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CSA score

The FMCSA safety rating built from your roadside inspection and crash history over 24 months.

Also called: Compliance Safety Accountability score, SMS score, BASIC percentile

Quick answer

What is CSA score?

A CSA score is the FMCSA's Compliance, Safety, Accountability measurement of a carrier's safety performance across seven BASIC categories, built from roadside inspections and crashes in the last 24 months. Violations are weighted by severity and recency, and crossing an intervention threshold invites an audit.

Last verified by ELD Hub.

How the score is built

Every roadside inspection and reportable crash feeds the Safety Measurement System. Each violation carries a severity weight from 1 to 10, multiplied by a time weight — 3 for the last 6 months, 2 for 6 to 12 months, 1 for 12 to 24 months. Totals are normalized by your exposure (inspections and vehicle miles) and then ranked as a percentile against similar carriers.

The seven BASICs

Your score is not one number. It is seven separate percentiles, and only some of them are public.

  • Unsafe Driving — speeding, reckless driving, seat belt
  • Hours of Service Compliance — log violations and false records
  • Driver Fitness — CDL and medical certificate problems
  • Controlled Substances and Alcohol
  • Vehicle Maintenance — the largest source of out-of-service orders
  • Hazardous Materials Compliance
  • Crash Indicator

Why small fleets get hit harder

Percentiles are normalized by exposure, so a carrier with 3 trucks and 4 inspections a year has almost no denominator. One bad inspection can move a small carrier's BASIC percentile dramatically, while the same violation barely registers for a 300-truck fleet. This is a structural feature of the math, not a bug you can appeal.

How to bring a score down

Old violations age out on their own after 24 months, so the fastest lever is stopping new ones and accumulating clean inspections, which improve your denominator.

  • Challenge genuine errors through the DataQs system with documentation
  • Fix the maintenance items that produce repeat violations — lights, brakes, tires
  • Use an ELD that warns drivers before HOS limits instead of after
  • Collect clean inspections; each one dilutes the percentile
  • Address driver-fitness paperwork before the medical card expires, not after
Example

A four-truck carrier picks up two HOS form-and-manner violations in one month. With only six inspections in the prior year, the HOS BASIC percentile jumps above the intervention threshold and the carrier receives a warning letter — even though a large fleet with the same two violations would see almost no movement.

Why it matters for a small fleet

CSA scores affect more than audits. Brokers screen on them, shippers reject carriers above thresholds, and insurance underwriters price from them.

Running 1–20 trucks? Compliance starts at $15/truck/month

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FAQ

Common questions

What is a good CSA score?

Lower is better — the score is a percentile, so 100 is worst. Staying under the intervention threshold for each BASIC (typically 65% for most carriers, 60% for passenger and hazmat) is the practical target.

How long do violations stay on a CSA score?

24 months. Their weight drops over time: violations in the most recent 6 months count triple, 6 to 12 months double, and 12 to 24 months single.

Can I dispute a CSA violation?

Yes, through FMCSA's DataQs system. You need documentation — a dismissed citation, a repair record, or evidence the violation was recorded against the wrong carrier. Disputes without evidence are routinely denied.

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