A freight broker opens a carrier's safety record, sees several violations, and adds the severity points together. The total looks high, so the broker assumes the company has a poor CSA score.
That calculation misses several things. FMCSA considers the severity of each violation, when it happened, the type of inspection, and the carrier's operating exposure. It then calculates performance measures for separate safety categories.
This CSA points guide explains how the current system works, including severity weights, time weights, out-of-service adjustments, and BASIC percentiles. It also shows how freight brokers and dispatchers can use the information when reviewing a carrier without mistaking an SMS result for an official safety rating.
What Are FMCSA CSA Points and How Do They Work?
CSA stands for Compliance, Safety, Accountability. It is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) program that uses safety information to identify motor carriers requiring closer attention.
When someone mentions CSA points, they are usually referring to the severity weights assigned to violations found during roadside inspections.
For example, an inspection might identify a speeding violation, defective equipment, or a problem with a driver's hours-of-service records.
These violations are assigned to relevant safety categories.
Under the current methodology, most applicable violations carry a base severity weight from 1 to 10.
But that number is only one part of the calculation.
FMCSA also considers how recently the event occurred, whether an applicable out-of-service adjustment applies, and other information used to calculate the carrier's performance measure.
The result contributes to a ranking within a specific safety category.
There is no single official CSA point total that tells a broker whether every part of a carrier's operation is safe.
Consider two carriers.
One has a recent serious speeding violation but relatively few other reported problems.
Another has several older maintenance violations.
Adding their raw violation points would not give you a meaningful comparison.
The violations concern different behaviors, occurred at different times, and may belong to separate BASICs.
To interpret them correctly, you need to understand how the Safety Measurement System organizes and weighs the information.
The Core Purpose of the Safety Measurement System
The Safety Measurement System, or SMS, helps FMCSA prioritize carriers for safety interventions.
It uses roadside inspection information, qualifying crash records, and other relevant data.
The current SMS organizes safety performance into seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories, called BASICs.
Unsafe Driving BASIC
Covers unsafe driving behaviors, including speeding, reckless driving, and improper lane changes.
Repeated findings in this category may point to issues with driver supervision, driving practices, or safety management.
Hours-of-Service Compliance BASIC
Addresses compliance with federal driving and rest requirements, along with related records.
Violations may include driving beyond applicable limits or problems with required duty status records.
For brokers arranging time-sensitive freight, this category deserves attention when a carrier promises an unusually demanding transit schedule.
Driver Fitness BASIC
Concerns driver qualification requirements, including relevant licensing and medical qualifications.
Certain commercial vehicle operations require a Commercial Driver's License (CDL).
A company must ensure that its drivers meet the qualifications applicable to their work.
Controlled Substances/Alcohol BASIC
Includes violations associated with applicable drug and alcohol rules.
These records may raise serious safety questions, but the actual violation and its context should be reviewed before deciding what action is appropriate.
Vehicle Maintenance BASIC
Covers maintenance and mechanical condition issues.
Common areas include brakes, tires, lights, steering components, and other safety-related equipment.
A broker may see several maintenance violations involving the same type of equipment.
That pattern can be more informative than an isolated minor defect.
Hazardous Materials Compliance BASIC
Covers applicable hazardous materials transportation requirements.
These findings are particularly relevant when reviewing a carrier for a load containing regulated hazardous materials.
Crash Indicator
Uses qualifying crash information to help identify carriers that may require intervention.
Crash involvement does not automatically establish that the driver or motor carrier caused the incident.
That distinction matters when interpreting the available crash record.
FMCSA calculates separate measures for these categories.
A carrier may have a concerning Vehicle Maintenance result while showing different performance in Unsafe Driving.
Do not combine the BASICs into an unofficial overall score.
Also distinguish SMS results from formal federal safety ratings.
FMCSA's formal ratings are Satisfactory, Conditional, and Unsatisfactory. A carrier may also have no assigned rating.
An SMS percentile is not the same as one of those formal determinations.
How CSA Violation Severity Weights Are Calculated
The severity weight assigned to a violation reflects its relative importance within the relevant BASIC.
Under the current methodology, FMCSA publishes the applicable weights in its SMS Methodology Appendix A.
