senior inspector

transportation specialist

maintenance specialist

environmental manager

traffic engineer

Oregon Department of Transportation

My experience with ODOT was two fold.  While I was able to start as a construction inspector and easily move up by either working out of class or by gaining a promotion the rate of pay left alot to be desired.  Following that management can be good and bad depending on the department.  In my role as project leader and then project management I oversaw a team of engineers from various disciplines to design key components of the project design.  When designers were falling behind or abusing overtime it was my responsibility to alert the department manager of the progress or lack thereof.  This became very political within the Region 1 office and I had to tread lightly as to becareful not to offend anyone.

the most enjoyable piece of my job was to work with diverse working team, manage differing opinions and ideas while working toward the progress of completing a project on time and on budget

I was the ombudsman for ODOT when it came to lawsuits from the public. I worked with our Insurance (state) and DOJ to pull together all the documentation needed to address any accusations of wrong doing.
It's not easy working (retrieving documents) from a crew who is being accused of extreme fault. It takes extra thought and compassion.

Much time was spent talking to people who wanted to make a claim. I would explain the process and how it worked, which included road repair. I would send them the paperwork to file a claim with our insurance.

I was also responsible for compiling the yearly value of the agency which was used to determine value in writing the insurance policy.
All (state wide) property, buildings, equipment, boats, plows, highway signs, etc......it was daunting, every year.

The projects I got to work on were very interesting and essential to improving Oregon's road network. Everyone in the office was very helpful when I had a question but for the most part I worked solo on most of my tasks. 

Hardest part of the job was learning new computer programs on the fly. My excel skills multiplied tenfold and I taught myself how to use various data collection devices and also a video editing software. 

This position was right in the middle between engineering and planning. I was working with very large data sets, data retrieval from online databases and developing measurement tools that are usually reserved for engineers. Yet the projects I worked on were being facilitated by professional planners.

It was a tough work environment, the culture was quite political, and micro-management styles were undermining and belittling, some customers were openly hostile and unprofessional. Others were professional and collaborative. But seems as if I was assigned to most of the hostile customers. I realized that I was not a good fit for that department, and resigned. My manager was fair and reasonable, but due to political culture, his hands were often tied (observation).

What is the best part of working at the company?
I NEVER WORKED IN OREGON.
I HAVE ONLY WORKED IN CALIFORNIA!!!

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Being with inexperienced and elderly drivers who should not be behind the wheel

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Many different  personalities some friendly some not. Many beautiful cultures. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Giving drive tests, vehicle verifications. Taking pictures  handing out tests, grading tests. Helping customers with electronic applications, helping with paperwork,making appointments. I was in charge of special ordered plates, and  recycling plates

my typical day at work consisted of working with the crew on projects when needed but mostly working on my own maintaining the rest area and doing road patrols making sure all highways that need maintenance get reported to the TMC or TMM. I learned a lot in the the time i was there, i learned how to stay productive and efficient while having fun. to work well with others and take safety as the number 1 goal of any job. i love working with other people on and off my crew, my main goal at work was to be safe and have a good time with my co-workers. the hardest part of my job was incident response because when you get a call to respond to a car accident you don't know what to expect so you have to make a point to always be prepared for any situation.

This position was very intense and impersonal.  I did not fit into this culture and it was not what I had ever worked in.
This was not a good match for my personality.  I felt a great amount of pressure to push people through the line and not treat them respectfully.  Because of my background in education, I was not good at being rude, and I was taking more time than was allowed with customers.  
I had just graduated from PSU and I wanted to try a new career other than education, to see if I might like it.  After working at the DMV, I knew that working with education was much more suited for my personality.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The crew that I get to work with is great and we get along well!

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The long drive back and forth to work 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It a laid back job that sometimes requires you to get things done right away for safety reasons! I love that I never have to miss my children’s events. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Answer emails in the morning. Talk to my crew leader and find out what the plan is for the day and get all the tools and equipment needed for the job.  Head to the work site and get it done.

meeting with customers at counter and assisting with their needs
I learned how to deal with unhappy customers more effectively 
stocked lobby with forms and pamphlets
Manager was wonderful. retired as I was ending my internship
co workers treated me like one of the team even though was interning
hardest part of job was the mean customers who did not want to take the answers I had to give them and would yell at me for it
most enjoyable was meeting all the people i did and learning so much about customer service work

I loved working for ODOT the first 14 years. Moral was great and the organization seemed to do the best it could with the funds it had for the public. Management completely changed hands in my 15th year with ODOT. They restructured departments for no good or ethical reason creating less efficiency and a lack of faith in leadership. These things ultimately has led to the loss of several dedicated and knowledgeable staff members that had been praised for their contributions by prior management. There are many branches within ODOT so there could be branches worth working for.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Senior inspector 5 salaries reported	$5,493 per month
Transportation specialist 3 salaries reported	$4,880 per month
Maintenance specialist 3 salaries reported	$4,089 per month
Environmental manager 2 salaries reported	$6,287 per month
Traffic engineer 1 salary reported	$8,633 per month

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