What are CSA Scores and why are they important?
A CSA score measures a truck carrier’s ability to deliver goods and products safely on the road, and for companies keeping a good score this could mean lower insurance rates and simpler maintenance of business licenses.
New England Tractor Trailer Training School (NETTTS) offers CDL training programs at locations in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts that are designed to teach students to safely drive commercial trucks. Students can gain insight into what it means to be a good, safe driver in commercial vehicles. This knowledge can help truck carriers maintain a good CSA score.
What Is a CSA Score?
CSA stands for Compliance, Safety, and Accountability. A CSA score is a metric that allows truck carriers to enforce rules of the road for commercial vehicle drivers. The performance of a carrier’s drivers determines their CSA score. While truckers do not have individual CSA scores, their performance can impact the companies they drive for.
The different licenses a truck driver can hold include:
- CDL: This is the general term for a license that allows drivers to operate commercial vehicles, like tractor-trailers or box trucks
- Class A CDL: Those with this license can drive various tractor-trailer combinations like day cabs, sleeper trucks, and similar vehicles weighing 26,000 pounds or more with detachable trailers weighing over 10,000 pounds.
- Class B CDL: Those with this license can drive vehicles like an affixed dump or oil truck weighing 26,000 pounds or more and towed vehicles weighing no more than 10,000 pounds.
Student drivers undergo comprehensive training to learn how to operate these vehicles. The time it takes to train for a CDL license can depend on a few factors including the type of license you want. NETTTS offers a variety of courses for CDL training, including our CDL program, Class A CDL program, and Class B CDL program.
Every truck carrier earns a CSA score. This concept was introduced in 2010 by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to enhance the safety of commercial vehicles on our roadways. Companies that own truck fleets look at CSA scores, but they can also measure an individual driver’s safety record.
The CSA score helps identify companies that may have driver safety or equipment performance issues and therefore may pose a high risk of danger to others on the road. Low CSA scores also can alert trucking companies to problems so they can resolve them.
BASICs Categories and Calculating CSA Scores
A CSA score accounts for safety violations in Behavior Analysis Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs). Each carrier’s CSA score is stored in a Safety Measurement System (SMS) and can often be referred to as SMS scores.
A CSA score uses a point system in which truck drivers receive points for the following circumstances:
- Failing a random DOT inspection
- Being in an accident
- Getting a violation
BASICs are set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and determine how an SMS categorizes driver violations. Drivers can receive points in the following BASICs:
- Unsafe driving
- Crash indicator
- Hours-of-service compliance
- Vehicle maintenance
- Controlled substances or alcohol
- Hazardous materials
- Driver fitness
After creating the scores, an SMS ranks trucking companies from the highest to the lowest score. Safety measurement systems are updated monthly.
What Is Considered a Good CSA Score?
You must have low points within each BASIC to have what can be considered a good CSA score. If a trucker gets a violation, they may receive anywhere from one to ten points. For example, while drivers earn points for violating BASICs, they can earn additional points if they make frequent violations within a given timeframe. The criteria for these points are:
- Three more points for multiple violations within six months
- Two more points for multiple violations within six to 12 months
- One more point for multiple violations within 12 to 24 months
The fewer violations a trucker has, the lower their score will be. Low scores are considered good.
What Is a Bad CSA Score?
A bad CSA score is high and violates multiple BASICs. The maximum score a trucking company can have in each category is 30. However, these scores can still multiply. Truck carriers with a high CSA score are at risk of losing their business license. They may also have higher insurance rates.
A bad CSA score will not impact your CDL, as drivers are typically listed under their truck carrier’s DOT number. When a driver receives a violation, the CSA points go to the trucking carrier.
Improving CSA Scores
The best way to improve a CSA score is time. Points will naturally drop after a certain period. However, there are many ways truckers can avoid earning points. For instance, drivers should inspect their trucks for maintenance problems before use, and before DOT inspections. Those who violate brake maintenance practices risk adding four points to their CSA score.
Trucking carriers may also consider hiring safe and healthy truck drivers to avoid a high CSA score. Getting a CDL requires drivers to have an updated medical certificate. This helps to ensure truckers are healthy enough to drive long distances. Truck carriers can also challenge citations within two years of issuance to have them reduced or dismissed.
Find CDL Training at NETTTS
Students can begin their CDL training at New England Tractor Trailer Training School’s (NETTTS) campuses in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Our schools are prepared to help students with training and have a staff of instructors with at least three years of CDL driving experience. Students who qualify can access financial aid opportunities, with Financial Aid available for those who qualify, as well as monthly payment options that go beyond graduation. We also offer career services support for our students to help with job-hunting skills such as writing resumes and interviewing. To learn more about our CDL training programs, contact us or request more information today. If you have questions, give us a call at 800-333-2888.