The exact violation code matters.
For instance, the word speeding does not identify one universal severity weight.
A recorded speeding violation involving a lower speed range can have a different weight from a violation involving a substantially higher speed.
The same principle applies to other types of violations.
To understand a carrier's record, look at the specific violation rather than relying on a general label.
Severity Weight Scale (1 to 10 Points)
The current SMS methodology uses severity weights generally ranging from 1 to 10.
A higher number represents a greater relative severity within the particular BASIC.
For example, certain serious Unsafe Driving violations carry a base weight of 10.
Some comparatively minor equipment violations carry a base weight of 1.
A weight of 10 does not mean a crash is certain.
It also does not mean the violation automatically results in an Unsatisfactory safety rating.
The severity weight is an input to FMCSA's calculation.
One important limitation is often overlooked.
Weights from different BASICs should not be compared as though they measure exactly the same risk.
A weight of 7 in Vehicle Maintenance is not necessarily equivalent to a weight of 7 in Driver Fitness.
The weights are designed to reflect relative severity within their respective categories.
Suppose one carrier has a tire-related violation and another has a driver qualification violation.
Even if both records display the same numerical weight, they describe different compliance issues.
For a broker, the useful question is what the violation reveals about the carrier's operations.
How to Read a Severity Weight Correctly
Imagine a roadside inspection identifies an Unsafe Driving violation with a base severity weight of 7.
First, confirm the specific violation code.
Next, check the inspection date.
Then determine whether the methodology applies any relevant adjustment.
The base weight is combined with the applicable time weighting.
Other inspection details also affect the final BASIC measure.
That means the number 7 should not be copied into a carrier file as the company's final safety score.
A more useful record would identify the actual violation, the date, its severity weight, and whether similar findings appear elsewhere in the carrier's history.
For example, one speeding violation from eighteen months ago presents a different review question from repeated speeding violations over the past few months.
The pattern matters.
So does the date.
Common Violations and Their Severity Scores
The table below shows examples of base severity weights in the current SMS framework.
These values are tied to specific violation descriptions and should not be applied automatically to every similar-looking citation.
| Violation | BASIC | Base Severity Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding 6 to 10 mph above the limit, applicable state or local code | Unsafe Driving | 4 |
| Speeding 11 to 14 mph above the limit, applicable state or local code | Unsafe Driving | 7 |
| Speeding 15 mph or more above the limit, applicable state or local code | Unsafe Driving | 10 |
| Reckless driving, applicable code | Unsafe Driving | 10 |
| Improper lane change | Unsafe Driving | 5 |
| Failure to obey a traffic control device | Unsafe Driving | 5 |
| Missing or defective wheel mud flaps, applicable code | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 |
These are base weights, not final time-weighted results.
A recent violation can contribute more heavily than the same violation recorded much earlier.
An applicable out-of-service adjustment can also affect the calculation.
For example, two carriers may each have a speeding violation.
If one involved exceeding the limit by 6 to 10 mph and the other involved exceeding it by at least 15 mph, the relevant base weights differ.
A broker should not group both records under a single speeding label and assume they carry the same significance.
For a complete current CSA violation severity chart, consult the FMCSA SMS Methodology resources.
FMCSA's Appendix A identifies the violation codes, descriptions, BASIC assignments, and associated weights.
The agency updated its methodology resources to version 3.21 in June 2026.
Use those current materials when a particular code affects a qualification decision.
Current Rules and Approved SMS Changes
The existing severity system is changing, but the approved replacement methodology should not be confused with the system currently in use.
FMCSA has approved changes that include a simpler severity weighting approach.
The replacement methodology will use weights of 1 or 2 for defined violation groups, with specified conditions determining which weight applies.
It also reorganizes safety categories and changes other parts of the prioritization process.
As of October 2026, FMCSA continues to describe that updated methodology as forthcoming.
The agency directs carriers to use the current SMS results until the replacement is implemented.
Therefore, the 1 to 10 severity weights remain relevant to current SMS interpretation.
For a brokerage, the practical rule is simple.
Use the methodology associated with the published record you are reviewing.
Do not calculate current results using future weighting rules.
