How do CSA scores affect my truck insurance rates?
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scores affect truck insurance rates because underwriters use them to gauge how likely a carrier is to file a claim. Carriers with Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASIC) percentiles above the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) intervention thresholds typically pay more for coverage, and carriers with scores well above those thresholds in categories like Unsafe Driving or Crash Indicator can face non-renewal or difficulty finding a carrier willing to write the policy at all. Carriers with strong scores across all seven BASICs are positioned for more competitive premiums and broader coverage options at renewal.
The CSA program is FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS), which scores motor carriers across seven BASICs: Unsafe Driving, Hours-of-Service Compliance, Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances and Alcohol, Vehicle Maintenance, Hazardous Materials Compliance and Crash Indicator. Each BASIC is a percentile from 0 to 100 built from roadside inspections, violations and crash reports over the past 24 months, with more recent and more severe events weighted heavier.
Underwriters pull these percentiles alongside loss history, years in operation and fleet size to build a risk profile. Two BASICs, Unsafe Driving and Crash Indicator, have the most direct statistical link to future crash risk, so underwriters tend to weigh them most heavily in pricing decisions.
Yes, carriers with poor CSA scores can typically still get truck insurance, though the pool of insurers willing to write the policy shrinks and the terms become less favorable. Standard market carriers often decline risks with multiple BASICs above the FMCSA intervention threshold, which pushes those carriers into the excess and surplus (E&S) market at a higher premium.
A single elevated BASIC rarely closes the door on coverage. Underwriters generally get more cautious once two or more categories sit above threshold, particularly Unsafe Driving, Crash Indicator or Hours-of-Service Compliance, since those carry the strongest links to claim frequency. Carriers in this position can still secure coverage by working with a broker who has access to non-standard and E&S markets, and by pairing the application with a corrective action plan that shows underwriters the trend is improving.
A single elevated BASIC rarely closes the door on coverage. Underwriters generally get more cautious once two or more categories sit above threshold, particularly Unsafe Driving, Crash Indicator or Hours-of-Service Compliance, since those carry the strongest links to claim frequency. Carriers in this position can still secure coverage by working with a broker who has access to non-standard and E&S markets, and by pairing the application with a corrective action plan that shows underwriters the trend is improving.
You can find your CSA score by looking up your USDOT number in FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS) which shows your current percentile in each of the seven BASICs along with your inspection and violation history. The same USDOT number search on FMCSA's SAFER system shows your safety rating, operating authority status and insurance filings in one snapshot.
SMS results update monthly, but a violation from a recent roadside inspection can take several weeks to appear as states process and upload the data. Reviewing your SMS profile before renewal, rather than waiting for your broker to request it, gives you time to identify which BASICs are trending upward and address them before an underwriter sees the file. If a violation on your record is inaccurate, FMCSA's DataQs system allows carriers to formally challenge it.
SMS results update monthly, but a violation from a recent roadside inspection can take several weeks to appear as states process and upload the data. Reviewing your SMS profile before renewal, rather than waiting for your broker to request it, gives you time to identify which BASICs are trending upward and address them before an underwriter sees the file. If a violation on your record is inaccurate, FMCSA's DataQs system allows carriers to formally challenge it.
CSA points raise insurance costs in proportion to how far a BASIC percentile sits above the FMCSA intervention threshold, and carriers with multiple BASICs above threshold can see meaningful premium increases at renewal, with some facing non-renewal altogether. There isn't a single formula that converts a specific point total into a specific dollar amount, since underwriters weigh several factors together:
- CSA data, specifically which BASICs are elevated and by how much
- Claims history frequency and severity over recent policy periods
- Fleet size larger fleets can absorb isolated incidents differently than smaller ones
- Commodity type hauling hazardous materials or high-value freight carries different risk weight
- Years in operation newer carriers are scrutinized differently than established ones
- Crash-linked BASICs move pricing the most. Unsafe Driving and Crash Indicator carry more underwriting weight than BASICs less directly tied to crash risk.
- Multiple elevated BASICs compound the impact. A single BASIC above threshold is a concern; several above threshold at once is what tends to trigger the steepest increases or non-renewal decisions.
- Recent improvement gets priced in. Carriers who bring even one or two elevated BASICs back under the intervention threshold before their renewal date often see that improvement reflected in the quotes they receive, since underwriters price off the most current SMS snapshot available.
Out-of-service (OOS) violations have the biggest impact on insurance because they signal an immediate safety failure and carry more weight in the SMS calculation than a standard violation. Violations in the Unsafe Driving and Crash Indicator BASICs also carry outsized weight with underwriters specifically, since FMCSA data shows these two categories have the clearest statistical link to future crashes.
Within those categories, the violations that move the needle fastest include:
Within those categories, the violations that move the needle fastest include:
- Out-of-service orders, regardless of BASIC
- Speeding and reckless or improper driving
- Hours-of-service falsification
- Driving under the influence of controlled substances or alcohol
A CSA score is generally considered bad for insurance purposes once a BASIC percentile crosses the FMCSA intervention threshold, which sits at 65% for most categories and 80% for Vehicle Maintenance and Hazardous Materials Compliance. Underwriters typically view a carrier with two or more BASICs above threshold as materially higher risk, even if no single category is extreme.
Many carriers aim to keep every BASIC below 50%, since that range keeps them clear of FMCSA intervention and also clear of the more conservative cutoffs some brokers and shippers apply during carrier vetting. A score in the 50% to 65% range isn't a red flag on its own, but it's worth monitoring since it sits close enough to the threshold that a single new violation could push it over. Because thresholds are peer group percentiles rather than fixed point totals, a good score for a five-truck fleet and a national carrier can look different in absolute terms even when both sit in comparable standing with FMCSA.
Many carriers aim to keep every BASIC below 50%, since that range keeps them clear of FMCSA intervention and also clear of the more conservative cutoffs some brokers and shippers apply during carrier vetting. A score in the 50% to 65% range isn't a red flag on its own, but it's worth monitoring since it sits close enough to the threshold that a single new violation could push it over. Because thresholds are peer group percentiles rather than fixed point totals, a good score for a five-truck fleet and a national carrier can look different in absolute terms even when both sit in comparable standing with FMCSA.
Compare truck insurance quotes by giving every carrier the same current SMS snapshot, loss runs and fleet details, then evaluating how each one prices your specific BASIC profile rather than comparing premium totals alone. Two insurers can quote very different rates off the same CSA data depending on how much weight they place on your elevated BASICs versus your overall loss history.
Ask each prospective insurer:
Ask each prospective insurer:
- Which BASICs they weigh most heavily in pricing
- Whether they specialize in carriers recovering from an elevated BASIC or prefer clean record fleets
- How a documented corrective action plan affects terms before the SMS percentile itself moves
- Whether they price off standard, non-standard or E&S markets for your risk profile