Key Takeaways
- CSA is FMCSA’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability program. SMS assesses carriers across seven separate BASICs; there is no single universal numerical “CSA score.” FMCSA explains the current SMS.
- Current SMS uses a rolling 24-month window for relevant on-road violations and crashes, with greater weight on more recent events. It also considers qualifying investigation findings.
- Intervention thresholds vary by BASIC and carrier type. A high percentile can prioritize a carrier for attention, but is not a federal safety rating or an automatic penalty.
- FMCSA’s approved SMS methodology revisions, including compliance categories and Vehicle Maintenance: Driver Observed, remain forthcoming as of October 26, 2026. Use the CSA Prioritization Preview for planning, not as current results.
- Under 49 CFR 396.11, a covered driver generally prepares a post-trip DVIR when a safety-affecting or breakdown-related defect is discovered or reported; the federal rule generally does not require a no-defect report, subject to its exceptions.
- Eligible crashes found not preventable under FMCSA’s Crash Preventability Determination Program are excluded from the Crash Indicator calculation, but may remain visible as reviewed crashes. Submit qualifying requests with a police accident report through DataQs.
| Table of Contents |
|---|
| CSA Scoring Basics |
| Methodology Changes |
| Metrics to Track |
| ELD and Your Score |
| Internal vs FMCSA |
| Before You Build |
| Common Questions |
Introduction
Understanding how to improve CSA score results begins with knowing how FMCSA evaluates motor carrier safety performance. “CSA score” is useful shorthand, but FMCSA does not assign every carrier one universal score. Its Safety Measurement System (SMS) calculates separate measures and, when enough relevant data exist, percentiles in seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs). Results update monthly and help FMCSA prioritize interventions; they are not the same as formal safety ratings.
An internal review can help a fleet spot recurring HOS, vehicle, driver-qualification, or crash issues before the next SMS update. It cannot guarantee a lower percentile, because SMS also depends on recorded events, exposure, comparison groups, and methodology. This guide separates the current calculation from approved but not-yet-implemented changes and identifies useful records to review. Our related guides cover review cadence and fleet compliance tracking.
How Does FMCSA’s CSA Scoring System Work Today?
FMCSA identifies the current SMS Methodology as Version 3.21 in its June 2026 resources. The revised methodology discussed below is still in preview. SMS uses 24 months of relevant roadside inspection and state-reported crash data, plus qualifying investigation findings, to assess seven BASICs. Applicable violations are weighted by severity and recency, then normalized for exposure. Where sufficient data exist, FMCSA compares a carrier’s BASIC measure with a safety-event group of similar carriers to assign a percentile. A higher percentile indicates poorer relative performance within that BASIC, not a guaranteed enforcement outcome. See FMCSA’s calculation FAQ.
The current BASICs are Unsafe Driving, Crash Indicator, Hours-of-Service Compliance, Vehicle Maintenance, Controlled Substances/Alcohol, Hazardous Materials Compliance, and Driver Fitness. In the current methodology, applicable roadside violations use a 1-to-10 severity scale; an additional out-of-service weight applies only where the methodology specifies it. Relevant events in the most recent six months receive a time weight of 3, those over six through 12 months old receive 2, and those over 12 through 24 months old receive 1. FMCSA updates SMS monthly, so results can move as events age or comparison groups change.
Intervention thresholds are category- and carrier-specific. Under FMCSA’s current threshold table, Unsafe Driving, HOS Compliance, and Crash Indicator use 65 percent for general carriers, 60 percent for qualifying hazardous-materials carriers, and 50 percent for passenger carriers. Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances/Alcohol, and Vehicle Maintenance use 80, 75, and 65 percent, respectively. Hazardous Materials Compliance uses 80 percent for all three carrier groups. A threshold can flag a carrier for possible intervention, but does not itself trigger a particular letter, inspection, investigation, or penalty.
Public information is more limited than a full carrier profile. For property carriers, the public can see inspection and crash data, investigation results, and measures for public BASICs, but not every percentile or carrier-specific detail. Crash Indicator and Hazardous Materials Compliance remain unavailable to public users; carriers and enforcement users can access more complete data when authenticated. Check the FMCSA SMS access FAQ before describing a result as public.
