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CSA Scores and Truck Insurance: What Carriers Should Know in 2026

Published by Class Insurance AgencyPublished Updated

Short answer: CSA is FMCSA’s safety compliance and enforcement program, and its Safety Measurement System (SMS) ranks carriers using the last two years of roadside inspections and crash reports.[1][2] A 2014 GAO report noted stakeholders saying that insurers, shippers and brokers use SMS scores,[3] and the National Academies said carriers over the thresholds can lose business and see their insurance rates rise.[4] Since 2015 the public can’t see a trucking company’s percentiles, but inspections, violations, crashes and safety ratings are still public.[5] Here’s how the system works and what you can do about it.

The 7 BASICs and when FMCSA steps in

SMS groups violations into seven categories called BASICs. A carrier at or above a threshold percentile is flagged for intervention. Hazmat and passenger carriers have lower thresholds.[2][6]

BASIC Most trucking companies Hazmat carriers
Unsafe Driving 65% 60%
Hours-of-Service Compliance 65% 60%
Crash Indicator 65% 60%
Vehicle Maintenance 80% 75%
Controlled Substances/Alcohol 80% 75%
Driver Fitness 80% 75%
Hazardous Materials Compliance 80% 80%

Crash Indicator is the only BASIC that doesn’t use violations; it counts reportable crashes whatever the driver’s role. Violations on an inspection report count even if no ticket was issued.[2] Interventions range from a warning letter to an onsite investigation, civil penalties and, at worst, an order to stop operating.[7]

How violations are weighted

  • Severity. Each violation is weighted from 1 to 10, plus 2 more if it led to an out-of-service order. All safety violations count, not just out-of-service ones.[8]
  • Time. Events in the last 6 months count three times, 6 to 12 months twice, and 12 to 24 months once. After two years they drop out entirely.[9][10]
  • Clean inspections help. Inspections without violations improve your SMS results, and about a third of roadside inspections find none. A pre-inspection screening isn’t an inspection, so drivers should ask for a copy of the report.[10]

What the public, and your insurer, can see

Under the 2015 FAST Act, FMCSA removed property carriers’ SMS percentiles and alerts from its public website. Inspection, investigation, crash and registration data stayed public.[5] The Crash Indicator and Hazmat Compliance BASICs are visible only to the carrier and enforcement.[2] FMCSA itself warns that readers shouldn’t draw conclusions about a carrier’s overall safety from SMS data, and that a carrier is authorized to operate unless it’s rated unsatisfactory or ordered to stop.[1]

When we send your account to underwriters, they can review the same public inspection, violation and crash history anyone can. Clean inspections and fewer violations make the strongest submission.

Fix wrong data with DataQs

  • Anyone can file. DataQs is FMCSA’s free system for requesting a review of federal and state safety data you believe is wrong.[11][12]
  • What gets removed. A violation comes off only with proof that it didn’t exist, was recorded in error or was listed more than once. Registration details are fixed through an MCS-150 update instead.[12][9]
  • New appeal rights. Since September 18, 2026, states must offer three stages of review: an initial review, reconsideration and a final review, each with deadlines. You have 30 days to ask for the next stage, and the burden of proof is on you.[11][13]

Crashes that weren’t your fault

FMCSA’s Crash Preventability Determination Program reviews 21 types of crashes, such as being rear-ended, hit while legally parked, or struck by a driver going the wrong way, and any crash where video shows the sequence of events. File the request in DataQs with the police report and your photos or video; crashes older than 5 years can’t be reviewed.[14] A crash found not preventable stays listed but is removed from your Crash Indicator calculation.[14][15] Video alone can make a crash eligible, one more reason to run dash cameras.

Safety ratings are different from CSA scores

A safety rating comes from an FMCSA investigation, not from SMS percentiles. Ratings are Satisfactory, Conditional, Unsatisfactory or Unrated, and a carrier FMCSA hasn’t rated yet is Unrated.[16] A trucking company with a final Unsatisfactory rating can’t operate from the 61st day, with up to 60 more days allowed for good-faith improvement, after which its authority is revoked.[17]

Changes coming to CSA

In November 2024, FMCSA approved a redesigned SMS: BASICs become “compliance categories,” about 100 violation groups replace more than 2,000 separate codes, severity weights become simply 1 or 2, and some thresholds rise, such as Driver Fitness from 80% to 90% for most carriers.[5] It isn’t live yet. FMCSA says to keep using the current SMS website until it launches[18], and it told GAO in June 2026 that its target date is September 30, 2027.[3]

Hiring drivers: check their PSP record

FMCSA’s Pre-Employment Screening Program shows a driver’s last 5 years of crashes and 3 years of roadside inspections, with the driver’s written consent. It isn’t part of CSA and has no score.[19][6] Small carriers pay $25 a year plus $10 a record.[19] FMCSA reports that carriers using PSP lowered their crash rates by 8% on average.[20]

Before your renewal

  • Log in to your SMS results and check every inspection and crash for errors
  • Challenge wrong violations and not-preventable crashes in DataQs
  • Write down what you changed after any bad inspection: training, maintenance, a new hire policy
  • Tell your agent about cameras, telematics and your driver hiring standards
  • Start your renewal 60 to 90 days early, so there’s time to shop

Frequently asked questions

Can my insurance company see my CSA percentiles?

Not on FMCSA’s public website. Since the 2015 FAST Act, property carriers’ percentiles and alerts are hidden from the public, but inspections, violations, crashes and safety ratings are still public.[5]

What CSA score triggers FMCSA attention?

For most trucking companies, 65% in Unsafe Driving, Hours-of-Service or Crash Indicator, and 80% in the other BASICs. Hazmat carriers have lower thresholds.[6]

How long does a violation stay on my CSA record?

Two years. Violations in the last 6 months count three times, 6 to 12 months twice, and 12 to 24 months once.[9]

Can I get a crash that wasn’t my driver’s fault removed?

If it’s one of FMCSA’s 21 eligible crash types and less than 5 years old, file a Crash Preventability request in DataQs. A not-preventable crash stays listed but no longer counts in the Crash Indicator.[14]

Is FMCSA changing how CSA scores work?

Yes. A redesigned system was approved in November 2024 but hasn’t launched; FMCSA’s target date is September 30, 2027.[5][3]

Get a truck insurance quote

Call 360-450-2211 or start your quote. We quote trucking operations in the 48 contiguous states from our office in Vancouver, Washington, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific.

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Sources

General information only, checked September 2026. Rules change; confirm with the agency that issues your permits. Coverage availability, terms and filings depend on underwriting and the policy issued; a quote request does not bind insurance.

Published by Class Insurance Agency, an affiliated office of AIC Insurance. General information only; coverage depends on the actual policy and underwriting. For a question or correction, contact our team.

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