What is a good CSA score?

Lower CSA percentile scores are better. A score below 50 in any BASIC means your violation rate is better than at least half of comparable carriers. Scores below 25 are considered strong. The FMCSA considers scores above 65 in Unsafe Driving and HOS Compliance as potential intervention thresholds. Scores above 75 in any category significantly increase the likelihood of targeted investigations. There is no single number that defines good or bad across all categories.

How are CSA percentile scores calculated?

The FMCSA calculates CSA percentiles by comparing your violation data against carriers in your peer group based on the number of inspections received. Each violation is assigned a severity weight and a time weight (full value for violations in the past 12 months, half value for 13-24 months). Your total weighted score is then ranked as a percentile against similar-sized carriers. A percentile of 80 means your violation rate is worse than 80% of comparable carriers.

Do clean inspections help my CSA scores?

Clean inspections (no violations found) do not directly reduce your BASIC percentile scores in the current CSA methodology. However, they increase the number of inspections in your denominator, which can dilute the impact of any violations you do have. More importantly, clean inspections signal to brokers, shippers, and insurers that your operation maintains safety standards. Always cooperate fully with inspections and maintain your equipment to pass them.

How do I challenge incorrect violations on my record?

Use the FMCSA DataQs system at dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov to file a Request for Data Review. You must provide documentation supporting your challenge, such as repair receipts showing the violation was corrected before the inspection, evidence that the violation was recorded against the wrong carrier, or court documents showing the violation was dismissed. The review process typically takes 30-60 days. Successful challenges remove the violation from your CSA calculations.

Do CSA scores affect my ability to get loads from brokers?

Yes. Many brokers set CSA score thresholds as part of their carrier qualification process. Common thresholds include requiring scores below 65 or 75 in Unsafe Driving and Crash Indicator BASICs. Some brokers use third-party carrier monitoring services that flag CSA score changes. Poor scores can disqualify you from working with certain brokers, especially larger ones with strict compliance departments. This directly impacts your revenue opportunities.

How often are CSA scores updated?

The FMCSA updates CSA scores monthly through the Safety Measurement System. New inspection data, crash reports, and investigation results are incorporated into the monthly update. Violations that age past 24 months are removed. The time-weighting also shifts each month as violations move from the more recent 12-month window into the 13-24 month window with reduced weight.

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CSA Scores Explained: Understanding and Improving Your Safety Record

A complete guide to the FMCSA's CSA safety measurement system. Learn how scores are calculated, what triggers interventions, and proven strategies to improve each BASIC category.

Small Fleet HQPublished February 20, 20265 min read

CSAsafetycomplianceFMCSABASIC-scores

What CSA Means for Your Business

The Compliance, Safety, Accountability program is how the FMCSA identifies high-risk carriers and prioritizes enforcement actions.¹ Your CSA scores affect insurance rates, broker relationships, and whether the FMCSA targets your operation for investigation.

Understanding how the system works is the first step toward managing it. Carriers who proactively monitor and improve their CSA performance operate more profitably because they pay less for insurance, access better-paying brokers, and avoid costly FMCSA interventions.

The Seven BASIC Categories

CSA divides safety data into seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories.⁴ Each measures a specific aspect of your compliance and safety performance.

1. Unsafe Driving

What it measures: Dangerous driving behaviors observed during inspections or documented through citations.

Common violations: Speeding, reckless driving, improper lane changes, following too closely, texting or using a handheld phone while driving, failure to use seatbelt, failure to obey traffic signals.

Intervention threshold: 65th percentile for warning letters, 75th percentile for targeted investigation.⁵

Impact: This is one of the most heavily weighted BASICs.⁶ A single serious Unsafe Driving violation can significantly increase your percentile. Insurance companies scrutinize this category closely.

2. Hours of Service Compliance

What it measures: Compliance with federal HOS regulations and ELD requirements.

Common violations: Driving beyond the 11-hour limit, operating past the 14-hour window, inaccurate or missing log entries, failing to maintain ELD records, operating without a functioning ELD.

Intervention threshold: 65th percentile for warning letters, 75th percentile for targeted investigation.⁵

Impact: HOS violations are extremely common and often accumulate from minor recording errors. Proper ELD use and driver training on log management are essential. Use the HOS calculator to plan trips within legal limits.

3. Driver Fitness

What it measures: Whether drivers are properly licensed, medically qualified, and authorized to operate CMVs.

Common violations: Expired medical certificate, invalid or expired CDL, missing endorsements for the cargo being hauled, operating without proper classification.

Intervention threshold: 80th percentile.⁴

Impact: These violations are easily preventable through proper record management. Set calendar reminders for medical certificate and CDL renewal dates.

4. Controlled Substances and Alcohol

What it measures: Drug and alcohol violations from testing programs and roadside observations.

Common violations: Positive drug or alcohol test results, refusal to submit to testing, possession of controlled substances, alcohol impairment.

Intervention threshold: 80th percentile.⁴

Impact: Even a single violation in this category has severe consequences. Zero tolerance is the only approach. Maintain your drug and alcohol testing program rigorously.

5. Vehicle Maintenance

What it measures: Mechanical condition of vehicles as found during inspections.

Common violations: Brake deficiencies (adjustment, components, air leaks), tire problems (tread depth, condition, inflation), lighting defects (inoperable lights, reflectors), coupling device issues, fluid leaks, frame cracks.

