Only 2 things are guaranteed to improve your CSA BASIC scores:

1. Time
2. Not Receiving New Violations during roadside inspections

That's it. Simple, right? 

Your CSA BASIC scores will naturally decrease over time.

If you receive a roadside violation today, that violation will have 2 BASIC score "weights". Those are the "Severity Weight" and the "Time Weight".

Severity weights are higher for more serious offenses, like texting while driving.

That severity number (from 1 to 10) is then multiplied by the violation's "time weight" (either a 3, 2 or 1 depending on how long ago the violation was received) to arrive at those "Total Weight" numbers you see when you review you SMS information.

So, if your driver receives a 10 point violation today, it will be 10 (severity weight) x  3 (time weight) for 30 total violation points.

Once that violation is 7 months old, that 3 time weight becomes a 2. At 13 months old, the time weight drops to 1 and the violation will fall off of your scores totally after 24 months.

Do you know the one number that could be costing you thousands of dollars? Do you ever feel like the FMCSA "has your number?"

Well, they may.

This magic number is a carrier's "ISS-D" score. That stands for Inspection Selection System.

Basically, this is a single number that helps DOT inspectors at weigh stations decide whether or not to flag a carrier for an inspection. (along with the company's overall BASIC scores and how the truck looks, of course).

Scores range from 1 to 99 with 1 being the best.

Generally, if a fleet's ISS Score is less than about 75, then the inspectors have the option to pull the truck in for an official inspection.

Anything above 75 and you can pretty much guarantee a Level 1 (full) inspection of the rig and the driver.

The ISS-D score is heavily weighted towards HOS violations and Vehicle Maintenance violations (those that are more easily reviewed during a roadside inspection), so the worse a carrier’s BASIC scores in these two critical areas, the greater chances they’ll get the red light at the weigh station.

These scores are currently hidden from public view, but many data providers have generated estimated scores for fleets.

You should focus on reducing your HOS and VM scores to help heal this number as much as possible.

You CSA BASIC scores and crash information will update each month around the 8th.

You can check your scores by clicking the button in the top left of this page and entering your DOT number into the FMCSA's SMS (Safety Measurement System) website.

Once the scores update, you should review the changes in each category to see what your score trends are and what is causing those changes.

Review each roadside inspection received.

Make sure that that inspection belongs to you. If not, you should do a DataQ request by clicking the button on the top left of this page. (We can help you through this process, if needed. Just give us a call or shoot us an email).

Check the paper/electronic copies of the DVER (Driver/Vehicle Examination Reports) that your drivers receive after a roadside inspection is completed.