Understanding CSA Scores: How They Impact Your Trucking Business

Understanding CSA Scores: How They Impact Your Trucking Business

Long-haul trucking is a critical part of our economy, but the number of trucks on the roads increases the risk across the country, for truck drivers and motorists alike. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) under the US Department of Transportation (DOT) is responsible for regulating and providing safety oversight of commercial motor vehicles to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. To ensure their standards are met, the agency employs a safety measurement system, Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scores – a score that is not only essential for safety on roadways, but for the success of trucking companies.

What is a CSA Score?

A CSA score is a number calculated by the FMCSA that relates to a carrier’s safety performance, measures compliance with safety regulations, and identifies high-risk fleets, carriers, and drivers. A CSA score is comprised of three components – the Safety Measurement System (SMS), interventions, and a Safety Fitness Determination (SFD) rating system. The FMCSA reviews state reports on crashes, roadside inspections, and incident investigations regularly to determine a carrier’s CSA score.

Why do CSA Scores Matter?

The most important reason CSA scores are significant is because they relate directly to safety – they aim to make roadways safer for all drivers and their cargo. Good CSA scores also provide many benefits to carrier companies including:

• Evidence of a favorable safety record for an enhanced reputation
• Lower insurance premiums
• Fewer DOT audits and roadside inspections
• Opportunities to bypass weigh stations
• Improved driver recruitment and retention

How are CSA Scores Calculated?

The FMCSA’s SMS collects various information on a carrier’s fleet, including:

• Number of safety violations
• Severity of safety violations
• Inspection outcomes
• Frequency and recency of safety violations
• The size of a carrier’s fleet and how many miles it travels
• “Acute and Critical Violations” uncovered during investigations

The FMCSA takes this data and organizes it into seven categories referred to as Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs). They include:

• Unsafe Driving: operating a commercial vehicle in an unsafe or careless manner, not wearing a seatbelt, speeding, texting while driving, and/or dangerous lane changes
• Crash Indicator: severity and frequency of “reportable crashes” or those that involve towaways, fatalities, or injuries that require transportation away from the accident scene for treatment  
• Hours-of-Service Compliance: failing to adhere to driving time standards (driving no longer than 11 consecutive hours within any 14-hour window then spending 10 consecutive hours off duty) or not keeping mandated logbooks up to date  
• Vehicle Maintenance: driving without maintaining proper vehicle maintenance – faulty brakes, tires without necessary tread, broken lights, and/or loads unsafely secured
• Controlled Substances/Alcohol: driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs and/or the carrier’s failure to test for misuse 
• Hazardous Materials Compliance: any hazardous materials must be transported following specific standards related to packing, loading, labeling, and carrying appropriate paperwork
• Driver Fitness: drivers must meet the required age, be medically fit to drive, and carry a valid license

Carriers are assigned a score for each BASIC and they are calculated to identify a percentage zero to 100%. If a violation is within six months of the review, its points are multiplied for the carrier by three and if a violation is within seven to 12 months of a review, its points are doubled. The higher the percentage, the more likely it is a carrier will be subject to intervention.

How Can You Improve Your CSA Score?

CSA score points go down over time – after 24 months for carriers and 36 months for drivers – but this only happens if violations are reduced or eliminated.

The simplest way to improve your CSA score is to know what yours is, understand infractions, and take steps to improve your BASICs.

Even though an individual driver’s actions do not directly correlate to your CSA score, the safety of your drivers benefits the entire organization, so it is important to ensure your drivers understand the importance of a good CSA score. Consider a driver’s record before hiring them, incorporate regular driver training into your operations, review records with your drivers frequently, and reward good safety records.

If you think your company has been given a poor CSA score unfairly, you can submit challenges for violations reported within two years. Succeeding could improve your CSA score.

What Happens If You Have a Poor CSA Score?

If your company has a poor CSA score, there is a variety of interventions from the FMSCA including:

• Early contact
• Warning letters
• Targeted roadside inspections
• Offsite investigations at a safety inspector’s office
• Onsite investigations where a safety inspector comes to a carrier’s operation location to inspect specific safety concerns
• Onsite comprehensive investigations where an inspector comes to a carrier’s operation location to inspect overall safety
• Follow-up inspection to check progress of fixed problems
• A Cooperative Safety Plan (CSP) a carrier voluntarily agrees to in order to address violations
• Notice of Violation (NOV) where a carrier is notified of serious safety problems that do not yet rise to the level of penalty
• Notice of Claim (NOC) that notifies a carrier that their violations are severe enough that they will be assessed and are at risk of penalty
• Operation Out of Service Order (OOSO) requiring the carrier to cease operating immediately until violations are addressed

How Do You Know Your CSA Score?

Carrier companies can access their CSA score through the FMCSA website after requesting a pin, or via a request letter by mail.

At SWZ, we are experts when it comes to understanding and improving CSA scores. In fact, we offer a free SCORE Report to help you understand your safety score, identify safety issues, and learn how to resolve them. To learn more about how we can help you protect your business and understand where you stand with the FMCSA, please contact us today.