CSA Score Trucking: What Your Score Means and How It Can Shut You Down

Each BASIC has a separate percentile score from 0 to 100. Higher percentile = worse than other carriers. A score of 85 means you're worse than 85% of comparable carriers in that category.

How CSA Scores Are Calculated

The SMS doesn't just count violations. It weighs them.

• Severity weight — Some violations are more serious than others. A brake out-of-service violation is weighted higher than a minor paperwork error.
• Time weight — Recent violations count more than older ones. Violations in the last 6 months carry the most weight. The look-back period is 24 months.
• Carrier size — Scores are compared against carriers of similar size and exposure.
• Unsafe driving violations — These tend to be the most damaging because they carry high severity weights and are directly linked to crash risk.

What Triggers a Compliance Review

FMCSA uses SMS scores to prioritize carriers for safety interventions. The intervention ladder looks like this:

1. Warning letter — You're identified as a safety concern.
2. Targeted roadside inspection — Your carrier is flagged for priority inspection.
3. Offsite investigation — FMCSA requests records without visiting.
4. Onsite focused investigation — FMCSA visits and audits one or two BASICs.
5. Onsite comprehensive investigation — Full compliance review. All BASICs examined.

Being in the high-risk range for the Controlled Substances & Alcohol BASIC is particularly serious. FMCSA treats that category as a direct public safety risk and responds quickly.

How to Check Your CSA Score

Your SMS data is publicly available. Go to: ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/SMS

Search by your USDOT number. You'll see your BASIC percentile scores, the specific violations contributing to each score, and where you stand relative to the intervention threshold.

How to Improve Your CSA Score

1. Stop new violations from going on the record. Every clean inspection helps. Every violation hurts. Your pre-trip inspection routine and driver behavior on the road are the primary inputs. Read more about what happens during a Level I inspection at DOT inspection levels.

2. Challenge incorrect violations through DataQ. If an inspection report contains an error — wrong violation code, wrong vehicle, or a violation that doesn't apply — submit a DataQ challenge at dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov.

Additional steps that help:

• Fix the equipment issues that keep showing up in your Vehicle Maintenance BASIC
• Ensure all drivers have current CDLs and medical certificates (Driver Fitness BASIC)
• Enroll in a compliant drug and alcohol testing program — see drug and alcohol testing requirements
• Establish written HOS compliance procedures and audit your ELD data regularly

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every roadside inspection affect my CSA score?

Yes. Every inspection that results in a violation gets entered into SMS and affects the relevant BASIC score. Clean inspections (no violations) don't directly improve your percentile, but they increase your inspection count.

How long do violations stay on my CSA record?

Violations remain in SMS for 24 months. The most recent violations (last 6 months) carry the most weight. After 24 months, they age off automatically.

Can drivers see their own CSA data?

Yes. Individual drivers can access their SMS data through the Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) at psp.fmcsa.dot.gov.

What does it mean if my BASIC is “not public”?

Some BASICs require a minimum number of inspections before a percentile score is calculated and displayed publicly. Fewer than 3–5 inspections in a category may show as “insufficient data.” This doesn't mean you have no violations.

Can a bad CSA score affect my insurance rates?

Yes. Insurance carriers use CSA data when underwriting trucking policies. High BASIC scores — especially in Unsafe Driving or Crash Indicator — can lead to higher premiums or difficulty getting coverage.