When FMCSA implements the revised system, update your internal explanations and any spreadsheets that attempt to model SMS calculations.
Understanding CSA Time Weights and Recency
A carrier received a speeding violation four months ago.
Another carrier received the same violation eighteen months ago.
The base severity weights may be identical, but their contributions to the current SMS calculation will differ.
FMCSA places greater weight on more recent safety events.
This is called time weighting.
It helps the system focus on a carrier's recent performance without ignoring all older qualifying information.
Under the current carrier SMS methodology, relevant roadside inspection and crash data generally covers a rolling 24-month period.
As an event gets older, its time weight decreases.
That does not mean the violation is erased from every government record.
It means its contribution to the current carrier SMS calculation changes.
The 3 Time Weight Ranges for Motor Carriers
The current carrier SMS uses three time-weighting ranges.
| Age of Event | Time Weight | Effect on Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Within the most recent 6 months | 3 | Highest weighting |
| More than 6 through 12 months | 2 | Reduced weighting |
| More than 12 through 24 months | 1 | Lowest weighting |
Once a qualifying event falls outside the 24-month SMS window, it no longer contributes to that rolling carrier calculation.
The age of the event is measured relative to the SMS snapshot date.
This matters when reviewing a report that was downloaded weeks or months earlier.
A violation might have moved into a lower time-weight range since the report was created.
Another violation might have aged out entirely.
For that reason, an old screenshot should not be used as though it represents the carrier's current SMS performance.
Example: The Same Violation at Different Ages
Consider a violation with a base severity weight of 7.
For this example, assume there is no out-of-service adjustment.
| Age of Violation | Severity Weight | Time Weight | Weighted Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 months | 7 | 3 | 21 |
| 9 months | 7 | 2 | 14 |
| 18 months | 7 | 1 | 7 |
The violation from three months ago receives three times the weighting of the violation from eighteen months ago.
That does not mean the newer violation proves the carrier is three times as likely to have a crash.
It means the current methodology gives more weight to recent events when calculating the applicable safety measure.
The table also does not show the complete BASIC calculation.
FMCSA considers other qualifying inspection information and the appropriate exposure denominator.
For a freight broker, the important lesson is to examine the date attached to a serious violation.
A recent pattern deserves different attention from a small number of older findings.
How Driver Violations Decay Over Time
Driver-related violations can affect the carrier under whose USDOT Number the driver was operating.
Suppose a driver receives a qualifying violation while working for Carrier A.
The driver later leaves and joins Carrier B.
The original violation remains associated with Carrier A's SMS record for the applicable 24-month period.
It does not automatically become part of Carrier B's SMS history because the driver changed jobs.
Terminating a driver also does not erase the qualifying inspections and crashes recorded while that driver operated for the original carrier.
This is an important distinction for small carriers.
A fleet owner may respond to a serious violation by taking corrective action or replacing a driver.
Those actions may improve future performance, but they do not immediately remove the past inspection from the carrier's SMS calculation.
FMCSA also has a separate Driver Safety Measurement System, or DSMS, used for enforcement purposes.
DSMS considers 36 months of roadside performance information across employers.
Its time weights are:
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Most recent 12 months: 3.
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More than 12 through 24 months: 2.
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More than 24 through 36 months: 1.
DSMS is not a public point system for individual commercial driver licenses.
It also does not mean that a driver automatically receives a specific number of state CDL penalty points for every SMS violation.
Commercial Driver's License consequences follow applicable licensing and disqualification rules.
For carrier vetting, keep the distinction clear.
Carrier SMS and DSMS examine related safety information, but they do not use identical time windows or serve exactly the same purpose.
Calculating Overall BASIC Percentiles
A broker sometimes asks for a carrier's overall CSA percentage.
There is no single official overall BASIC percentile.
FMCSA calculates separate measures within the individual BASICs.
The resulting percentiles reflect performance relative to other carriers in relevant comparison groups.
A carrier might have a less favorable result in Vehicle Maintenance than in Unsafe Driving.
That does not mean the two percentiles should be averaged.
It means the carrier's reported safety performance differs between those areas.
How FMCSA Builds a BASIC Measure
The calculation begins with the relevant safety events.
