January 31, 2024
While ensuring safety is top-of-mind for any fleet manager, doing so in a way that results in a positive Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) score is paramount for the competitiveness and profitability of your fleet.The CSA program, developed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), assesses the safety performance of a fleet as a whole. Lower CSA scores reflect lower risk in your fleet - resulting in lower insurance rates and a better reputation. But there are many factors to manage if you want to achieve the best possible CSA score.In this resource, we dive into everything fleet managers need to know about the CSA program and its metrics. Read on to learn how to improve your CSA score to cement customer trust and sustain competitive operations.
One of the FMCSA's missions is to prevent road crashes and fatalities[1]. The CSA program helps to support this mission by identifying high-risk commercial motor carriers and intervening to improve their safety practices. According to the FMCSA[2], �CSA affects carriers subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, carriers transporting passengers or cargo in interstate commerce, and Hazardous Materials carriers operating in intrastate commerce."�The program uses a point-based scoring system between 0 and 100, with lower scores indicating good safety performance. �CSA scores are determined based on roadside inspection, traffic enforcement, and crash report data from the previous 24 months," as the FMCSA states, and the scores take into account dozens of factors, such as the number of crashes caused by a fleet, the severity of those crashes, the age of them, and more. These factors also consider the size of the fleet, miles driven, and other contextual elements.
The FMCSA uses the Safety Measurement System (SMS) to identify motor carriers with the greatest safety risk and those who should receive interventions[2]. FMCSA then organizes the data into seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs) and assigns carriers a score for each of the following:
While there are no official �good" or �bad" CSA scores, there are thresholds that trigger FMCSA investigations.The closer your score is to zero, the better. When your fleet collectively maintains a low CSA score, you enjoy fewer DoT audits and lower insurance premiums. Additionally, a positive CSA score reflects well on your fleet's brand.A score of 50 points or above warrants a serious look at your fleet's safety practices. Scoring 65% or above in Crash Indicator, HOS Compliance, or Unsafe Driving will initiate an FMCSA investigation. If you transport passengers or hazardous materials, the threshold for an investigation in these categories is 50%[4]. Scoring 80% and above in any BASIC category will automatically trigger an investigation.�Unfavorable CSA scores can result in an out-of-service order if your fleet receives multiple warnings and violation notices that go unaddressed. Such an order can halt your operations, tarnish your company's reputation, and damage customer relationships - negatively affecting your long-term operations.
The FMCSA provides a way to access and review your fleet's CSA score through their website:
CSA scores affect your fleet's overall ability to operate and its bottom line. Carriers with higher CSA scores are considered to have a higher risk of safety violations - resulting in increased intervention. Undergoing an investigation can be time-consuming and stressful and negatively impact your fleet's operations.FMCSA audits and penalties can also result in profit loss if enough customers get wind of your fleet's risk levels. While CSA data is not publicly available, customers seek safety and reliability information about carriers, and a poor reputation can make it difficult to maintain profitable customer relationships and load preferences.Additionally, insurance companies consider several factors when determining insurance coverage cost, including a carrier's safety performance score across vehicle maintenance, driver safety training, and hours-of-service compliance. A high CSA score could lead to higher insurance premiums. In some cases, carriers may even be denied coverage altogether.
Follow these steps to maintain a low CSA score:
You can avoid some roadside violations with preventive maintenance. In 2018, 30% of violations[8] were related to vehicle lights, adding two to six points to the overall CSA score. Establishing preventive maintenance programs that include pre-trip inspections helps identify vehicle issues before they become problematic and raise flags for the FMCSA.
The right fleet management system comes with advanced tools like telematics and real-time data collection so fleet managers can monitor driver behavior and support safe driving practices in the moment. A smart fleet management system[9] not only delivers full visibility into road conditions, vehicle status, and incidents, it helps managers analyze driver footage and introduces self-coaching. Technology that helps drivers take improvement into their own hands benefits the fleet as a whole by driving down CSA scores.
By prioritizing the BASICs and adopting fleet management technology, fleets can work towards reducing their CSA scores. Start improving safety by learning more about Netradyne's Driver�i fleet management system. Book a demo with us today.