How traffic control changes lanes and lives.  

Several hours before sunrise, Dustin Adams started walking out the traffic control setup on Sunset Road from Green Valley to Bermuda. He was still learning the traffic control trade at the time, measuring out the space between cones and making sure the MOB logo was clearly visible for the oncoming traffic. 

“I remember thinking how exhilarating it was, walking the setup out every night with traffic coming toward me and the construction crews growing anxious to start,” says Adams. “I couldn’t help but smile. This is fun.”

The job required much more than a 20- or 30-minute setup. It was one of the larger traffic control plans managed by Masters of Barricades, spanning almost six miles with daily changes that included multiple jurisdictions, timelines, side streets, and arrangements. Every night, one crew would set it up. Every morning, another crew would strike it. 

“For the first time in a long time, I knew what I was doing,” says Adams. “All I had to do was put one foot in front of the other.”

Baby steps. The idea mirrors a hundred group rooms and therapists’ offices: a thousand miles begin with a single step. And when Adams stepped out on Sunset Road, he had already walked hundreds of miles on the road toward recovery. 

“My addiction to prescription medicine started during my sophomore year of high school,” explains Adams. “Painkillers eventually led to harder drugs like heroin.”

Years before he would wear the bright yellow vests at MOB Traffic, Adams broke his collarbone as a strong safety playing football. It was the last of several injuries he would endure for the sport and the one that nearly cost him his life. 

“By the time I graduated from high school, I had already done it all. I had been in and out of rehabs, overdosed, run away, come home, beat an addiction and picked it up again,” he said. “One day, my mom gave me a choice. I could pick a plane ticket to Teen Challenge or I could pick up my bag and never come home. I took the ticket.” 

The difference between Teen Challenge and rehab is the focus on transformation along with treatment. The program lasts an average of 12-18 months, helping students confront destructive choices and find where God can move into their lives. 

After graduating, Adams signed on to help other students regain their footing. All of it seemed to be working until he returned to Las Vegas to work at a Teen Challenge men’s center. While he was pulling up, the city started to pull him down. 

“I woke one morning and knew I needed something different,” he said. “So I went to a church where the pastor introduced me to Jeff Ames, CEO of Masters of Barricades. Jeff hired me to work in the shop for a week, and then they asked me to jump in a truck during a busy shift. One month later, I became a driver and started closing down roads all over Las Vegas.” 

While Adams had to face one more life test, MOB eventually became the place that helped him build a home. Three years ago, he was promoted to traffic control technician supervisor while also welcoming his first son, Cash, with his wife Kailyn, into the world. 

“It all happened within two weeks of each other,” he said. “All those miles paying off.” 

They are paying off again. Their second son, Titus, arrived just a couple of months ago along with one of the most difficult decisions Adams has ever had to make. 

“My dad called me a second time, asking me if I wanted to move to Texas and learn our family business,” said Adams. “The first time he asked, I had just been promoted, and there was no way I could leave this amazing company. This time, after surviving a year that changed all of us, I see a need to be with family.”

His new position will be a change of pace, inspecting homes before they are listed for real estate agents. Part of the A-Pro Home Inspection network, Adams will become licensed and then start inspecting homes and managing any repairs in the Houston area out of Tomball. 

“The experience I earned right here at MOB gave me the confidence I needed,” said Adams. “And Jeff Ames. Wow. He gives people more than a second chance. He gives them a company that really cares about its people.”

Adams plans to carry everything he learned at MOB Traffic forward. He is already teaching his successor how to help technicians on larger jobs or follow up with newer ones to make sure it’s done right at MOB. He also intends to deliver prompt, professional service at his new company. 

“My time here completely changed my life,” he said. “I know I’m going to miss waking up at 1:30 a.m., talking to the drivers, making sure they have their routes, talking to customers before the office opens, and making sure all the sets are clean. This is fun.”

To learn more about the Dustin Adams story, visit ChristianDotcom channel. For more information about jobs, visit the MOB Careers page. MOB Las Vegas currently has several openings, including flaggers and traffic control technicians. In-house training is provided one step at a time.