fellow

economist

delivery driver

solutions engineer

research fellow

US Department of Transportation

Pontiac, MI. Was in the top ten busiest control towers from 92-96
It was a visual environment. When the weather was good we were pummeled. We would average between 2000-3000 departures and arrivals between 9am-9pm. We learned to keep our fear in check even under the worst of conditions. Pilots depended on our ability to perform even after witnessing near misses and accidents. We were all a tightly knit group. We depended on one another to perform our assigned duties, to assist, and not add to one another's work load. The hardest part was to make it to certification. The most enjoyable part was knowing you held your own when it was so busy you only remembered bits and pieces of the day and nobody got hurt.

I went to Springfield, IL to get RADAR certification. It was a slow facility but we had 2 squadrons of F-16s and were a quick flight from McDonnell Douglas in St Louis. We had every possible military instrument approach, so we were a popular facility for military aviators to stay current. It was slow normally until the fighters returned from maneuvers. We had good and bad managers and co-workers, that spanned the spectrum of human personalities.
The hardest part was dealing with negative people. The best part was working with the military aircraft.
I worked an evening shift on 9/11. By the time I reported for duty, all air traffic was grounded. All we did for two weeks was talk to law enforcement and monitor the empty RADAR for airspace violations. While I was working RADAR one afternoon, I recieved a call from the tower asking if I had an emergency inbound. The Air Force fire and rescue were staging for some sort of emergency. A moment later we had an emergency transponder code start flashing in the Military Operations Area. I was working in different airspace but the pilot called on my frequency. He had a midair with his wingman. Half of his right wing was sheered off. His wingman had ejected safely after losing the nose off his F-16. I did a lot of praying for the next hour as this pilot circled overhead burning off his excess fuel. We received word that his wingman called from a farmhouse safe and sound. I relayed this to the pilot and he thanked me for everything, as I put him on tower frequency. He landed safely, I was relieved from duty and went home as it was the end of my shift. My manager personally reviewed the recording of the audio to see if I had done anything wrong. Satisfied that he couldn't fault me in anything I never heard a word from management, because they considered what I did was part of my job, that's all.

I took an assignment to Miami Enroute Center, for my high 3 salary years, that is the basis for ones pension. The facility was very busy and I landed one of the busiest areas in the world. The coworkers were nice until the traffic hit, then it became a knife fight. Every man/women for themselves. Screaming and cursing anybody and everybody. The managers were great. They didn't have to work the rushes anymore. It was too busy. Not a pleasant work environment. Driving to and from work was almost as bad as the Air Traffic.

I bid to Columbia, SC. It was slow. We had to work rotating shifts which included one midshift on your Friday. We were constantly working after very little or no sleep. The management was awful. They hated the controllers and the feeling was mutual. A good day was working in tower on Sunday morning when the breakfast club pilots came out to fly to wherever they were eating that day. One of the few things I miss about the job was having cordial conversations with the pilots.

What is the best part of working at the company?
About the only thing to say about the position of FMCSA Special Agent/Safety Investigator at least within the Eastern Service Center’s area is that it pays well, especially for an entry position.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The job is stressful to begin with.  Going unarmed into the offices, which often times are the homes of the motor carrier owners when they are sometimes very hostile to you, is dangerous, difficult, and stressful, however management makes the job much more difficult than it already is.  With the exception of a couple women, human resources is pretty much non-existent.  Things that other agencies take care of during the onboarding process don’t get done at all even after numerous requests.  There are plenty of people in the FMCSA human resources offices for the Eastern Service Center, but the majority will do very little of what they should be doing automatically, and almost nothing if it requires any effort on their part.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Extremely Bad.  The field investigators are not supported at all.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Going to meet with motor carrier owners and/or employees collecting documents, inspecting commercial motor vehicles, or preparing reports of the compliance reviews/investigations or fines for violations found in the reviews.  Investigators in the Eastern Service Center will be required to report to the office when not at a carrier beginning in 12/2023 instead of working remotely.

My first ten years of work with the organization was a very enlightening and very rewarding experience, working with many veterans of the armed services and participating in a real team environment, management was lean and not overly controlling. I worked in many different capacities and roles but the main objective was always to support our customers as much as possible. The next ten years the organization began to switch to a heavily bureaucratic mode as the manager to employee ratio fell drastically, and reporting about work was more important than the work.  I was a very multitask oriented individual and we performed many more roles than we were previously hired to perform. My last 7 years were the hardest I had ever worked, performing work that would in the past take two or three employees.  Management was terrible from the head of the organization on down and the amount of people leaving the organization reflected this.  I enjoyed achieving a level of work that showed how productive I could be, management did everything they could do to stifle production because it was a government position, that did not answer to anyone.  I liked working with my team members though I was often a person who excelled on my own with limited contact with management.

