Full explanation
CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's safety compliance and enforcement program that identifies high-risk carriers for intervention. While commonly called 'CSA scores,' the program actually produces BASIC percentile rankings across seven safety categories. CSA replaced the older SafeStat system in 2010 and represents a more data-driven approach to safety oversight. The CSA process works in escalating steps: carriers with poor safety data first receive Warning Letters, then may face Targeted Investigations, Cooperative Safety Plans, Notice of Violations, Notice of Claims, or ultimately Operations Out-of-Service Orders. The program uses data from roadside inspections, crash reports, and compliance reviews to identify carriers that pose the greatest safety risk. Critics note that CSA scores can disadvantage small carriers (fewer data points create more score volatility) and carriers operating in states with higher inspection rates. Despite these limitations, CSA remains the primary federal mechanism for carrier safety oversight.
Source: FMCSA: CSA Program
Frequently asked questions
Are CSA scores public?
Partially. FMCSA publishes some BASIC category data through the SMS website, but certain categories (like Crash Indicator) are not publicly displayed due to ongoing litigation. Truck Graph derives risk indicators from publicly available inspection and violation data.
What's the difference between CSA and BASIC scores?
CSA is the overall safety program. BASICs are the seven specific scoring categories within CSA. People often say 'CSA score' when they mean a carrier's BASIC percentile in a specific category.
Do CSA scores affect insurance rates?
Yes. Many insurance underwriters use CSA/BASIC data as part of their risk assessment. Carriers with poor scores often face higher premiums or difficulty obtaining coverage.
Related terms
Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories — FMCSA's percentile-based s...
Safety RatingAn official FMCSA assessment of a motor carrier's safety management — rated Sati...
Out-of-Service RateThe percentage of roadside inspections that result in a vehicle, driver, or carr...
Vehicle Maintenance BASICFMCSA safety category measuring carrier compliance with vehicle inspection, repa...