Category Archives: FMCSA CSA

FMCSA CSA is a program that is designed to help identify united states based trucking companies that are at high risk of not being compliant with FMCSA regulations.

 

What is FMCSA CSA?

In 2010, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) launched their CSA 2010 program to help a motor carrier better understand their safety data.
This new compliance measurement program replaced the old FMCSA SAFER system.
The overarching goal of the program is to have carriers promote safety and compliance throughout all safety improvement categories!
Now over a decade old, the CSA safety rating program remains a top concern for most trucking and bus companies!

 

What Are CSA BASIC Scores?

A trucking company’s “safety score” is determined by the number of roadside inspection violations that the motor carrier has during the prior 24 months in each of 7 different safety related categories.
Those seven behavior analysis categories are:
Unsafe Driving
Crash Indicator
Hours of Service
Vehicle Maintenance
Controlled Substance and Alcohol (Drug and Alcohol)
Driver Fitness
Hazardous Materials

 

How Are CSA BASIC Scores Calculated?

Each violation that drivers or trucks received has both a time weight and a severity weight.
Those are multiplied together to get a total weight for each violation.
Those total violation points are then added in each CSA BASIC to generate a CSA score for each safety fitness category.
Every motor carrier’s scores in each area is compared to other “similar” carriers and ranked on a percentile basis from 0 to 100.
O is the lowest FMCSA safety score/CSA BASIC score that you can have and 100 is the worst.
For instance, a trucking company with an Unsafe Driving FMCSA CSA BASIC score of 89% would show that only 11% of “similar” carriers have a driver safety score that is worse than that carrier.

 

How Do I See My CSA Scores?

You can view your FMCSA CSA scores (safety scores) in the FMCSA Safety Measurement System (also known as the SMS) by clicking here!
You can get there by going to the old safer website  first and clicking on “SMS” in the top right hand corner of the carrier’s CSA report as well.
All of the following articles and posts relate to the FMCSA CSA program and other issues around US DOT regulations.
This includes information about CSA BASIC scores, CSA BASIC violations, how to avoid getting FMCSA violations, how to improve your CSA BASIC scores, the FMCSA Clearinghouse, FMCSA licensing and insurance issues, how to conduct an FMCSA carrier search, the FMCSA PSP ( pre employment screening program), how to Access the FMCSA portal and other key DOT compliance issues.
We want to help trucking companies learn how to understand the FMCSA CSA system and how to improve their CSA BASIC scores!
Please check out our articles before you jump over to the CSA site/ CSA portal.
I promise that you won’t be sorry that you did!

 

Learn more about our $49 monthly per driver trucking compliance services at www.MySafetyManager.com!

What is a Good CSA Score?

What is a good CSA score?

What is a good CSA Score? A good CSA score is having no CSA score in each CSA BASIC category. In fact, a CSA score of 0 in each of the seven Behavior Analysis Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs) would be considered a perfect CSA score.  If you have a 0 in a CSA BASIC category, that means…

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Level 2 DOT Inspection: Ultimate Guide

DOT Level 2 Inspections are the most common roadside inspection.

What is a Level 2 Inspection?  A level 2 DOT inspection is a type of roadside inspection conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and its state police officer partners. It is also known as a Walk-Around Driver and Vehicle Inspection. Officers will be reviewing you (the truck driver), your documents and parts of…

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FMCSA CSA Changes

The FMCSA just announced their PROPOSED changes to the way their CSA system will prioritize trucking companies for intervention (see Compliance Review or DOT Audit). Now what?  First, don’t panic. These changes were required to be made and nothing is set in stone yet. It will take at least 3 to 6 months for any changes…

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Avoid These 5 Deadly DOT Violations

Avoiding DOT violations is harder than ever for truck drivers and trucking company owners. The key to avoiding DOT violations is to avoid unwanted attention from law enforcement! Sounds easy enough, right? I know it’s not as easy as it sounds. Here, we’ll outline 5 of the most common DOT violations and share some actionable…

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Avoiding DOT Lighting Violations

avoiding DOT lighting violations

Avoiding DOT lighting violations isn’t very hard. Usually, it just takes a few minutes a week to ensure you’re in compliance! Truck drivers should strive be in compliance with the the FMCSA lighting regulations at all times because lighting violations cause almost 70% of all roadside inspections. We often say that lighting violations are “Gateway…

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Find Your DOT PIN in 5 Minutes

Where Can I Find My Dot Pin Number? This is a question that many of our clients ask! When you complete your registration for your US DOT authority, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sends you a letter with your DOT PIN on it. If you’re like me, any snail mail that comes to…

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Driver Qualification Management Software Stinks

Driver qualification file management software is overrated! If you’re like many trucking companies, you’re probably considering driver qualification file management software. After all, if only some of your truck drivers are compliant with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) DQ file requirements, that’s a big regulatory risk for you and your company. DQ Files:…

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What is the FMCSA PSP?

FMCSA PSP

FMCSA PSP is a program that is provided to help companies screen potential truck and bus drivers. It’s like an MVR, but for roadside inspections! What is the FMCSA PSP? The FMCSA Pre-employment Screening Program (PSP) is a system that allows employers to request information from data in the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS)…

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FMCSA Biennial Update: How to Update MCS 150

All trucking companies must update their MCS-150 form every 2 years.

An FMCSA biennial update (or MCS 150 update) is required if you operate a trucking company in the United States. You’re required to make an update to your Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) record every two years. There are many reasons why it’s important to stay on top of your updates—if there are mistakes…

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FMCSA New Entrant Safety Audit

New Entrant Safety Audit prep

The FMCSA New Entrant Safety Audit checks a new trucking company’s compliance with the FMCSA regulations. The mere words New Entrant Safety Audit can drive your anxiety through the roof. Don’t worry! Most new trucking companies will pass this review. What is the New Entrant Safety Audit? The DOT new entrant safety audit examines a…

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