What Is CSA Scoring?
FMCSA's CSA program scores carriers across seven safety categories using inspection and crash data to identify carriers needing enforcement attention.
CSA & SMS Guides for Motor Carriers
These guides cover FMCSA's Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program and its Safety Measurement System (SMS) — the tools FMCSA uses to score carriers across seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs), prioritize enforcement interventions, and assign official safety ratings. Understanding how CSA works is essential for any motor carrier that wants to manage its safety profile and avoid compliance reviews.
The 7 BASICs of CSA Explained
A breakdown of all seven CSA BASICs: what each covers, which violations feed into each category, and the alert thresholds FMCSA uses.
How to Check Your SMS Score
How motor carriers access their CSA SMS scores, review BASIC percentiles, and interpret publicly available safety data.
The DataQs Challenge Process
How to use FMCSA's DataQs system to dispute inaccurate crash reports or roadside inspection violations that are negatively affecting your CSA scores.
Safety Rating Process Overview
How FMCSA assigns safety ratings (Satisfactory, Conditional, Unsatisfactory) through compliance reviews, and what each rating means for your authority.
Improving CSA Scores for Small Fleets
Practical strategies for small fleets to reduce CSA BASIC scores through vehicle maintenance, driver training, and inspection readiness.