For a violation-based BASIC, FMCSA generally considers the following elements:
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The applicable violations recorded during qualifying inspections.
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Their base severity weights.
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Any relevant out-of-service adjustments.
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The inspection-level severity cap.
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The age of the inspection and applicable time weight.
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Other qualifying inspection information.
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The appropriate exposure denominator.
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Comparison with carriers in a relevant safety event group.
Not every BASIC uses an identical formula.
The Crash Indicator BASIC, for example, deals with crash information rather than simply adding roadside violation severity weights.
For other BASICs, the number of relevant inspections may be important.
This is where many homemade CSA calculators go wrong.
A spreadsheet that adds violation weights but ignores relevant inspections will not reproduce FMCSA's measures.
The same applies to a calculation that omits time weights or treats every BASIC as though it uses the same denominator.
The severity total is an input, not the final result.
If you are reviewing a carrier for a load, use the published SMS information where available and examine the underlying inspection record.
Do not present your own arithmetic as an official FMCSA percentile.
How Percentile Rankings Work
After calculating the relevant BASIC measure, FMCSA compares a carrier with other carriers that have similar levels of applicable safety event exposure.
The resulting percentile generally ranges from 0 to 100.
A higher percentile indicates relatively less favorable measured performance in that BASIC.
For example, a carrier at the 85th percentile in Vehicle Maintenance has a less favorable comparative result than a carrier at the 35th percentile in the same BASIC, assuming the results are current and comparable.
However, an 85th percentile does not mean the carrier has an 85% chance of causing a crash.
It does not mean 85% of its trucks are defective.
It also does not mean 85% of its inspections resulted in violations.
The percentile is a relative SMS performance measure.
A carrier may lack a percentile because it does not have enough qualifying information in that category.
That situation requires care.
A blank result does not establish that the carrier has no safety concerns.
It simply means a percentile is not available under the applicable methodology.
For smaller fleets, inspect the underlying data and apply your established qualification criteria rather than automatically treating missing information as a favorable rating.
The Impact of Out of Service Penalties
An out-of-service violation means the affected driver or vehicle cannot continue the relevant operation until the applicable condition is corrected.
Under the current SMS methodology, qualifying out-of-service violations generally receive an additional severity weight of 2.
The adjustment is added before applying the time multiplier.
Consider a vehicle maintenance violation with a base severity weight of 8.
If the violation qualifies for the out-of-service adjustment, the adjusted severity becomes 10.
If the inspection occurred within the most recent six months, the time weight is 3.
The simplified calculation is:
Base severity: 8
Out-of-service adjustment: 2
Adjusted severity: 10
Time-weighted contribution: 10 × 3 = 30
That value illustrates the contribution of the violation under the relevant weighting steps.
It is not the carrier's final Vehicle Maintenance percentile.
A broker should also read what caused the out-of-service finding.
A serious brake condition and an unrelated driver qualification issue belong to different safety concerns.
The numeric adjustment helps explain the SMS calculation, but the actual violation helps explain what requires attention.
The 30-Point Inspection Cap
The current methodology caps the sum of applicable violation severity weights from a single inspection within one BASIC at 30 before applying the time weight.
Suppose one inspection identifies multiple Vehicle Maintenance violations.
Their combined adjusted severity weights total 35.
For that inspection and BASIC, the severity total is capped at 30.
If the inspection occurred within the most recent six months, the time-weighted contribution becomes:
30 × 3 = 90
This does not give the carrier a percentile of 90.
It is one contribution to the calculation before the remaining normalization and comparison steps.
The cap applies within the relevant BASIC.
It does not mean you add Unsafe Driving, Vehicle Maintenance, and Driver Fitness violations together and cap the entire inspection at 30.
Each applicable BASIC is handled according to the methodology.
Also remember that the time weight applies to relevant inspections, including certain inspections without violations in that BASIC.
That is another reason why simply adding the points shown beside violations does not produce a valid final measure.
Out-of-Service Violation vs. Out-of-Service Order
These terms sound similar but have different consequences.
An out-of-service violation is an inspection finding that prevents the affected driver or vehicle from continuing the relevant operation until the condition is addressed.
An FMCSA Out-of-Service order can prohibit a motor carrier from operating under the terms of that order.
The first may affect the SMS calculation through an applicable severity adjustment.
The second can directly determine whether the company is legally permitted to perform transportation.
For example, a carrier with a recent vehicle out-of-service violation may require closer safety review.
A carrier subject to an applicable operations Out-of-Service order cannot simply be cleared by accepting its explanation that the problem has been fixed.
The order's current legal status must be verified.
Do not treat an operating prohibition as another numerical CSA penalty.
CSA Points Guide: Practical Calculation Examples
A few examples make the severity and time-weighting rules easier to understand.
These examples demonstrate parts of the current SMS calculation. They are not simulations of actual carriers and do not reproduce full BASIC percentiles.
Example 1: A Recent Speeding Violation
A roadside inspection records an applicable speeding violation for traveling 11 to 14 mph above the posted limit.
Its base severity weight in the Unsafe Driving BASIC is 7.
The inspection occurred two months ago.
The time weight is 3.
The simplified contribution is:
7 × 3 = 21
For a broker, the useful next step is to open the Unsafe Driving history.
Is this the only recent speeding finding?
Are there several similar violations involving the carrier?
Do the inspection dates suggest a recurring problem?
One violation should not be described as proof that every driver in the fleet operates unsafely.
Several recent similar findings may justify additional questions about driver supervision and safety practices.
Example 2: An Older Violation With the Same Severity
Another carrier has an applicable speeding violation with the same base severity weight of 7.
The inspection occurred eighteen months ago.
Its time weight is 1.
The contribution becomes:
7 × 1 = 7
The first violation contributes more heavily because it is newer.
That does not mean the first carrier's overall safety risk is exactly three times greater.
The carriers may have different inspection histories, fleet exposure, and other violations.
To compare them properly, examine their relevant SMS measures and underlying records.
Do not rely on these two calculated contributions alone.
Example 3: Several Violations During One Inspection
A truck receives multiple Vehicle Maintenance violations during one roadside inspection.
Assume their combined adjusted severity weights total 34.
Under the current methodology, the inspection-level contribution is capped at 30 for that BASIC before time weighting.
If the inspection occurred three months ago, the time weight is 3.
30 × 3 = 90
That number is not a 90th percentile.
It is the time-weighted contribution from this example's inspection.
The carrier's final Vehicle Maintenance measure also depends on other relevant inspections and exposure normalization.
For a broker, the underlying violations matter more than the simplified arithmetic.
Several unrelated minor equipment problems may require a different discussion from multiple serious brake defects.
Read the inspection details before interpreting the result.
Example 4: A Carrier With Few Inspections
A small carrier has two relevant inspections.
One includes a serious maintenance violation.
A larger carrier has many more relevant inspections and several recorded violations.
Adding the raw points for each company would not produce a useful comparison.
The larger company may have a substantially greater number of inspections and operating activity.
The smaller company's record provides less information.
SMS uses applicable normalization and comparison procedures to account for exposure, but brokers still need to understand the underlying data.
For a small fleet, ask whether the available record is sufficient to meet your qualification policy.
Do not invent an excellent safety history because the carrier has very few violations.
A limited record is a limited record.
How Freight Brokers and Shippers Use CSA Scores
A broker checking a new carrier usually has a specific job to do.
The load must be covered, the carrier must be qualified, and the freight must reach the customer under the agreed conditions.
CSA information helps with the safety part of that decision.
It can identify patterns of unsafe driving, maintenance problems, hours-of-service violations, and other concerns.
It does not replace operating authority verification or insurance confirmation.
It also cannot prove that the dispatcher offering the truck works for the registered carrier.
Use SMS findings as one part of the qualification record.
Vetting Carriers Before Booking Freight
Start with the USDOT Number.
Confirm that it belongs to the legal carrier offering the shipment.
Use the available FMCSA carrier vetting tools to review DOT and MC identifiers and related carrier information.
Then examine the safety record.
A practical review includes:
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Matching the USDOT Number with the correct legal business.
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Checking the current formal federal Safety Rating.
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Reviewing individual BASIC results where available.
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Looking at the dates and descriptions of serious violations.
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Identifying repeated problems within the same category.
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Checking whether an applicable Out-of-Service order affects operations.
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Recording the findings under the brokerage's qualification policy.
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Resolving insurance, authority, and booking identity questions separately.
For example, a carrier may show an unfavorable Vehicle Maintenance percentile.
That is a reason to review its maintenance-related inspection history.
It is not proof of freight fraud.
Similarly, a carrier may have few reported safety violations while someone is using its registration information without permission.
The two issues require different verification steps.
Reviewing a High Vehicle Maintenance Percentile
Suppose a carrier's Vehicle Maintenance result draws attention during onboarding.
Open the underlying inspection information.
Look for the type of equipment problems recorded.
Are several violations related to brakes?
Do tire issues recur?
Are lighting violations appearing repeatedly?
Check the dates.
A cluster of recent serious violations may be more relevant than a minor issue from nearly two years ago.
Also check whether the findings involved out-of-service conditions.
For example, repeated brake-related findings may justify asking the carrier about maintenance procedures and corrective actions.
The broker should document the observed pattern rather than guessing that every truck in the fleet has the same defect.
If the carrier provides information about corrective action, record it without treating an unverified statement as proof that the problem has been resolved.
Reviewing Hours-of-Service Concerns
A carrier offers to move freight on a tight delivery schedule.
Its history includes several Hours-of-Service Compliance violations.
Those records should prompt a closer look at the proposed operation.
Ask about the pickup time, driving distance, driver availability, and legally required rest.
A rate confirmation cannot override federal hours-of-service rules.
A dispatcher promising that a driver can make the delivery does not establish that the schedule is legally achievable.
If the plan appears unrealistic, work with the carrier and shipper to establish an appropriate schedule before dispatch.
The safety record may help identify a concern, but the current trip must still be evaluated on its actual requirements.
Reviewing an Unsafe Driving Pattern
A carrier has several recent speeding violations.
One involves speeding 6 to 10 mph above the limit.
Another involves speeding 15 mph or more above the limit.
The base severity weights differ.
Their dates may also produce different time-weighted contributions.
Instead of adding the points and declaring the carrier unsafe, examine the record.
How many relevant inspections are available?
How recent are the violations?
Are there repeated findings involving the same behavior?
Does the carrier have other related safety concerns?
Use those answers to decide whether the company meets your qualification requirements or needs additional review.
A documented pattern is more useful than a vague statement that the carrier has too many CSA points.
What Brokers Should Not Infer From CSA Percentiles
A percentile does not establish the chance that a particular truck will crash.
It does not prove that the carrier is operating illegally.
It does not confirm insurance coverage.
It does not authenticate a dispatcher.
And it should not be described as a formal federal Safety Rating.
FMCSA uses SMS information to prioritize safety oversight, but cautions against drawing conclusions about a carrier's overall safety condition from SMS results alone.
A formal Unsatisfactory rating or an applicable operating prohibition must be evaluated under the relevant legal requirements.
Other SMS findings should be considered alongside your documented qualification standards.
If a carrier's record raises questions, identify the specific findings and ask for the information needed to resolve them.
Common Misconceptions About CSA Points
Every Violation Adds Directly to One CSA Score
FMCSA does not create one official overall score by adding all violations across the seven BASICs.
The calculation uses category-specific information, severity weights, time weights, and relevant exposure measures.
A raw point total cannot replace the published SMS methodology.
All Violations Count Equally
A minor equipment violation and a serious speeding violation may have very different base severity weights.
The date of each event also matters.
A recent violation generally contributes more than the same violation recorded much earlier.
Review the specific code and time period.
CSA Points Are the Same as CDL Penalty Points
CSA severity weights are part of a federal safety measurement process.
They are not the same as state driver license points.
The Driver Safety Measurement System is also not a public CDL point system.
A driver's licensing or disqualification consequences arise under applicable laws and regulations.
A Carrier With No Percentile Has No Safety Problems
A missing percentile may result from insufficient qualifying data.
That is not proof of perfect safety performance.
For a small carrier with limited inspections, review the available records and apply your normal qualification criteria.
A High Percentile Means the Carrier Has an Unsatisfactory Safety Rating
An SMS percentile and a formal federal Safety Rating are separate.
