The seven BASICs
| BASIC | What it measures | Intervention threshold (general property carriers) |
|---|---|---|
| Unsafe Driving | Speeding, following too close, lane changes, phone use | 65% |
| Crash Indicator | State-reported crashes | 65% (not shown publicly) |
| Hours-of-Service Compliance | HOS limits, ELD and logbook violations | 65% |
| Vehicle Maintenance | Brakes, lights, tires and other defects | 80% |
| Controlled Substances/Alcohol | Drug and alcohol violations | 80% |
| Hazardous Materials Compliance | Hazmat packaging, placarding and paperwork | 80% (not shown publicly) |
| Driver Fitness | Licensing and medical qualification | 80% |
Passenger and hazmat carriers have lower thresholds. A carrier at or above a threshold may be prioritized for FMCSA intervention, and it is flagged to anyone who looks you up, including brokers, shippers and underwriters. You can check your own scores on FMCSA's SMS website.
How the math works
- 24-month window. Violations and crashes age off after two years.
- Time weighting. Events in the last six months count three times as much as events 12 to 24 months old.
- Severity weighting. Each violation carries a severity weight, with extra weight when it results in an out-of-service order.
- Exposure. Scores are normalized by your number of inspections or power units and miles, then ranked against similar carriers.
FMCSA has proposed changes to the SMS methodology. We track those changes so our clients aren't surprised.
Seven ways to lower your CSA scores
- Find the drivers and violations driving the score. In most fleets a handful of drivers and violation types cause most of the points.
- Challenge inaccurate records through DataQs, including violations from citations that were dismissed.
- Submit eligible crashes to the Crash Preventability Determination Program so not-preventable crashes come out of your Crash Indicator calculation.
- Tighten pre-trip inspections on brakes, lights and tires, the most common maintenance violations.
- Use ELD and telematics data to coach speeding and HOS habits before they turn into roadside violations.
- Hire better by reviewing PSP reports and MVRs before a driver gets a truck.
- Earn clean inspections. Inspections with no violations count in your favor and dilute past violations.
Why it matters for insurance
Underwriters pull your SMS data on every submission. High percentiles in Unsafe Driving, HOS or Crash Indicator can mean higher premiums, higher deductibles or fewer insurers willing to quote. Bringing scores down before renewal is one of the most direct ways a fleet can lower its insurance cost.
Last updated November 10, 2026. Reviewed by a licensed insurance professional at Haul Good Insurance.