CSA Scores 101

Understanding and managing CSA exposure

A white semi-truck drives away from the camera under an orange sunset sky.

Fleets’ performance in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA’s) Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program affects everything from insurance rates to access to freight and a carrier’s reputation.

The steps fleets take to manage their CSA scores can help them reduce risk, improve compliance, and increase efficiency, but what is CSA, and why does it matter?

We explore everything you need to know about CSA scores, from basic information to how to keep your fleet compliant and more.


All About CSA Scores

What Is CSA?

CSA is the safety compliance and enforcement program. Fleet’s safety data is available online in the FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System (SMS). FMCSA organizes the SMS data into seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs):

  • Unsafe driving: Speeding, reckless driving, improper lane change, inattention, seatbelt violations
  • Hours-of-service (HOS) compliance: Logbook violations and non-compliance with HOS regulations
  • Driver fitness: Licensing and medical qualification issues
  • Controlled substances/alcohol: Use or possession violations
  • Vehicle maintenance: Brakes, lights and other mechanical defects and failure to make required repairs
  • Hazardous materials compliance: Packaging, placarding and containment issues
  • Crash indicator: Crash involvement history

The SMS groups carriers by BASIC with other carriers that have a similar number of safety events, such as crashes, inspections or violations, then ranks them and assigns a percentile from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate greater risk, which can lead to increased inspections, audits or interventions from regulators. Data from all BASIC categories except hazardous materials compliance and crash indicators are public.

What Influences Scores? 

CSA scores are dynamic and updated monthly with data from roadside inspections, including driver and vehicle violations, crash reports from the last two years, and investigation results. The SMS considers the number of safety violations and inspections and the severity of safety violations or crashes. It also factors in when the safety violations occurred, with recent events weighted more heavily, the number of trucks a carrier operates, and the number of vehicle miles traveled.

How Does Maintenance Impact CSA Scores?

Vehicle maintenance has a direct impact on CSA performance, especially within the Vehicle Maintenance category that tracks violations related to the overall condition of a truck or trailer. This includes issues with brakes, tires, lights, suspension and other components.

Poor maintenance can quickly increase CSA scores, as even minor issues found during roadside inspections can add up over time and signal patterns of non-compliance to regulators. Maintenance-related violations can also increase the likelihood of over-the-road failures and delays, which can impact customer service.

A robust preventive maintenance program is one of the most effective ways to protect CSA scores. Effective PMs enable fleets to identify and address issues early, reducing the risk of roadside violations and improving uptime.

Where Are Fleets Seeing the Most CSA Pressure Today?

Maintenance-related violations continue to drive a significant share of CSA exposure. Brake systems, tires and lighting issues are among the top contributors. In 2025, the top five roadside vehicle violations were for operating a commercial motor vehicle without documentation of a periodic inspection, a brake out of adjustment, an inoperable required lamp, tires (leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure), and lighting (identification lamps inoperative).

How Can Fleets Improve Their CSA Performance?

A strong PM strategy is one of the most effective ways to manage CSA exposure. Proactive maintenance allows fleets to find and correct vehicle-related maintenance before inspections, reduce the frequency of violations and improve uptime. In addition to having regular PMs, it is important that they are documented properly.

How Can Leasing Impact CSA Scores?

Leasing often provides access to newer vehicles equipped with advanced safety features, which can reduce the likelihood of violations and improve overall CSA performance. A full-service lease with Penske Truck Leasing also includes maintenance.

Penske’s Dynamic PM program uses vehicle specifications, real-world usage patterns and historical trends to tailor maintenance intervals and get ahead of issues before they create downtime. Penske is also using artificial intelligence to detect the early warning signs of component failure and predict the remaining useful life of parts.

Penske also handles licensing and registration for its leased vehicles, and has self-issuance of license plates in many jurisdictions, housing thousands of license plates at its headquarters. Customers can quickly obtain replacement copies of credentials and registration cab cards through its Fleet Insight portal.

DISCLAIMER: The content provided is for general informational purposes only. Penske makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information presented; however, the information herein is provided without any warranty whatsoever, whether express, implied or statutory. In no event shall Penske be liable for (i) any direct, incidental, consequential, or indirect damages (including loss profits) arising out of the use of the information presented, even if Penske has been advised of the possibility of such damage, or (ii) any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies in connection with the information presented.