Let's face it, federal jobs are really cushy.  You get all the leave you could ever need, can call in sick anytime with no fear of reprisal, and  even get to work at home pretty much anytime it snows.  The pay is awesome, considering how little work you actually do.  If you are in the right place, you even get to go to a convention every year, with the flight, the hotel, and the meals all paid for by Uncle Sam.  It's pretty sweet and it's no wonder why no one retires until they are so old they are using a walker.
The trade off is that you will spend your life doing absolutely nothing of import,  You will push paper, file reports, attend meetings - and none of it makes any difference to anyone, anywhere.  It is mindless, wasteful bueracracy and it lives up to every stereotype you have about lazy federal workers.  Walk up and down the hallways and you will see people doing crosswords, shopping online or just hanging out and shooting the breeze.  It's an easy life, and if you have no ambition, you will think you have found heaven.  But when you look back on your life you may feel regret that you did not do more with your skills and talents.

	Day to day responsibilities includes but not limited to administering two Netware 5.0 super servers based on IBM Netfinity hardware, 18 other NetWare 5, and 30 Microsoft 2000 servers performing various tasks for NHTSA’s offices. Manage and provide support to enterprise-wide local and wide area networks consisting of 700 nodes
	Trouble shoot existing and new problem arising in network, hardware, and software.
	Provide support to various applications like CCMIS, ccmMercury.
	Plan, install and manage CISCO works 2000 to perform day-to-day maintenance of Cisco and other network equipment in production environment. Install Cisco switches and routers on new sites and ensure all WAN is up and running.  
	Installed 3Com Transcend Enterprise & Transcend Trafix Manager to monitor and maintain 3Com devices
	Maintain and monitor ten remote LANs of NHTSA located in ten different states. These remote LANs are connected through T-1.  
	Created a test bed to perform testing and analysis of new hardware and software before implementing in production environments.
	Deploy Adobe Breeze video conferencing solution.
	Lead projects of implementing new applications.

My agency within the Department of Transportation is the Federal Aviation Administration and is responsible for the safe, efficient and secure movement of air traffic within the national airspace system.  My small organization within the FAA Air Traffic Organization was responsible for air traffic management security.  It requires a 24/7 mentality, a never fail attitude and great team work. The organization is responsible all air traffic security measures such as airspace around events like Super Bowl, VIP (President, etc.) visits, and other high profile events.  In addition, the organization provides direct support to the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and other intergovernmental organizations to secure airspace while allowing for the continued commercial access.  Finally, the organization is responsible for the air traffic response to crisis and emergencies, such as wild fires, flooding, hurricanes, etc.

My typical day at work involves: reviewing and editing Terminal Planning’s Strategic Planning and Performance (TPSPP) correspondences & briefings; serving as the point of contact (POC) for updating the financial tracking system REGIS with F&E operations; funding line item costs such as Travel, Training, and Supplies; and, ensuring that the transactions reconcile with the Agency’s accounting system DELPHI.  The main thing I learned was how to develop and monitor TPSPP’s budget.  Routinely, I greet my coworkers before proceeding to my desk.  The hardest thing about the job is leaving work unfinished and then returning the next day to that work and my new work assignments. To minimize this, I keep my work space very organized.    The most enjoyable part of the job is in conducting research to find information for my manager in a crunch, when they are in need of information.  The fact that he values my research skills makes me feel my services are valuable to the organization!

I work on a team where shared knowledge is valued.  With a varying backgrounds, mentoring the junior-level and middle-level Contract Specialists and even Contracting Officers are daily duties.  Occasionally, Contracting Officer Representatives (COR) must be reminded of their delegation authorities, as to what is/is not their COR delegation authorities directing first to their delegation letters.  

Daily, I try to see and find the value in everyone.  Mostly, I try have the team and/or peers to see their own valued-added to projects that were positively re-shaped or pushed forward to completion. 

There is a way to mentor, train, and educate a team and individual peers to be equipped, esteemed, and encouraged without them feeling put-upons or belittled. The outcome results can be win-wins.

A satisfied team or peer is the firm foundation which solid blocks are built.

Like most government positions it has its perks and down sides.  For the majority of people in the agency they are dedicated and easy to work for and with.  They take pride in their work and in serving their country. The agency offers good advancement as long as you apply yourself and learn the culture within the agency.  I was able to travel and work in several states as well as working with individuals from other federal agencies, state/local agencies, the public, cabinet members, congressional representatives, and private sector business owners. The hardest part of the job was the lack of funding and the political maneuvering that takes place within the federal government.  The most rewarding and enjoyable part of the job was working with people of diverse groups, building relationships, and seeing projects completed that helped the community, city, state, and country.

I personally enjoyed the amount of leeway I was given to define and perform my role in the way I saw fit. Overall, I was given the objective to augment the enforcement program and make it more efficient by any means necessary. 

I performed my role in both an analysis and reporting role, but also by formulating and supervising projects in the enforcement department. In these projects, I would take the lead role in assessing needs and delegating assignments, and then evaluating efficacy and determining whether or not to fully implement the results into policy/process.

This position was quite dynamic and never had a dull moment. Moreover, the trust and creative license my supervisors gave me allowed me to develop more professionally than in any of my prior positions.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Fellow 1 salary reported	$75,000 per year
Economist 2 salaries reported	$106,463 per year
Delivery driver 2 salaries reported	$21.52 per hour
Solutions engineer 1 salary reported	$101,500 per year
Research fellow 1 salary reported	$68,500 per year

Working at US Department of Transportation: Company Overview and Reviews

US Department of Transportation

US Department of Transportation Ratings

Popular jobs at US Department of Transportation

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected