What is the Compliance, Safety, & Accountability Program?
CSA stands for Compliance, Safety, and Accountability. It is a program run by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that ensures motor carriers and drivers, including owner-operators, are participating in safe driving practices. Since every driver is responsible for his/her role in keeping the roads safe, CSA is here to identify motor carriers with safety problems so they are prioritized for interventions such as warning letters and investigations. This program aims to keep the nation’s roads as safe as possible by educating motorists and keeping carriers accountable by implementing a CSA score.
How ITS Takes Preventative Measures
Everytime a driver receives a violation, it is assigned to the carrier (ITS) rather than the individual motorist. That it is why it is important to us at ITS to: A) educate our drivers and B) make sure a thorough background check is done before hiring anyone. I can boast that not only do we have a top notch CSA team but that we have an organization that considers CSA in all our operations.
Every incoming driver will have a unique Pre-employment Screening Program (PSP) record with the FMCSA. A driver’s PSP is only one component that helps us analyze a driver’s whole profile, and it delivers a snapshot of their driving record so that we can evaluate if they are a high risk or low risk hire.
Below are more ways we improve our score.
- Implement dual-facing dash cam solutions to reduce accidents
- Be proactive about effective vehicle maintenance
- Stay up to date and confront incorrect violations
- Use a weigh station bypass solution for fewer inspections and violations
- Choose an ELD solution that is reliable and easy to use
What Goes Into A CSA Score?
It is important that all motorists maintain a positive safety record as it will impact your company’s carrier safety record. Your company’s safety data will appear online in FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System (SMS) and is then translated into a CSA score. According to CSA, SMS considers the following:
- The number of safety violations and inspections
- The severity of safety violations or crashes
- When the safety violations occurred, with recent events weighted more
- The number of trucks/buses a carrier operates and
- The number of vehicle miles traveled
- Acute and Critical Violations found during investigations
The SMS data is based on the last 24 months and is organized into seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs). Carriers receive a CSA score for each of the following BASICs:
- Unsafe Driving BASIC
- Crash Indicator BASIC
- HOS Compliance BASIC
- Vehicle Maintenance BASIC
- Controlled Substance BASIC
- Hazardous Material BASIC
- Driver Fitness BASIC
What A Poor CSA Score Can Mean For You
Having a good CSA score means better business, insurance, and safety for everyone involved. However, having a poor CSA score can be detrimental to your carrier business. Poor CSA scores will:
- Increase the chance for FMCSA intervention and investigations
- Prevent receiving profitable loads
- Lead to higher premiums and deductibles
- Cause more collisions and unsafety in your business
- Result in an out-of-service order for your business
Do Your Part
Keeping motorists and carriers accountable means keeping every human on the road safe. With five million truck and bus drivers sharing the road with more than 250 million motorists, CSA implements preventative measures to ensure safe roads for all. You can find more detailed FAQs here.
Source: https://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/