A carrier can have an unfavorable BASIC percentile without receiving a formal Unsatisfactory rating.
Check the actual rating and any applicable operating restrictions.
Do not substitute one for the other.
Old Violations Disappear From Every Record After Two Years
Qualifying events generally stop contributing to the carrier's rolling 24-month SMS calculation after they age out.
They do not necessarily disappear from every government, employment, or other record.
Different systems use different retention periods and rules.
What to Do if CSA Data Appears Incorrect or Incomplete
A carrier may dispute an inspection or say a reported violation is incorrect.
Sometimes the concern involves the wrong carrier identifier, duplicated information, or a record affected by later legal proceedings.
Do not assume the carrier's explanation is correct.
Ask which entry is disputed and what documentation supports the claim.
FMCSA's DataQs system allows users to request review of certain federal and state-reported safety information.
The request should identify the disputed record and provide relevant supporting evidence.
Submitting a DataQs request does not automatically remove a violation from SMS.
The result depends on the review.
If a correction is accepted, it may not immediately appear in every published record.
SMS updates occur on a monthly cycle.
For a broker reviewing a load, record the currently available information and the nature of the dispute.
If the finding affects qualification, determine whether the issue can be resolved before booking.
Do not delete a concerning violation from your internal review simply because the carrier says it will be removed.
Check the Snapshot Date
SMS data is updated monthly.
That means a roadside inspection conducted recently may not appear in the latest published results.
A correction made after the snapshot may also take time to become visible.
Before relying on a percentile, check the data snapshot date shown on the official SMS site.
If the report is old, retrieve current information.
Pay particular attention when a carrier sends a screenshot rather than directing you to the source record.
The screenshot may be accurate for the date it was taken but no longer reflect the latest published information.
For an active booking, a recent change in operating authority or an applicable operating restriction should be checked through the appropriate current FMCSA source rather than relying only on the monthly SMS data.
Keep the review date in your qualification file.
That makes it easier to explain which information was available when the carrier was approved.
FAQ
How long do CSA points stay on a carrier record?
Qualifying violations and crashes generally contribute to a motor carrier's SMS results for 24 months. Events from the most recent six months receive a time weight of 3, those more than six through twelve months old receive 2, and those more than twelve through twenty-four months old receive 1. Aging out of the SMS calculation does not mean the event disappears from every other record.
What is the maximum severity weight for a CSA violation?
Under the SMS methodology currently in use, the maximum base violation severity weight is generally 10. An applicable out-of-service adjustment can add 2 before time weighting, and the methodology also applies a 30-point inspection cap within each BASIC. FMCSA has approved a future system using simplified weights of 1 or 2, but that replacement has not yet taken effect.
How does an Out of Service penalty change a CSA point calculation?
Under the current methodology, a qualifying out-of-service violation generally receives an additional severity weight of 2. For example, a violation with a base weight of 8 becomes 10 before the applicable time multiplier is applied. This is different from an FMCSA operations Out-of-Service order, which may prohibit a carrier from operating.
What is the difference between driver CSA points and carrier CSA points?
Carrier SMS uses qualifying inspections and crashes associated with the carrier's USDOT Number over a 24-month period. FMCSA's separate Driver Safety Measurement System considers 36 months of roadside performance information across employers for enforcement purposes. DSMS is not a public commercial driver license point system and does not itself assign CDL penalty points.
How do CSA percentile ranks differ from raw point totals?
Raw violation weights are only inputs to the SMS calculation. FMCSA applies time weighting, relevant inspection information, exposure normalization, and comparisons with similar carriers before determining BASIC percentiles. A percentile describes relative performance within a safety category, not a simple total of points or a formal federal Safety Rating.
When reviewing CSA information, begin with the violation details rather than the percentile alone.
Check the code, severity weight, inspection date, applicable out-of-service adjustment, and BASIC involved. Then look for recent or repeated findings and consider the carrier's broader inspection history.
For freight brokers and dispatchers, the purpose is to make a defensible carrier qualification decision. Use SMS findings to identify safety concerns, document what you reviewed, and complete the separate checks for operating authority, insurance, and the company actually offering the truck.
