A CSA score is the safety measurement the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration calculates for a motor carrier from roadside inspections, crash reports and violations. Transport Clearings East is a member-owned, not-for-profit freight factoring cooperative based in Charlotte, North Carolina, founded in 1958 and governed by five board directors elected by member-carriers. Carriers, owner-operators and the brokers who hire them all look at CSA data when judging safety and compliance risk.
How is a CSA score calculated?
A CSA score is calculated by the FMCSA Safety Measurement System, which sorts a carrier’s inspection and crash data into seven categories and ranks the carrier against similar carriers in each one. Each violation is weighted by how serious it is and how recently it happened, so a recent, severe violation counts more than an older, minor one. The result in each category is a percentile, and a higher percentile means worse performance compared with peers.
What are the seven BASIC categories in CSA?
The seven BASIC categories in CSA are the safety areas the Safety Measurement System measures separately for every carrier.
Unsafe Driving
The Unsafe Driving BASIC measures dangerous driving behavior cited during inspections, such as speeding, improper lane changes and texting while driving.
Crash Indicator
The Crash Indicator BASIC measures a carrier’s history of state-reported crashes. This category is not shown to the public on the FMCSA website.
Hours-of-Service Compliance
The Hours-of-Service Compliance BASIC measures violations of driving and on-duty time limits and of logging rules, including electronic logging device records.
Vehicle Maintenance
The Vehicle Maintenance BASIC measures defects found on trucks and trailers during inspections, such as brake, light and tire problems.
Controlled Substances and Alcohol
The Controlled Substances and Alcohol BASIC measures violations tied to drug or alcohol use or possession by drivers.
Hazardous Materials Compliance
The Hazardous Materials Compliance BASIC measures violations in how hazardous materials are packaged, marked, placarded and documented. This category is not shown to the public.
Driver Fitness
The Driver Fitness BASIC measures whether drivers hold a valid commercial driver’s license and a current medical certificate and meet other qualification rules.
Who looks at a carrier’s CSA scores?
Brokers, shippers, insurers and FMCSA itself look at a carrier’s CSA data. FMCSA uses high percentiles to decide which carriers get warning letters, investigations or other interventions. Brokers and shippers often check the public categories before tendering freight, and insurers may consider safety data when pricing a policy.
How do CSA scores affect a new carrier?
CSA scores affect a new carrier differently because a carrier with only a few inspections may not have enough data for a percentile in some categories. A single bad inspection can weigh heavily while the record is thin. New carriers also go through the new entrant safety audit during their first 12 months, and clean inspections during that period help build a record brokers can trust.
How can a carrier improve its CSA scores?
A carrier improves its CSA scores by cutting the violations that feed each category and by correcting data that is wrong. Useful steps include:
- Running pre-trip and post-trip inspections so defects are fixed before a roadside stop.
- Keeping hours-of-service records accurate and reviewing logs weekly.
- Keeping every driver’s license and medical certificate current in the qualification file.
- Challenging inaccurate inspection or crash data through the FMCSA DataQs system.
- Checking the carrier’s record under its USDOT number regularly so problems are caught early.
For example, a small fleet sees its Vehicle Maintenance percentile climbing after several light and brake violations. The fleet adds a written pre-trip checklist, schedules brake inspections at every service interval, and files a DataQs request on one inspection that listed the wrong unit. Over the following months, clean inspections begin to replace the older violations as they lose weight in the calculation.
Where does freight factoring fit with safety compliance?
Freight factoring does not change a CSA score, but steady cash flow makes it easier to pay for maintenance, inspections and compliance work on time. Transport Clearings East, founded in 1958 and governed by five board directors elected by member-carriers, handles collections on factored invoices, and rates start under 2.20 percent as a floor, approved invoices fund the next day, and membership carries no long-term contract and no minimum volume requirement. More about the cooperative is on the Transport Clearings East homepage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Transport Clearings East?
Transport Clearings East is a member-owned, not-for-profit freight factoring cooperative based in Charlotte, North Carolina, founded in 1958 and governed by five board directors elected by member-carriers. It serves carriers, owner-operators, freight brokers, warehouse operators, and aggregate haulers.
Can the public see a carrier’s CSA scores?
The public can see most CSA categories on the FMCSA Safety Measurement System website. The Crash Indicator and Hazardous Materials Compliance categories are not shown to the public.
How long does a violation affect a CSA score?
A violation affects a CSA score for 24 months, and its weight drops as it ages. Recent violations count more than older ones in the calculation.
Become a TCE member at https://www.tceast.com/join-us/ or call 704-972-9968.