What is CSA? Why is it important to each carrier?
CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) score is a measurement used by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to assess the safety performance of commercial motor carriers and drivers in the United States. CSA scores are calculated based on various safety-related data, including roadside inspections, crash reports, and violations found during inspections.
The CSA program aims to improve safety on the roads by identifying carriers and drivers with safety compliance issues and targeting them for interventions and corrective actions. The scores are used by FMCSA and other enforcement agencies to prioritize resources and interventions toward carriers and drivers with poor safety performance.
A CSA score is composed of seven Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs), which include:
Unsafe Driving
Hours-of-Service (HOS) Compliance
Driver Fitness
Controlled Substances/Alcohol
Vehicle Maintenance
Hazardous Materials (HM) Compliance
Crash Indicator
Each BASIC category is assigned a percentile score, which indicates how a carrier or driver compares to their peers in terms of safety performance within that category. Higher percentile scores indicate poorer performance compared to peers.
It's important to note that CSA scores are not absolute measures of safety but rather relative rankings based on comparisons with other carriers and drivers. Carriers and drivers with higher CSA scores may be subject to increased scrutiny and enforcement actions.
Ultimately, maintaining low CSA scores is crucial for carriers and drivers to demonstrate their commitment to safety and compliance with regulations.
