Maryland DOT Launches Program to Monitor Fleet Drivers’ Records

January 26, 2005 11:00 AM, EST

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he Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration launched a program that would allow fleets to receive daily, weekly or monthly updates on their drivers’ records. Several trucking companies have shown an interest in participating, a state official said.

U.S. Department of Transportation regulations require companies that employ drivers with commercial driver licenses to examine each driver’s record once a year. However, drivers who had their licenses suspended between the annual checks might go unnoticed until the next year, said Barbara Bentley, a section manager in driver services at MVA.

“If somebody is going to drive your vehicle, you need to know that they have a valid driver’s license,” she said.

The need for more frequent checks led the MVA to launch a new program Jan. 3 that would allow fleets to monitor drivers, Bentley said.

She told Transport Topics that any company employing drivers could now send MVA a list of drivers it wants to monitor. MVA would send the company back a record with a 3-year driving history for drivers and would monitor the drivers for the next year.

For the full story, see the Jan. 24 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.

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