What Happens If You Don’t Improve Your CSA Score?

By Freight University | Powered by America’s #1 Logistics AI

If you operate under your own authority as a motor carrier, or you're a fleet owner, dispatcher, or owner-operator, there's something you need to know right now:

The FMCSA has approved major changes to how they evaluate your CSA score — and if you don’t take it seriously, your business could be in real danger.

What Is a CSA Score and Why It Matters

The CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) Score is how the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) ranks carriers based on safety, inspections, and crash risk.

If your score is too high in any of the 7 BASIC categories (like Unsafe Driving, HOS, Maintenance), the consequences can include:

FMCSA warning letters
Onsite investigations or audits
Loss of shipper or broker trust
Insurance premium increases
Being placed out of service

The FMCSA Just Approved New Rules — Here's What's Changing

In their recently published report, the FMCSA approved several critical updates to the SMS (Safety Measurement System) used to track your CSA score:

✅ 1. Grouped Violations (Not Stacked)

Instead of being penalized multiple times for similar violations in one inspection, related violations will now be grouped. But this only helps if you stay compliant.

✅ 2. Simplified Violation Weights

No more 1–10 scale. Violations now carry a weight of 1 or 2:

2 = Out-of-Service or Driver Disqualifying
1 = All others

✅ 3. New Compliance Categories

Vehicle Maintenance split into:
- Driver Observed
- Mechanic Detected
Controlled Substance violations moved into Unsafe Driving

✅ 4. Higher Risk = More Attention

FMCSA has lowered thresholds for intervention in some areas — meaning you’re more likely to be audited if your score is too high.

✅ 5. Fresh Violations Matter Most

If your last violation is over 12 months old, FMCSA may now exclude it from scoring. That means recent clean inspections really help.

🚫 What Happens If You Don't Improve Your Score?

Here’s what you risk if you ignore your CSA score:

🚛 Consequence	💥 What It Means
Loss of freight	Brokers and shippers won't work with you
Audit or investigation	FMCSA will dig through your business
Higher insurance costs	Up to 40% more annually
Public safety flag	Your DOT info is available online
Shut down	FMCSA can revoke your operating authority

How to Improve Before It’s Too Late

✅ Train your drivers on safety & Hours of Service
✅ Fix equipment BEFORE the inspection finds it
✅ Use ELDs & DVIRs to stay compliant
✅ Check your SMS profile monthly at csa.fmcsa.dot.gov
✅ Get coaching from a logistics compliance expert (or from us at Freight University)

Final Word

Your CSA score is not just a number — it’s your reputation, your freedom, and your future.

With the FMCSA’s new SMS changes now approved, it’s more important than ever to track, manage, and improve your safety profile — or risk losing it all.

Want Help Fixing Your Score?

Contact Freight University today to speak with a certified logistics compliance expert or enroll in our CSA Safety Curriculum to take back control of your business.