Quick Answer
CSA stands for Compliance, Safety, Accountability, FMCSA's enforcement program for motor carriers. A "CSA score" means your percentile in each BASIC category of FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS), based on roadside inspections, crashes and violations from the past 24 months. Percentiles run from 0 to 100, and higher is worse. Cross a category's intervention threshold and you're flagged for enforcement, which can raise insurance costs and cost you freight. A CSA score is not the same as a safety rating (Satisfactory, Conditional or Unsatisfactory), which only comes from a compliance review.
Key Takeaways
- CSA = Compliance, Safety, Accountability; the score is a percentile, and higher is worse.
- Data comes from the last 24 months of inspections, crashes, and violations.
- Scores are grouped into BASIC categories, each with its own intervention threshold.
- Carriers have CSA scores (by DOT number); individual drivers have PSP records, not CSA scores.
What is a CSA score?
CSA scores rank your safety performance against peer carriers of similar size. A percentile of 80 doesn't mean "80%" — it means you have worse safety data than 80% of comparable carriers. Lower is better. The data lives in the FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS) and updates monthly.
The 7 BASIC categories
BASIC stands for Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category. Carriers are scored in:
- Unsafe Driving — speeding, reckless driving, seatbelt
- Hours-of-Service Compliance — HOS and ELD violations
- Driver Fitness — licensing, medical, qualification files
- Controlled Substances / Alcohol
- Vehicle Maintenance — brakes, tires, lights, DVIR defects
- Hazardous Materials Compliance
- Crash Indicator — 24-month crash history and severity
For property carriers, BASIC percentiles and alerts have not been public since the FAST Act; the inspection, crash and registration data behind them are. Thresholds are stricter for the highest-risk categories — Unsafe Driving, HOS, and Crash Indicator carry the lowest (most sensitive) thresholds.
Note: FMCSA is modernizing the SMS methodology and has published a preview; the established system above remains the reference until FMCSA announces a full launch. Check the current SMS site for the latest.
Why your CSA score matters
- Enforcement targeting: high scores flag you for inspections and compliance reviews.
- Insurance: underwriters pull CSA data; poor scores mean higher premiums or non-renewal.
- Freight: many shippers and brokers won't book carriers above certain thresholds.
- Authority risk: ignoring interventions can threaten your operating authority.
How to improve your CSA score
Action | Why it works |
|---|---|
Rack up clean inspections | Violation-free inspections add to your inspection count, which can lower your percentiles in the BASICs they cover |
Prevent HOS violations | ELD alerts stop the most common, avoidable citations |
Keep vehicles maintained | Brakes/tires/lights drive most out-of-service violations |
Do thorough DVIRs | Catches defects before an inspector does |
Challenge bad data via DataQs | Incorrect violations can be removed |
Screen drivers with PSP | Hiring safer drivers lowers future risk |
Violations lose weight over time and drop off after 24 months, so consistent clean performance steadily improves your standing.
How do I check my CSA score?
Anyone can look up a carrier's inspection and crash data on FMCSA's SMS site by USDOT number. To see your own percentiles, sign in at the FMCSA Portal with Login.gov; the old DOT number and PIN login no longer works. FMCSA has also approved a new scoring method that isn't live yet: see what's changing in CSA.
Need an FMCSA-registered ELD for your trucks? See Lucid ELD plans
Educational content, not legal advice. Verify current thresholds and methodology at the FMCSA SMS site.
FAQ
Q: Do drivers have CSA scores?
A: No. CSA scores belong to carriers, tied to the DOT number. Drivers have individual PSP (Pre-employment Screening Program) records that carriers can pull when hiring.
Q: How long do violations stay on my CSA score?
A: Violations remain in the SMS calculation for 24 months, with recent events weighted more heavily than older ones.
Q: Can a bad CSA score alone put me out of service?
A: No — an out-of-service order requires a compliance review. But a high score is what triggers the investigation that can lead there.
