What is a CSA tracking system?

The Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program was introduced in 2010, and helps  identify high-risk motor carriers to prioritize enforcement resources and improve road safety. For fleet managers, understanding the CSA program is more than just about ensuring regulatory compliance—it’s also critical for operational efficiency. Bad CSA scores can lead to increased insurance premiums, customer concerns, driver recruitment challenges, and in severe cases, FMCSA interventions that may put your fleet operations at risk.

In this guide, we’ll break down what fleet managers need to know about tracking and improving their CSA scores. We’ll also share how technology like Samsara can help fleets achieve good CSA scores, so they can ensure compliance and stay ahead of potential violations.

What is a CSA tracking system

A CSA tracking system is a vital tool for fleet managers to monitor and improve their organization's Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scores. CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative designed to measure and address the safety performance of commercial motor vehicle carriers.

The plays a crucial role in calculating CSA scores for fleets based on data such as roadside inspections, crash reports, and safety ratings. The SMS assesses a fleet’s performance based on seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs):

1. Unsafe Driving

2. Crash Indicator

3. Hours-of-Service Compliance

4. Vehicle Maintenance

5. Controlled Substances and Alcohol

6. Hazardous Materials Compliance

7. Driver Fitness

Understanding CSA BASICs

In the trucking industry, the foundation of the CSA program is the seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs). Each BASIC category contributes to your fleet’s CSA score, which the FMCSA uses to assess carrier risk. High scores in any category can lead to audits, interventions, or even being flagged in the SMS. Below is an overview of what the seven BASIC categories are:

1. Unsafe Driving: This category tracks risky behavior behind the wheel of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV). Violations include speeding, reckless driving, texting while driving, improper lane changes, failure to wear a seat belt, and other forms of distracted or aggressive driving. These are serious infractions that can directly lead to accidents, poor safety ratings, and bad CSA scores.

2. Crash Indicator: The Crash Indicator measures the frequency and severity of crashes involving your fleet. Although it doesn’t determine fault, a high number of incidents can signal elevated risk and trigger intervention from the US Department of Transportation (USDOT).

3. Hours of Service (HOS) Compliance: This category focuses on driver fatigue management and compliance with federal Hours of Service (HOS) regulations. Violations include exceeding allowable driving hours, not taking required breaks, or falsifying electronic logging device (ELDs) records. These infractions increase the risk of fatigue-related accidents and can result in costly penalties.

4. Vehicle Maintenance: Fleet safety depends on properly maintained equipment. This category includes violations for vehicle issues such as brake defects, tire issues, inoperable lights, unsecured loads, and failure to conduct proper inspections. Poor vehicle maintenance not only affects your CSA score but also increases the chance of unplanned breakdowns and accidents.

5. Controlled Substances and Alcohol: This BASIC addresses the use of illegal drugs, alcohol, and misuse of medications by truck drivers. Violations include positive drug tests, possession of controlled substances, and refusal to take a required test. Substance abuse poses major safety threats and leads to immediate disqualification under FMCSA rules.

6. Hazardous Materials (HM) Compliance: If your fleet transports hazardous materials, this category evaluates whether those materials are handled according to federal safety regulations. Violations include improper labeling, missing placards, unsecured containers, or incomplete shipping documentation. HM compliance is crucial for both public safety and regulatory approval.

7. Driver Fitness: This category ensures your drivers are medically and legally qualified to operate CMVs. Common violations include driving without a valid CDL, expired medical certification, or operating while disqualified. A strong driver qualification file program is key to avoiding penalties and preventing disqualified drivers from operating.

Each BASIC has its own methodology for assigning points based on the severity, time, and weight of violations. The FMCSA then calculates percentile rankings by comparing your fleet’s performance to similar carriers, with lower percentiles indicating better performance.

How to track and monitor CSA scores

To effectively manage fleet compliance, trucking companies need to regularly track and monitor your CSA scores. This process involves accessing the FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS) and leveraging fleet management software for real-time insights.

Accessing CSA scores via the FMCSA Portal

1. Visit the FMCSA's SMS website at https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/sms/.

2. Click on the "Log In" button in the top right corner.

3. If you don't have an account, click "Register" and follow the prompts to create one.

4. Once logged in, enter your DOT number or MC/MX number to view your CSA scores and data.

5. Navigate through the various BASICs categories to identify areas of concern and improvement.

Using fleet management software to track CSA scores in real time

Fleet management software, such as Samsara, offers advanced tools for monitoring CSA scores and violations in real time. Samsara’s comprehensive solution, which includes AI Dash Cams, proactive driver coaching, digital DVIRs, and AI-powered maintenance insights, helps fleets lower CSA scores by reducing incidents, ensuring compliance, and improving operational efficiency. Some of the key features Samsara offers for CSA tracking include:

• Real-time data and tracking: Provides granular, real-time GPS tracking of vehicles, trailers, and assets so you can make proactive decisions and respond instantly to incidents or crash risks.

• Automated maintenance and health alerts: Continuously monitors trailer health, brakes, anti-lock braking system (ABS), and tires with instant alerts on faults. Samsara automates maintenance schedules based on DVIRs, mileage, and diagnostic codes, helping prevent breakdowns and violations.

• Compliance workflows and digital DVIRs: Integrated electronic DVIRs (Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports) and HOS (Hours of Service) logs make it easy to manage compliance. Drivers and fleet managers get proactive alerts before violations, streamlining DOT compliance and reducing DOT audit risk.

• Driver safety and coaching: AI Dash Cams and In-Cab Alerts enable real-time coaching and reduction of risky driving, supporting lower CSA scores through safer driving practices and less accidents.

• Consolidated analytics and reporting: All operational and compliance data can be unified in a single dashboard. Samsara’s automated and custom reports let you track efficiency, safety, and compliance trends over time.

• Seamless integrations: Integrations with TMS, maintenance, and risk management platforms (such as McLeod, FourKites, MacroPoint, SambaSafety, and more) let you connect Samsara data to other critical business solutions.

• Open API and App Marketplace: Use Samsara’s open API and App Marketplace integrations (such as Kafka, FieldAlytics, and more) to share real-time operations data with third-party apps and build custom analytics or automation.

• Customizable alerts and automated workflows: Automated SMS/email alerts for rule violations, temperature, door/cargo status, or geofencing enable you to customize your workflows to your operations. You can also automate preventive workflows to catch issues before they impact operations or CSA scores.

How DHL improved CSA scores by 10% with Samsara

DHL Group, one of the largest logistics companies worldwide, leveraged Samsara to transform their proactive maintenance operations, improving CSA scores and road safety. Previously, DHL had limited visibility into trailer health—they relied on pre-trip inspections to report issues and lamp statuses which put them at risk for CSA violations. With Samsara’s Smart Trailers, DHL gained complete visibility into trailer health using ABS monitoring, enabling them to find issues before trailers hit the road.

Using the Health Graph and Fault History Report, DHL prioritizes maintenance and repairs, and avoids assigning faulty trailers to loads or drivers. With a proactive maintenance program, DHL gets ahead of ABS lamps—a roadside inspection target—as faulty brakes are both common and dangerous. As a result of Samsara, DHL improved CSA scores by 10%.

“One accident or violation is one too many,” said David Russeau, Systems Operations Manager. “Focusing on ABS improved our CSA score and means safer vehicles on the road, which is just good business.”

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To learn more about how you improve your CSA scores, explore Samsara’s Fleet Management Platform and chat with our team today.