build the smallest possible box using water-activated tape, add packing paper if needed, apply a barcode, and send the package onward. Multi-item stations combine multiple products into a single box, and some packages are automatically packed by robots.
— William L. ’27

From there, packages move to the SLAM station (Scan, Label, Apply, Manifest). Each box is scanned and weighed to confirm accuracy. If everything matches, a shipping label is applied, and the package is cleared for shipment. If there are any issues, the package is sent for further inspection. — Geo K. ’27

Once cleared, packages are loaded onto trucks and sent to regional sortation centers, where they are grouped by destination to optimize shipping. They then travel through a network of trucks, cargo planes, and delivery vans.
— Harvey S. ’27

The final step is Delivery. Packages are sorted by route, loaded onto trucks, and scanned for tracking. Drivers follow an “all-in, all-out” system, meaning they depart together once fully loaded. AI calculates the fastest routes, and drivers photograph deliveries for confirmation.
— Max Q. ’27

Our visit to the Amazon Fulfillment Center was a rare opportunity to see how one of the world’s largest companies operates behind the scenes. The precision, speed, and coordination between humans and machines were impressive and, at times, almost futuristic. This experience gave us a deeper appreciation for how modern technology works at scale, and we enjoyed sharing what we learned with the Eaglebrook community during Assembly and through this article.
— Chase L. ’27 

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