The GA Department of Transportation offers careers that span many fields. From the people who plan the roadways, to the infrastructure team that makes sure the bridges are safe and secure, the department has many responsibilities. Actually the largest employer in the state of Georgia, the Department of Transportation can be a great place for long-term employment.

But before you submit your application to the Georgia transportation department on a whim, there is some education and training that you should receive first. Here are some tips on how to get that education so that you can compete for a job with the DOT.

1. Learn about the various jobs, salaries and benefits that GA Department of Transportation offers.

2. Obtain a degree from an accredited institution or program for a successful career with the GA Dept. of Transportation.

3. Join the internship program or other DOT programs as part of your Georgia Department of Transportation Education and Training.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Gain knowledge about the types of jobs at the Georgia Dept. of Transportation

Take the time to determine which job you'd like to secure with the Georgia Department of Transportation. Jobs range from janitors to machine technicians to civil engineers to transportation planners and more. Each of these disciplines requires a different set of educational requirements. Also be sure to check out the potential salary and benefit packages along with those jobs.

I recommend: Get salary and benefits information on the Georgia Department of Transportation by visiting their website. Also be sure to watch their recruitment video for a more in-depth look at what working for the transportation department in Georgia will be like during the course of your career.

Get a degree or certification to compete for a job with the Georgia Dept. of Transportation

When it comes to working for the transportation department in Georgia, popular degrees are both civil engineering and transportation planning. These degrees will give you access to the better jobs within the Georgia Department of Transportation. Also, getting an accreditation from a technical school will help you become employed working on the Georgia Department of Transportation's machinery.

I recommend: Check out the website for the University of Georgia. They offer a video as well as many other materials about their civil engineering degree. They offer both undergraduate and graduate programs. Georgia Tech also offers a program which is specifically geared toward transportation engineering.

Enroll in the Georgia Transportation Department programs geared for students

It can be quite a challenge to obtain your collegiate degree and then jump right into a place as large as the Georgia Department of Transportation and hit the ground running. To rectify that, the department offers several programs for current students that allow them to work for the department on an intern basis. This will familiarize you with operations as well as allow you to make connections with people who will hopefully be your employers. It gives you an extra qualification and an extra incentive for them to hire you.

I recommend: Check out the Internship Program that the DOT offers. It is geared to students who are currently attending a university and seeking to obtain a degree in civil engineering or transportation planning. You may also apply for their Co-Op Program which is geared toward civil engineering technology students and offers "hands-on" experience for a period of two semesters.

The Georgia Transportation Department is the starting point for many business resource links including driving records, available highway projects and roadside sponsoring programs. Whether you need to find out where to send your drivers for a DMV test or would like to put a bid in on a highway department project, you'll find the information you need at the Georgia Dept. of Transportation website.

Use the Georgia DOT website as a gateway to info about the Georgia Department of Transportation venues. Find out the latest road closures and restrictions before your shipment leaves the warehouse or keep your employees informed of any upcoming road construction and traffic hassles so they can prepare ahead of time to get to work on time or run a delivery or sales route efficiently.

1. Easily access potential employee driving records at the Transportation Department in Georgia.

2. Get all the project information you need including applications and forms, specific requirements and dates on the GA Department of Transportation website.

3. Set up a Georgia Transportation Department traffic report link on your company server so employees can check road status before heading to or leaving work or heading out on a sales or delivery route.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Search driving records within the Georgia Department of Transportation

Start all your DMV searches at the Georgia Department of Driver Services and Transportation websites. Order driving records for potential employees who will be driving company vehicles, or help your employees obtain the registration and licensing they need by printing out forms and handbooks for them to read. Use online forms to access driving records and find information about other modes of transportation such as train schedules.

I recommend: The Georgia Department of Driver Services is a one-stop shop for information relating to driver's licensing, regulations and other motor vehicle information. Get the latest travel and transportation information from the Georgia Department of Transportation website.

Get the latest traffic information regulated through the Georgia Dept of Transportation

Keep yourself and your employees informed by using one of several Georgia traffic report websites available. If your employees have easy online access to the latest Georgia DOT traffic reports, they are more likely to get to work on time. Help them commute hassle-free by providing them with a daily morning report.

I recommend: Use Georgia Navigator for up-to-the-minute traffic information, or print out maps from the Georgia Dept. of Transportation Maps To Go website.

Consult the Georgia DOT website for business other than road info and driver records

Whether you're looking to bid on a highway project, or want to sponsor a roadside clean up, you'll be able to find the information you need at the Transportation Department in Georgia website. You can also find information about Georgia Department of Transportation jobs online.

I recommend: Check out the regulations for doing business with the Georgia Dept. of Transportation. To sponsor a roadside beautification project, consider the Adopt-A-Highway Program through the Department of Transportation. Access info on the Georgia Department of Transportation website about jobs with the DOT.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Vehicle accident reports are also available online at the GA Dept. of Transportation website.
• •  For by-the-minute traffic updates, check out the Georgia DOT's traffic camera views available through the website.

Sift through the Georgia Department of Transportation key terms to determine specialized areas and functions within the department. The Georgia Department of Transportation covers a wide range of offerings from railways to road design.

Knowing Georgia Department of Transportation key terms helps you clearly communicate with others in regards to transportation issues. It gives you an edge in the business world over competitors that might not know the nuances of transportation lingo.

Action Steps
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Ballast

The Georgia Department of Transportation works with ballast materials in railway functions. Ballast is a material put on a track bed. It keeps the track elevated and in-line, providing even distribution of loads. The department works with railroads that frequently use ballast regulators.

I recommend: North East Rails offers a page of images showing different types of ballast regulator machinery.

Economies of scale

This term refers to budget and load maneuvering in an operation, which reduces costs and increases productivity.

I recommend: Investopedia offers a detailed definition of the term on its website. GA Politics offers information detailing ways the Department of Transportation and other departments use economies of scale in their budgets.

Farm-to-market agricultural transportation

The Georgia Department of Transportation must address specific regulations for the farming community. It addresses issues such as vehicle size, products offered and machinery legalities.

I recommend: The Georgia Department of Transportation website details types of equipment farmers can legally operate in farm-to-market agricultural transportation. It also defines limitations to the transportation options.

Civil engineering

The Georgia Department of Transportation hires civil engineers who oversee the construction and design of public transportation sites such as bridges and dams.

I recommend: Engineer.net describes the civil engineering department in the Georgia Department of Transportation. It highlights various facets of the job and details the amount of professionalism the job entails.

Hazardous Material

Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) is a substance or type of material that the secretary of transportation deems a health risk. The Georgia Department of Transportation determines rules and regulations for the transport of hazardous material in its vehicles.

I recommend: The Georgia Department of Public Safety offers links to hazardous material regulations from the United States Department of Transportation's website for hazardous materials safety.

Light Truck

The Georgia Department of Transportation has separate regulations for a light truck, which is a vehicle designed for off-highway operations that meet specific criteria including the ability to transport 10 persons or more or the ability to transport property by means of an open bed, among other criteria.

I recommend: The Georgia Humanities Council offers information detailing the Georgia Department of Transportation definition of a light truck. It includes information on light trucks and other vehicles.