What are CSA points?
In the FMCSA’s Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) program, points measure a carrier’s risk. CSA points are a percentage of risk, running from 0 to 100. The higher the points, the higher the risk of a crash or other safety incident. Like golf, a lower score is better, with zero being the best score (unlike golf). Carriers are evaluated on seven risk categories known as “BASICs” (more on this in a bit), and their scores are updated monthly. These points accumulate from roadside inspections, police reports, and FCMSA audits.
Drivers don’t get CSA scores but accumulate points that count toward a carrier’s overall score. Before hiring, you can access a driver’s safety record through their pre-employment screening program (PSP). If you want to see it while they work for you, you’ll need their permission.
It is important to note that some compliance and risk management companies have created their own risk scoring systems based on the CSA program. However, FCMSA does not consider these systems, which are more of a marketing gimmick from third-party compliance consultants.
This post will cover how to proactively use the CSA points system to prioritize safety and keep your score low.
Also read: Truck Driver Safety: Essential Tips to Prevent Accidents and Injuries
How can I improve my CSA score?
There are only two ways to lower your overall CSA points: wait and prevent. FCMSA weights the most recent violations with a higher percentage, so as time passes, the violations become less relevant to your overall score. After 24 months, the violation falls off the score. If you do not have any other violations, your score automatically goes down.
What’s so bad about a bad CSA score? Insurance premiums go through the roof, and insurers may be less likely to work with a carrier with a high score. In addition, FCMSA is more likely to pay attention to companies with a higher risk, and those that hit a certain threshold automatically trigger an audit (more on that in the next section).
The good news is that driver points don’t roll over from previous jobs. But they don’t fall off if you fire a high-risk driver (not for 24 months). So that’s why picking the safe drivers is crucial to keeping your operations safe.
Using the “BASICs” to manage risk
FCMSA determines your CSA points score from (currently) seven risk categories known as Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs). These categories are:
- Unsafe Driving
- Crash Indicator (Not public)
- Hours-of-Service Compliance
- Vehicle Maintenance
- Controlled Substances/Alcohol
- Hazardous Materials (HM) Compliance (Not public)
- Driver Fitness
A great way to manage risk is to look up your score in FCMSA’s safety management system (SMS). You’ll need your DOT number and a PIN from FCMSA (which you can request if you don’t have one). When looking at your scores in each category, you can brainstorm ways to reduce risk in the higher-scoring areas, such as driver training, better onboarding, background checks, etc.
For example, let’s say you have a 40% in Hours of Service (HoS) compliance. You can implement better compliance training for drivers when onboarding. You might also implement a telematics system that alerts you when drivers exceed their allotted daily hours. These actions won’t fix the issue immediately, but if you stay diligent, you can expect to see that score drop within 24 months. FCMSA also has a range of free tools aimed at addressing compliance issues.
Hitting a specific score automatically triggers an FCMSA audit. Here are the thresholds for each category (note that these numbers are lower for Hazardous Materials and passenger carriers):
- 65% Unsafe Driving
- 65% Crash Indicator
- 65% Hours of Service
- 80% Vehicle Maintenance
- 80% Controlled Substances & Alcohol
- 80% Hazardous Materials
- 80% Driver Fitness
Also read: Types of Distracted Driving and How Drivers Can Avoid Them
How the CSA points system is changing
FCMSA is working to simplify its safety management with changes designed to level the playing field. The proposal involves several key changes: recategorizing the BASICs into six compliance categories, simplifying roadside violation categories from almost 1000 to just over 100, and adjusting score weights by considering a 12-month period instead of 24 months and eliminating multiple penalties for the same driver in the same category per violation. These changes (as of writing) are currently in public preview and have not yet been fully implemented.
How Pace evaluates risk
We work with new and existing clients to help assess their current risk environment utilizing our proprietary analysis methodology. Our evaluation includes a 100+ point review that covers compliance practices and operations considering everything from Hiring and Onboarding, Training, Fleet Maintenance, Safety Equipment, and Company Culture.
With our experience, we can help you implement risk management systems to keep your CSA points score low and your operations running smoothly. That includes vetting and hiring safe drivers who prioritize safety as much as you do.