Intervention threshold: 80th percentile.⁴

Impact: Vehicle Maintenance violations are the most common category of inspection failures. Thorough daily pre-trip inspections and consistent preventive maintenance directly reduce these violations.

6. Hazardous Materials Compliance

What it measures: Compliance with hazmat transportation regulations (only applies to carriers transporting hazardous materials).

Common violations: Improper placarding, missing shipping papers, improper packaging, failure to follow loading and securing requirements.

Intervention threshold: 80th percentile.⁴

7. Crash Indicator

What it measures: Involvement in DOT-reportable crashes, regardless of fault.

Crash reporting criteria: Crashes resulting in a fatality, injury requiring immediate medical treatment away from the scene, or a vehicle towed from the scene.⁹

Intervention threshold: 65th percentile.⁵

Impact: All qualifying crashes appear on your record regardless of who was at fault. This is controversial but is how the system currently works. Dashcam evidence can support DataQs challenges in some situations.

Checking Your CSA Scores

Access your CSA data through the FMCSA Safety Measurement System at ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/sms.² Enter your USDOT number to view your BASIC percentile scores, inspection history, and violation details.

Check your scores monthly.⁸ Early detection of score increases allows you to address issues before they trigger interventions or impact insurance renewals.

The DataQs Challenge Process

When violations on your record are incorrect, the DataQs system provides a formal challenge process.⁷

When to challenge: When a violation was recorded against the wrong carrier or vehicle, when the cited equipment passed a subsequent inspection proving the violation was incorrect, when a citation was dismissed in court, or when the inspection data contains factual errors.

How to file: Go to dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov, create an account, and submit a Request for Data Review with supporting documentation.

Success rate: Not all challenges succeed, but many carriers successfully remove incorrect violations. Focus challenges on violations with high severity weights for maximum score impact.

Improvement Strategies by Category

Reducing Unsafe Driving Violations

Implement a speed management policy (reduce speed by 5 mph below the limit in all conditions)
Install dashcams that provide driver coaching feedback
Address following distance habits through training
Enforce cell phone policies strictly

Reducing HOS Violations

Train drivers on proper ELD usage and duty status management
Review driver logs weekly for accuracy and compliance patterns
Use the HOS hours calculator for trip planning
Address the root causes of time pressure that lead to HOS shortcuts

Reducing Vehicle Maintenance Violations

Implement a structured daily pre-trip inspection with documented checklists
Focus on the top violation areas: brakes, tires, and lights
Schedule preventive maintenance based on mileage intervals, not just when something breaks
Address DVIR defects immediately rather than deferring repairs

General Strategies

Monitor scores monthly through the SMS website
Challenge incorrect violations through DataQs promptly
Increase clean inspection volume by maintaining equipment and training drivers
Work with your insurance agent to understand how score improvements translate to premium reductions

For the regulatory framework behind CSA, see our FMCSA compliance guide. For preparation guidance if your scores trigger a review, see our DOT audit preparation guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good CSA score?: Lower CSA percentile scores are better. A score below 50 in any BASIC means your violation rate is better than at least half of comparable carriers. Scores below 25 are considered strong. The FMCSA considers scores above 65 in Unsafe Driving and HOS Compliance as potential intervention thresholds. Scores above 75 in any category significantly increase the likelihood of targeted investigations. There is no single number that defines good or bad across all categories.
How are CSA percentile scores calculated?: The FMCSA calculates CSA percentiles by comparing your violation data against carriers in your peer group based on the number of inspections received. Each violation is assigned a severity weight and a time weight (full value for violations in the past 12 months, half value for 13-24 months). Your total weighted score is then ranked as a percentile against similar-sized carriers. A percentile of 80 means your violation rate is worse than 80% of comparable carriers.
Do clean inspections help my CSA scores?: Clean inspections (no violations found) do not directly reduce your BASIC percentile scores in the current CSA methodology. However, they increase the number of inspections in your denominator, which can dilute the impact of any violations you do have. More importantly, clean inspections signal to brokers, shippers, and insurers that your operation maintains safety standards. Always cooperate fully with inspections and maintain your equipment to pass them.
How do I challenge incorrect violations on my record?: Use the FMCSA DataQs system at dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov to file a Request for Data Review. You must provide documentation supporting your challenge, such as repair receipts showing the violation was corrected before the inspection, evidence that the violation was recorded against the wrong carrier, or court documents showing the violation was dismissed. The review process typically takes 30-60 days. Successful challenges remove the violation from your CSA calculations.
Do CSA scores affect my ability to get loads from brokers?: Yes. Many brokers set CSA score thresholds as part of their carrier qualification process. Common thresholds include requiring scores below 65 or 75 in Unsafe Driving and Crash Indicator BASICs. Some brokers use third-party carrier monitoring services that flag CSA score changes. Poor scores can disqualify you from working with certain brokers, especially larger ones with strict compliance departments. This directly impacts your revenue opportunities.
How often are CSA scores updated?: The FMCSA updates CSA scores monthly through the Safety Measurement System. New inspection data, crash reports, and investigation results are incorporated into the monthly update. Violations that age past 24 months are removed. The time-weighting also shifts each month as violations move from the more recent 12-month window into the 13-24 month window with reduced weight.