How Safety Ratings Differ From SMS Percentiles
A BASIC percentile helps FMCSA prioritize attention. A Satisfactory, Conditional, or Unsatisfactory safety rating follows the separate safety fitness process under 49 CFR Part 385; SMS does not assign that rating. A high percentile or threshold alert is not itself a finding that the carrier is unfit.
What Will Change Under the Forthcoming Methodology Update?
FMCSA published its approved methodology changes in a November 20, 2024 Federal Register notice. As of October 26, 2026, FMCSA’s preview still identifies the revised methodology as forthcoming rather than active. FMCSA’s CSA Prioritization Preview site states plainly that the agency is still updating the SMS infrastructure to incorporate these approved changes, and that carriers should continue using the current SMS website until the updated system is in effect. No official launch date has been announced, so treat everything in this section as forthcoming rather than active.
Once the update goes live, the seven BASICs will be reorganized into what FMCSA is calling compliance categories. Controlled Substances and Alcohol violations, along with all operating-while-out-of-service violations, will move into Unsafe Driving. Vehicle Maintenance will split into two categories: one for standard mechanical violations and a new Vehicle Maintenance: Driver Observed category for defects a driver could reasonably catch on a walk-around inspection. More than 2,000 existing violation codes will be consolidated into roughly 100 violation groups of similar safety behaviors, so multiple citations for the same underlying issue in a single inspection will count as one violation rather than several.
The current 1-to-10 severity scale will be replaced with a simplified two-value scale, where a set of violations receives a weight of 2 if any violation in that set was an out-of-service violation or a driver disqualifying violation, and a weight of 1 otherwise. Proportionate percentiles will replace the older safety event groups, comparing your fleet directly against carriers with a similar actual number of inspections and crashes rather than placing you in a broad size band. According to FMCSA’s preview documentation, the updated approach is expected to change how recent events affect results, specifically by calculating percentiles in the Hours of Service, Vehicle Maintenance, Hazardous Materials, and Driver Fitness categories only for carriers with at least one violation in that category within the past 12 months.
Because the launch date has not been confirmed, the most reliable step you can take now is to log in to the CSA Prioritization Preview and compare your projected compliance category results against your current BASIC percentiles. Use projected results as a planning aid, not a prediction of future enforcement or a substitute for current SMS results.
Which Metrics Are Worth Tracking?
To understand how to improve CSA score results, start with issues that appear in your own inspection and crash history. Internal measures can point to operational problems, but they do not reproduce SMS’s official BASIC calculations or promise a lower percentile.
Hours of Service and Log Quality
For drivers subject to 49 CFR Part 395, review applicable HOS exceptions, uncertified records, unassigned driving time, edits, and reported HOS violations. An ELD edit is not inherently a violation: the driver or support personnel must annotate each change or addition, and the carrier must preserve original HOS source information under 49 CFR 395.30. An internal discrepancy affects SMS only if it becomes part of an applicable reported inspection or investigation finding.
Vehicle Condition and Inspections
Track reported defects, repair completion, vehicle out-of-service findings, and the rate of relevant inspections without violations. Under 49 CFR 396.11, a covered driver generally prepares a post-trip DVIR when a defect that could affect safe operation or cause breakdown is discovered or reported. A federal no-defect DVIR is generally not required, subject to the rule’s exceptions. The carrier must address safety-affecting defects before further operation and certify repair or that repair was unnecessary. Digital records can make follow-up easier, but DVIR completion is not itself an SMS score.
The forthcoming Vehicle Maintenance: Driver Observed category will separately group certain violations detectable during a walk-around. It is not part of today’s SMS BASIC calculation; review FMCSA’s preview for its planned scope.
Driving Behavior and Crashes
For internal comparison, consider moving violations per relevant inspection and crashes per mile, with enough context to account for route and exposure differences. SMS Crash Indicator uses state-reported crash involvement, not a blanket finding of driver fault. Under FMCSA’s Crash Preventability Determination Program, an eligible crash found not preventable is excluded from the Crash Indicator calculation but remains identified in public crash information. Submit qualifying requests through DataQs with the required police accident report; a request does not guarantee a favorable determination or percentile change.
