Your Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) score is one of the most consequential numbers in trucking. A high score in any BASIC (Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category) can make it harder to win freight contracts, trigger targeted roadside inspections, and signal to shippers and brokers that your operation is high-risk. Understanding how CSA scores work — and how violations accumulate and decay — is the first step toward improving yours.
CSA violations are weighted by severity (1–10 points) and time. Recent violations (within 6 months) receive the full point value. Violations between 6 and 12 months are reduced to 50% weight. Violations older than 12 months carry 33% weight and are removed entirely after 24 months. This time-weighting means that a clean recent record can meaningfully offset older violations — but it also means a bad quarter can spike your score quickly.
The most effective way to improve your CSA score is to prevent violations before they happen. Vehicle maintenance violations — particularly brakes and lights — are among the most common and most avoidable. Pre-trip inspections, documented with DVIRs, demonstrate due diligence and can help in DataQ challenges. Driver fitness violations are entirely preventable: keep your CDL and medical card current and enroll in the FMCSA Clearinghouse.
Truck Docs AI lets you connect your DOT number to pull live FMCSA SMS data directly into your dashboard, so you can see your BASIC percentiles without logging into the FMCSA portal. Your Audit Shield score factors in your SMS data alongside your document compliance for a complete picture of your regulatory standing.
Truck Docs AI automatically tracks your documents, sends expiration alerts, and keeps your DQ file audit-ready. No credit card required to start.
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