SAFETY METRICS

CSA Scores Explained: What Shippers Need to Know

January 18, 2026 - 12 min read

The FMCSA's Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program is the primary tool used to identify high-risk motor carriers. Understanding how CSA scores work can help shippers make informed decisions and avoid partnering with unsafe operators.

What is CSA?

Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration initiative designed to improve commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety. Launched in 2010, CSA uses data from roadside inspections, crash reports, and investigations to identify carriers and drivers with safety problems.

The program operates through the Safety Measurement System (SMS), which quantifies carrier safety performance across seven categories called BASICs.

The Seven BASICs

BASIC stands for Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories. Each BASIC measures a different aspect of safety performance:

1. Unsafe Driving

Speeding, reckless driving, improper lane changes, following too closely, texting while driving.

2. Hours-of-Service (HOS) Compliance

Driving beyond allowed hours, falsifying logs, inadequate rest breaks, ELD violations.

3. Driver Fitness

Lacking proper CDL, medical certification issues, failure to maintain driver qualification files.

4. Controlled Substances/Alcohol

Positive drug/alcohol tests, possession of controlled substances, impaired driving.

5. Vehicle Maintenance

Brake, lighting, and tire defects, improper load securement, failure to repair defects.

6. Hazardous Materials (HM) Compliance

Improper placarding, packaging issues, documentation errors, training deficiencies.

7. Crash Indicator

State-reported crashes involving fatality, injury, or vehicles towed from the scene.

How SMS Scores Are Calculated

The Safety Measurement System uses a complex algorithm to calculate percentile scores for each BASIC. Here's how it works:

Step 1: Data Collection

SMS uses data from the past 24 months, including:

Roadside inspection violations
State-reported crash data
Federal investigation results

Step 2: Severity Weighting

Not all violations are equal. Each violation is assigned a severity weight from 1 to 10. For example:

Speeding 6-10 mph over limit = severity weight 4
Speeding 15+ mph over limit = severity weight 10
Driving while fatigued = severity weight 10

Step 3: Time Weighting

Recent violations count more than older ones:

Last 6 months: Multiplied by 3
6-12 months ago: Multiplied by 2
12-24 months ago: Multiplied by 1

Step 4: Percentile Ranking

Carriers are compared to peers with similar numbers of inspections (Safety Event Groups). The resulting percentile shows how the carrier compares:

0-50th percentile: Better than average
50-75th percentile: Approaching concern level
75-100th percentile: Potentially high-risk

Intervention Thresholds

FMCSA may intervene when carriers exceed these percentile thresholds:

General carriers: 65th percentile or higher
Passenger carriers: 50th percentile or higher
Hazmat carriers: 50th percentile or higher

What CSA Scores Don't Tell You

While CSA data is valuable, it has important limitations:

Not all carriers have scores: Carriers with insufficient inspection data won't display percentiles
Scores don't indicate crash fault: The Crash Indicator includes all reportable crashes, regardless of whether the carrier was at fault
Regional variation: Inspection frequency varies by state, affecting data availability
Gaming potential: Some carriers learn to dispute violations or avoid inspections

How to Use CSA Data as a Shipper

1. Check Before You Book

Before tendering freight to a new carrier, review their CSA scores. High percentiles in Vehicle Maintenance or Unsafe Driving should raise concerns.

2. Look at Trends

A carrier's scores over time matter more than a single snapshot. Improving trends may indicate a commitment to safety; worsening trends suggest problems.

3. Consider Context

A carrier with 100 inspections and a 70th percentile may be less risky than one with 5 inspections and a 50th percentile. More data means more statistical reliability.

4. Combine with Other Metrics

Use CSA data alongside:

Safety ratings (Satisfactory/Conditional/Unsatisfactory)
Insurance verification
Crash history
Out-of-service rates

Where to Find CSA Data

CSA scores and SMS data are publicly available through several sources:

FMCSA SMS Website: ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/SMS
SAFER System: safer.fmcsa.dot.gov
Trucking Record: Our search tool provides carrier profiles with safety metrics

The Future of CSA

FMCSA continues to refine the CSA program. Recent and proposed changes include:

Better accounting for crash fault (Item Response Theory)
Improved data quality from ELD mandates
Enhanced public disclosure of safety information
Integration with autonomous vehicle monitoring

Start Your Carrier Research

Understanding CSA scores is essential for anyone involved in freight transportation. Use these metrics as part of a comprehensive carrier vetting process to ensure your shipments are in safe hands.

Search Carrier Safety Data

Trucking Record Editorial Team

Our team analyzes FMCSA safety programs and metrics to help shippers and carriers understand compliance requirements. This guide is based on official FMCSA documentation and industry best practices.