Driver Fitness
Monitor applicable license, medical-qualification, and driver-record requirements, including current English-language qualification rules where relevant. Driver Fitness is not limited to paperwork or cured by an expiration calendar alone. Confirm the actual regulation and driver circumstances before categorizing a citation.
How Does ELD Data Support CSA Tracking?
When evaluating how to improve CSA score results, an ELD can help a carrier review records of duty status, certifications, edits, and unidentified driving when ELD use is required. It does not calculate or update official BASIC percentiles; SMS uses inspection, crash, and investigation data reported to FMCSA. Review the current ELD record against the underlying trip and supporting documents before assuming that an alert represents a violation.
Geosavi describes ELD and DVIR tools on its ELD platform page. Features and transfer methods depend on the device and account configuration, so confirm your available reports with support. Do not assume an ELD automatically reconciles maintenance, driver-qualification, crash, or drug-and-alcohol records, or that using a device prevents a citation.
What the Edit and Annotation Rules Mean
Under 49 CFR 395.30, the driver or support personnel must annotate each change or addition; the driver must review and certify accurate records, including recertification after applicable edits. Under 49 CFR 395.32, the carrier must review unidentified driving and either assign it to the correct driver or annotate why it remains unassigned. These are recordkeeping duties, not automatic SMS deductions.
What ELD Records Do Not Cover
Review maintenance and inspection records, driver-qualification files, drug-and-alcohol program records, and crash reports through the appropriate systems and personnel. Combining those sources with ELD data can improve an internal safety review, but does not create an official FMCSA score. Our fleet compliance tracking guide offers a broader workflow.
How Does an Internal Review Compare With FMCSA SMS Results?
We built the table below to show exactly how your internal review and FMCSA’s SMS results relate to each other, because they measure the same underlying risks but serve different purposes and run on different timelines, and understanding that difference is what lets you use both correctly rather than treating one as a substitute for the other.
| Feature | Internal CSA Tracking Review | FMCSA SMS Results |
|---|---|---|
| Who builds it | Your safety team | FMCSA |
| Main purpose | Catch risk early and coach drivers | Prioritize carriers for enforcement |
| Data sources | ELD logs, DVIRs, maintenance records, qualification files | Roadside inspections, state-reported crashes, investigations |
| Time window | Weekly and monthly cycles you control | Generally 24 months of on-road data; investigation findings have separate rules |
| Update frequency | As often as you review | Monthly |
| Level of detail | By driver, truck, and terminal | By carrier USDOT number |
| Leading indicators | Yes, late certifications, open defects, edit counts | Uses reported events and qualifying investigation findings |
| Who can see it | Your team only | Full profile for authorized users; limited data public |
| How to fix errors | Correct your own records | Request review of inaccurate source data through DataQs |
What Should You Confirm Before Building a CSA Tracking Process?
Which BASICs have recurring issues?
Use the carrier’s authenticated SMS profile to review 24 months of relevant inspections and crashes. Prioritize the underlying safety issue, not just the largest percentile.
Can your ELD show edits and unidentified driving?
Review record history and unassigned time where ELD rules apply. Verify reported inspection violations separately; an internal log alert does not automatically become an SMS event.
How will you compare different routes fairly?
Rates per relevant inspection or mile can provide context for internal coaching, but low counts can make comparisons unstable. Do not equate an internal driver metric with an FMCSA carrier BASIC percentile.
Who owns the review?
Assign a clear schedule and a person to check official results, internal records, and follow-up actions. Our driver-record review guide discusses practical cadence.
Can you trace a reported defect through repair?
Match applicable DVIRs, repair certifications, and maintenance records. Paper records can also document timing; digital records may simplify retrieval. The forthcoming Driver Observed category is still only in the preview.
Have you compared the current SMS with the preview?
Review the CSA Prioritization Preview as a planning tool. Its projected compliance categories are not today’s official BASIC results.
