What Is a CSA Score in the Trucking Industry?
Have you ever wondered why your trucks keep getting flagged at weigh stations, even though your drivers are doing their best?
Or why do your insurance rates keep going up even though you haven’t had any big accidents?
It could be your CSA score—a number that tells the government how safe your company is. If that number’s too high, it can quietly cost you work, money, and time.
In this article, we’ll break down what a CSA score is, how it’s calculated, why it matters to your business, and what you can do to improve it—step by step, in plain English.
What Is a CSA Score?
A CSA score is a number that shows how safe your trucking company is.
CSA stands for Compliance, Safety, and Accountability. The score is given by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
The FMCSA uses a system called the Safety Measurement System (SMS) to keep track of safety problems. They use the data to give you a score from 0 to 100. A lower score is better. It means your company follows safety rules.
Why Should Trucking Companies Care About CSA Scores?
CSA scores are important because they can help or hurt your business.
If your scores are high (which is bad), you might:
But if your scores are low (which is good), you can:
CSA scores show how safe and reliable your trucking company is.
How Are CSA Scores Calculated?
The FMCSA looks at data from the past 24 months to figure out your CSA score.
They check:
Each problem is scored by how bad it is and how recent it is. Newer and more serious violations hurt your score more than old ones. The size of your company (number of trucks and miles driven) is also considered.
The 7 BASICs Categories That Make Up Your CSA Score
The FMCSA gives you scores in 7 safety areas called BASICs:
Unsafe Driving
This includes dangerous driving like:
Hours of Service (HOS) Compliance
This checks if drivers follow the rules for how long they can drive. It also checks if they use an Electronic Logging Device (ELD) to track time.
Driver Fitness
This makes sure drivers are qualified to drive. It looks at things like:
Controlled Substances/Alcohol
This checks for drug or alcohol violations, such as:
Vehicle Maintenance
This covers safety problems with your trucks, like:
Hazardous Materials (HM) Compliance
If you haul hazmat, this checks for:
Crash Indicator
This looks at crashes reported by the state, including:
What Is a Good CSA Score?
CSA scores go from 0 to 100, and lower is better.
Here’s a simple way to look at it:
Each BASIC category has its own limit. If you go over that limit, the FMCSA may inspect your company or take other action.
How to Check Your CSA Score
Your CSA scores are not public, but you can check them by following these steps:
Can You Improve Your CSA Score?
Yes! CSA scores can be improved with time and effort.
Here are five simple ways to lower your score:
Tip: Problems from the last 6 months affect your score the most. Older issues lose value over time.
Common Questions About CSA Scores
Keep Your CSA Score Low to Stay Safe and Successful
Now you know what a CSA score is, how it works, and why it matters. It’s not just a number—it shows how well your company follows safety rules. And when that number gets too high, it can lead to lost jobs, more inspections, and higher costs.
If you’ve been dealing with any of these problems, you’re not alone. Many trucking companies struggle with keeping up with compliance, paperwork, and safety checks.
The good news? You don’t have to fix it all on your own.
That’s why we partner with Wide Open Road Compliance. Compliance is their specialty, and they help trucking companies stay organized, follow FMCSA rules, and improve their CSA scores over time. With their help, you can stop worrying about surprise violations and start focusing on running a safer, more successful fleet.
Your next step: Make CSA safety and compliance a priority. Check your scores, fix the issues, and work with experts who know how to help.
Written by Melisa Bush
With over 15 years of experience in the trucking industry, Melisa is well-versed in the complexities of trucking payroll and adept at navigating special circumstances. Before joining Superior Trucking Payroll Service, Melisa worked at a trucking company, where she managed driver miles and expenses for a fleet of 50 trucks. This hands-on experience gives her unique insight into the challenges our clients face when preparing their payroll data.
Melisa’s top priority is customer service. She strives to treat each client as an individual with genuine needs, rather than just another number in the system. Her goal is to alleviate the burdens of our clients and make their daily operations smoother.