Maintaining a good CSA rating is critical to your transportation company’s success. These metrics affect not only your fleet but your entire business. Maintaining low ratings indicates good safety standards, making your organization more appealing to potential clients and staff. The good news is that there is a way to raise your CSA score and keep it up. In this article, we will give you our 3 main tips on how to improve and maintain your CSA score.
What is CSA Program?
In December 2010, the FMCSA began the CSA (Compliance, Safety, and Accountability) score program. It is used to maintain road reliability and safety. The CSA score is based on two years’ worth of roadside inspections and crashes records. The FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System (SMS) stores the safety data online and updates it weekly with new data from roadside inspections.
What Goes into CSA Score categories
- Unsafe Driving– such as texting speeding, or reckless driving
- Crash Indicator (Not Public)– Crash involvement based on state-reported crashes in the previous 24 months.
- Hours of Service (HOS) Compliance– such as exceeding hourly limits, driving while ill or fatigued, or falsifying logs.
- Vehicle Maintenance – Mechanical defects, defective vehicle brakes or lights, improper cargo securement, tire depth, and other vehicle-related issues.
- Controlled Substances/Alcohol – Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, including over the counter or prescription medication misuse or overdose.
- Hazardous Materials Compliance (Not Public) – requires special attention for HazMats such as proper packaging, leaking containers, etc.
- Driver Fitness– Issues such as the lack of a commercial driver’s license, suspended license, medical conditions, or inexperience.
How to Check Your CSA Score
The FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System allows you to examine a driver’s or company’s score if they have a DOT number. This free database gives you access to a company’s performance over the last 24 months. Violations from the previous 24 months are taken into account.
How to improve your CSA Scores
If your score is greater than you’d like, you can, fortunately, enhance it. A lower score indicates fewer violations, safer driving, and a more positive company image. It takes time to lower a CSA score, but the more violation-free inspections a driver gets, the better (lower) the score becomes. Here are three crucial tips to improve your score:
Hire reliable drivers– It’s critical to hire drivers with a good safety rating because it represents your company’s overall safety. Checking potential drivers’ Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) reports is the best way to assure good safety records. PSP reports can be obtained from the FMCSA. It details each driver’s crash and inspection history over the previous five years.
Consider maintenance to be one step ahead of the game. Wouldn’t it be great if you could spot and fix vehicle issues before they’re documented during an inspection? Make sure drivers are performing pre-and post-trip inspections as part of a preventative maintenance program. Although it may seem obvious, you should always inspect your vehicles before and after driving.
Drivers should:
- Understand how to properly inspect their vehicle (2- 4 points).
- Be familiar with CSA inspection data.
- Submit DVIRs before and after every trip (required by FMCSA) to ensure there are no issues with their vehicle.
- Make it a habit to regularly check lights, flashers, and reflectors.
- Keep equipment clean to decrease chances of inspection.
Challenge Citations -The violation can be totally wiped from a motor carrier’s record after two years. Owner-operators have two years to dispute a CSA violation in order to have points removed or the severity of the citation reduced. The FMCSA’s DataQ System has all of the citations.
If this seems overwhelming to you, we are here to take away the burden off your shoulders. Easy Compliance Solutions’ Services allow you to focus on the core of your business while we take care of your safety. We can help you bring your CSA score back on track. Book your FREE CONSULTATION with us today.