What if an inspection or crash report is inaccurate?
Preserve supporting evidence and submit a specific DataQs request. Correcting a defect after an inspection does not by itself erase a valid violation, and a request does not guarantee a data change.
CSA Score FAQs
About CSA Scores and FMCSA Scoring
Does FMCSA require fleets to track CSA metrics internally?
No. An internal scorecard is a management choice. Applicable HOS and DVIR records are required by their own regulations, but a no-defect post-trip DVIR is generally not federally required under 49 CFR 396.11, subject to exceptions.
How long do violations stay in my CSA score?
Applicable roadside violations remain in the current SMS calculation for a rolling 24 months and receive less time weight as they age. This is not a single carrier score, and the underlying inspection record may remain available after it leaves the SMS window.
How often does FMCSA recalculate CSA scores?
FMCSA updates SMS results monthly. A BASIC percentile can change as events age, source data change, or the comparison group changes, even without a new inspection.
Can shippers and brokers see my CSA percentiles?
Public access varies. For property carriers, public users can see inspection and crash data, investigation results, and measures for public BASICs, but not the full authenticated profile; Crash Indicator and Hazardous Materials Compliance remain unavailable to the public. Do not assume a shipper sees every percentile.
Does a high percentile automatically trigger an Unsatisfactory safety rating?
No. BASIC percentiles support intervention prioritization. A formal safety rating is a separate determination under 49 CFR Part 385 and is not assigned by a percentile alone.
What is the Vehicle Maintenance: Driver Observed category?
It is part of FMCSA’s approved but not-yet-implemented SMS methodology revisions. The preview separates certain driver-observable vehicle violations from other maintenance violations. Today’s SMS still uses the current Vehicle Maintenance BASIC.
Do clean roadside inspections improve my CSA score?
An inspection with no relevant violations may improve some inspection-based measures, depending on the BASIC and the carrier’s other data. It does not earn positive points or guarantee a lower percentile; Unsafe Driving and Crash Indicator use different exposure methods.
About Using CSA Data With Your Drivers
How often should we review CSA-related metrics with our team?
A weekly internal review and a monthly comparison with official SMS results can be practical, but the cadence should fit the fleet. Internal coaching does not necessarily cause immediate movement in an official BASIC percentile.
Can we tie CSA metrics to bonuses or incentives?
A carrier may use lawful internal incentives, but should avoid pressure to falsify records or violate HOS rules. The ELD harassment prohibition in 49 CFR 390.36 is specifically about carrier use of ELD-derived information that the carrier knew or should have known would lead to a violation of 49 CFR 392.3 or Part 395.
How do we compare drivers fairly when they run different routes?
Rates per inspection or mile can add context, but small samples and route differences still matter. FMCSA’s SMS BASIC percentiles measure carriers, not individual drivers.
What should a driver do if an inspection report is wrong?
Bring the report and supporting evidence to the safety manager. A carrier or driver can request review of inaccurate inspection data through FMCSA DataQs. A later repair does not make a correctly recorded violation erroneous, and submitting a request does not guarantee removal.
Can our ELD records alone support a full CSA tracking process?
No. ELD records can support HOS review when ELD use applies, but maintenance, qualifications, drug-and-alcohol compliance, and crashes require other records. The ELD does not calculate official BASIC percentiles.
Is CSA tracking worth it for a small fleet or owner-operator?
An internal review can help even a small fleet identify repeat issues, but its value depends on the operation and available data. A single event may have a larger effect when event counts are low; no checklist guarantees a lower percentile.
Conclusion
To improve the safety practices reflected in SMS, start with the official carrier profile and the inspection, crash, and investigation records behind each BASIC. Address recurring causes, document required repairs and records, and use DataQs when source data are genuinely inaccurate. SMS results are relative measures and intervention tools, not one universal score or a promise of a particular enforcement outcome.
FMCSA’s approved methodology revisions remain in preview as of October 26, 2026. Continue to use the current SMS for official results while preparing for the future categories. To discuss Geosavi’s supported ELD and DVIR workflows, contact our team or call (800) 261-4361.