GLEN BURNIE, Md. -- The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration is launching a program that will allow bus operators to receive daily, weekly or monthly updates on their drivers' CDL records.

Two members of the Maryland Motorcoach Association, including association president Al Spence of A.S. Midway Trailways of Baltimore, told Bus & Motorcoach News they would be interested in participating in the program.

"I think it would be great," said Spence. "I think it would be wonderful," added Barbara Bayer, general manager of Woodlawn Motorcoach in Baltimore, a board member of the Maryland Motorcoach Association.

U.S. Department of Transportation regulations require coach companies that employ drivers with commercial driver licenses to examine each driver's record once a year. Most coach operators, like A.S. Tours and Woodlawn, are believed to do it more often.

However, drivers who've had their licenses suspended or incurred other problems between the annual or semi-annual checks might go unnoticed for several months.

"In six months, anything can happen," noted Spence.

"If somebody is going to drive your vehicle, you need to know that they have a valid driver's license," said Barbara Bentley, a section manager in driver services at Maryland MVA.

The need for more frequent checks led the MVA to develop the program that was supposed to be launched last month but now is expected to be up and running by April, a spokeswoman in the driver services unit said.

Any company employing individuals who hold CDLs will be able to send MVA a list of drivers it wants to monitor. Once the program is operating, MVA will send the company back a record with a three-year driving history for their drivers and will monitor the drivers for the next year.

The program also provides for MVA to send e-mail updates to as many as four people at participating companies. Companies will be able to choose how to receive the updates - daily, weekly or monthly.

Initial enrollment in the program is expected to cost $9 for each driver and give the company access to drivers' three-year history. Updates would cost an additional 5 cents, but the fee is charged only when an action is taken against a driver's license.

Operators interested in participating in the program can request a registration packet by calling MVA at (410) 768-7233.