MOB Traffic has come a long way from having a fleet of one.  

Masters of Barricades (MOB Traffic) has reached a fleet milestone in its 11th year of service. Already the region’s largest privately owned traffic control, special event, pedestrian management, and barricade provider, MOB Traffic has reached a large fleet status of approximately 50 vehicles, with almost 20 flatbed trucks and two minivans for flaggers. 

Fifty is generally the operational line between a medium and large fleet, especially one with a wide range of vehicles, including cars, trucks, vans, trailers, flatbeds, and other specialized equipment. Remarkably, MOB Traffic has increased the size and scope of its fleet while it is in transition to its future headquarters.

“In some ways, the size of our fleet operates as twice that size because many of our vehicles are in operation 20 hours a day over two shifts,” says Greg Villalovos, head fleet mechanic for MOB Traffic. “As soon as a driver comes in, they unload and reload so the next shift can take off.”

Together with Antonio Ceja, fleet mechanic, and Kevin Geiss, safety specialist, it is the responsibility of Villalovos to ensure every vehicle meets the high safety standards set by MOB Traffic. And, in the event of needed repair, the team is responsible for informing dispatch of what changes need to be made and how long those repairs might take. 

“We take care of all small repairs ourselves — tire replacement, lights, cameras, message board lights, air conditioners, and other malfunctions,” Villalovos said. “Despite the high service demand, we maintain operational efficiency by ensuring every vehicle runs properly after and before every shift.”

Since traffic control technicians are usually assigned the same truck, they are often the first to notice a potential problem. In fact, asking drivers to fill out inspection sheets before and after every shift (instead of just before a shift) was one of the policy changes Villalovos helped implement since he joined the company last year. 

“After every shift, Kevin Geiss helps my team by reviewing the inspection sheets and highlighting which problems require immediate attention,” says Villalovos. “He also logs all of the work done on every vehicle so we know the repairs are complete, right down to the smallest detail. Doing this can sometimes help us forecast bigger issues.” 

In most cases, Villalovos and Cejas can address any issues in the short two-hour window between shifts. When there is any doubt, they can red tag a truck and schedule service to ensure every vehicle is functional and meets the company’s high safety standards. 

“We also conduct monthly truck equipment inspections, making sure first aid kits are well stocked, fire extinguishers are operational, and the onboard tool kit complete,” he said. “And, along with taking care of flatbeds, we take care of the supervisor pickup trucks, vans, trailers used to transfer pedestrian and water rails, arrow boards, light boards, and whatever else might need a repair like our tow truck or forklift. I’ve even dropped by our offices after work to care for a broken soap dispenser. But that is how we work here — we take care of each other.”

Villalovos says the sentiment is part of the company culture. Even management, he explains, is more likely to ask what you need to get something done than demand or place additional pressure on a situation. The culture is akin to a smaller family-owned business where everybody takes care of everybody. 

“The expectation here is that we all want the best, safest outcome,” he said. “If I say I need tools to get something done, then MOB Traffic makes sure we have the tools we need. But we see this on a daily basis on the smallest of scales. Managers and supervisors will deliver water, towels, ice, and jugs. If we’ve done a great job at a special event, maybe there will be a bonus like ice cream or a gift card. After our monthly safety meetings, it’s no surprise to see a food truck pull up and management tell us that they’ve taken care of lunch.” 

Villalovos also says MOB Traffic works this well because most founders and managers have worked their way up from entry-level positions. They know how to set a taper or work 24 hours during an event. 

“Because many of them did it all, some of us want to do it all too,” says Villalovos. “I’m one of the first to sign up for a special event, and doing so has helped me learn more about what our technicians do every day on the road.” 

The experience, he says, is invaluable. It’s one of the reasons he accepted a promotion so quickly after joining the company a year ago. Prior, Villalovos worked on industrial machines and credit card terminals — the by-product of being a kid who fell in love with building low riders when he was 15 years old. 

“I still build low riders,” he said. “But that’s what makes working for MOB Traffic such a great match. We don’t have flatbed low riders, but there is some custom fabrication on MOB Traffic trucks. I won’t share all the details, but every traffic technician will tell you ours are better.”

Villalovos said this includes the fleet’s recently acquired Scorpion truck with a mounted attenuator, which is considered the safest and most reliable crash prevention vehicles on the road. It joins two additional crash trailers already part of the MOB Traffic fleet — demonstrating how far MOB Traffic has come from being founded with a fleet of one flatbed truck operated by a few guys with heart.