What Are CSA Driver Scores, and Why Do They Matter?

When it comes to managing commercially licensed drivers, properly handling fleet compliance requires a thorough understanding of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA) regulations. Leaving this knowledge unchecked runs the potential for a significant impact on your company’s CSA score, as well as unforeseen risk. But what are CSA driver scores, and why do they matter?

What Are CSA Driver Scores?

The FMCSA launched the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) methodology and scoring to improve the overall safety of commercially licensed drivers, while in tandem carriers and their drivers responsible for safe driving practices.

The data that is used to determine a company's CSA score is stored in a database called the Safety Measurement System (SMS). The FMCSA uses the SMS to gather data on roadside inspections and crash reports going back two years, as well as data from investigations it conducts to determine the score. This system ensures that a fleet's or driver's current safety performance is reflected more accurately while allowing for improvement over time.

CSA scores for drivers are measured on a scale from zero to 100. The lower the score, the better. These CSA points are determined by evaluating driving behavior against the appropriately abbreviated BASICs, or Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories.

The BASICS Categories

The FMCSA ranks carriers monthly against the BASICS, assigning a percentile in an attempt to prioritize carriers based on intervention needs. The BASICS include:

1. Unsafe driving
2. Crash indicators
3. Hours-of-service compliance
4. Vehicle maintenance
5. Controlled substances/alcohol
6. Hazardous materials compliance
7. Driver fitness

The FMCSA discovered through data analysis that three of the BASICS, unsafe driving, crash indicators and hours-of-service compliance all had the highest correlation to crash risk. Their solution to combat such behavior? Lower intervention thresholds surrounding these BASICS, allowing them to engage sooner in the hopes of mediating roadway incidents.

Check Out the Proposed Changes to the FMCSA’s SMS

Why Do CSA Scores Matter?

Good CSA scores can:

• Directly impact your insurance premiums
• Reduce Department of Transportation (DOT) audits and roadside inspections
• Help you better retain your drivers due to a stellar reputation
• Hold weight with customers who are prone to follow fleet status and rankings

While these are all positive benefits if you have a good score, a lacking CSA score can mean increased scrutiny from the FMCSA, the potential for rectification and even negative public perception.

What is a Good CSA Score?

There is no set minimum score defined by the FMCSA that determines what is "good" in CSA scoring. Instead, your percentile rank – especially in comparison to other fleets – is what truly matters. Scores are normalized based on the number of relevant inspections and then compared to other carriers within the same safety event group.

A "good" CSA score is one that consistently ranks in the lower percentiles across all relevant BASICs, indicating fewer violations, less severe infractions and better overall safety performance compared to peers. For example, a 10th percentile rank means a fleet performs better than 90% of its peers.

Do Personal Citations Impact a Driver’s CSA Score?

No, tickets or warnings that drivers receive while operating their personal vehicles are considered state citations and don’t impact driver CSA scoring in any way. Although that news may prompt a sigh of relief right now, it’s important to know that you may not be seeing the whole picture of your drivers at hand if choosing to treat these sets of data as two entirely separate entities.

While you may see the picture-perfect view of your CDL drivers based on their spotless CSA score, there may also be things you are unaware of. What you aren’t seeing are the violations incurred on personal time, which can be detrimental to a fleet.

Consider a driver who receives a DUI off the clock and has that violation reflected on their personal motor vehicle record. Even with pristine CSA scoring, such a violation that goes unnoticed can be harmful to your fleet for a multitude of reasons. One of the most ever-present? The legal concept of negligent entrustment, which finds you liable for the off-the-clock actions of an employee you had deemed safe to drive.

Explore FMCSA's Proposed SMS Changes

In early 2023, the FMCSA introduced a proposal to enhance its SMS. The goal? A sharper focus on reducing crashes, better utilization of driver data and a streamlined method for identifying and addressing safety issues at their root. This is a significant step forward in creating safer and more efficient roads. What do these proposed FMCSA changes mean for carriers like you? More importantly, how can you ensure your team is prepared and confident if these changes take effect?