As a commercial truck driver, safe driving is essential for success. Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) is a program for driver safety compliance and enforcement. As a driver, it is incredibly important to ensure that you are in accordance with CSA standards. Below is a breakdown of the process and scoring method as explained by the Department of Transportation.
Understanding CSA
CSA scoring was introduced in order to improve the safety of commercial vehicles and minimize related accidents. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA, which is a sector of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), initiated CSA.
The CSA Process
CSA scores for a company are a measure of different categories of driver safety performance. Scores are combined and carriers are ranked by percentile from 0-100, with scores closest to 0 representing strong safety practices. With every category upholding different standards of safety, and performance thresholds for each, CSAs are a drawn-out method of analyzing and ensuring road safety.

The Categories
FMCSA gathers data from multiple safety categories known as Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories, or BASICs. Violations vary from reckless driving to leaking containers.
Unsafe Driving: Driving unsafely refers to activities such as speeding, improper lane changes, lack of attention, or reckless driving.
HOS Compliance: HOS concerns noncompliance with hours-of-service regulations.
Driver Fitness: Violations may be a lack of valid license, or a lack of medical fitness required to drive a commercial motor vehicle.
Controlled Substances: The category addresses the use or possession of controlled substances or alcohol as well as the misuse of medication of any kind, including both prescribed and over-the-counter medicines.
Vehicle Maintenance: Damage and defects that require repairs are not fixed, such as those in lights and brakes, is a violation.
Hazardous Material Compliance (HM): This pertains to leaking containers, placarding, packaged HM improperly, overall unsafe handling of HM.
Crash Indicator: The crash indicator analyzes the frequency and severity of car accidents that drivers experience.
These measures determine scores that are evaluated and considered for intervention. Intervention methods vary, and could occur in the form of warnings, inspections, and even investigations.

The Importance of CSA
CSA serves to verify that commercial drivers are equipped to drive and stay safe on the roads. These categories of standards ensure that drivers are transporting goods safely. Keep these items top of mind when planning a trip; abiding by these standards can help you to travel safely.