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CSA Scores and Their Impact on Carrier Insurance Costs?

CSA Scores and Their Impact on Carrier Insurance Costs?

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) established the Compliance, Safety, Accountability project in 2010. (CSA). This program was established for preventing crashes, injuries, and fatalities related to any commercial vehicles that operate in the US. Making the roads safer for both drivers and passengers is the objective of this program.

CSA can also affect the insurance cost of carriers. Let’s learn more about CSA and this can affect the carrier insurance cost.

What are the Components of the CSA?

There are three main components of the CSA. They are as follows:

  1. Intervention
  2. The Safety Measurement System (SMS)
  3. A Safety Fitness Determination (SFD) rating system

Factors that Contribute to a CSA Score

CSA scores are determined by several factors. These factors come under the 7 Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs) that are part of the FMCSA’s program. The BASICS include:

How is CSA Score Calculated?

There are specific data that comprise the CSA scorecard. Various data are collected from states and various factors are assessed for road safety. These factors include:

SMS data is organized by FMCSA into the seven BASIC groups mentioned above. These classifications assist the agency in assigning CSA scores by sorting carriers into percentiles and prioritizing actions. On a percentile scale, scores go from 0 to 100. The greater the percentile a CSA score falls within, the more probable an intervention will be pursued by the agency.

If a carrier believes that their CSA score is unjust, they can appeal it using the DataQs system within two years. A successful challenge will lower their CSA score and maybe lessen the severity of the citation. After two years, violations are erased from the record.

How to Check CSA Score?

Carriers can check their CSA score by entering their name or DOT number on the CSA program website. Except for the Crash Indicator and Hazardous Materials Compliance BASICs, all BASIC information is open to the public. Additional safety data may be obtained through SMS with a unique login and pin. If a carrier does not already have an FMCSA login, they may sign up for one online.

How does the CSA Score Impact Carrier Insurance Costs?

Since 2010, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has been collecting and disseminating data as part of the CSA BASICs. The collection of data via the agency’s SMS is not new; what was new was the publication of it via the CSA program.

If a company has low BASIC scores, its carrier may be inspected by the FMCSA as an unsafe carrier. Many shippers also evaluate a carrier’s BASIC scores regularly, and some refuse to do business with carriers with high totals. Insurance firms will also look at BASIC scores as part of their overall health and risk profile assessment. Higher CSA scores might result in higher premiums, deductibles, or even coverage refusal.

Failure to properly maintain a CMV is often included in the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC. According to Carrier411, a score of 80 or more is deemed troublesome for most carriers. The Vehicle Maintenance BASIC includes nearly 200 things.

However, in general, this BASIC would include offenses such as broken brakes, lights, mechanical faults, and failing to make necessary repairs.

Insurers will pay particular attention to the Unsafe Driver, Crash Indicator, and Hours-of-Service Compliance BASICs, but they will also pay attention to the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC.

A high FMCSA percentile grade in this BASIC might indicate a firm or driver that does not maintain their equipment or is using outdated and bad equipment. In both circumstances, the FMCSA feels this equates to an increased risk of a collision, and whether this is true or not, it will have an impact on insurance prices.

How to Lower the Carrier Insurance Costs that are Impacted by CSA Score?

Keeping an eye on all the regulations and knowing all the policy terms is essential. Other than this a company can lower its carrier insurance cost by lowering its CSA score. Listed below are a few ways in which a company can reduce its CSA score which will then reduce the carrier insurance costs:

Conclusion

There are undoubtedly many carriers and/or owner-operators with high CSA scores who are fully insured. However, when looking at a total cost of operation matrix, those higher CSA ratings may end up costing the carrier more in the long term. Shippers are less willing to contract with it, insurance costs are greater, and driver turnover is higher. So, one must maintain a good CSA score for the benefit of the business.

FAQs

What happens in case a carrier has a high CSA score?

In case of a high CSA score, a carrier will be subjected to an FMCSA investigation.

What is considered a good CSA score?

Having zero is considered the best performance. In case of a good CSA score, they would need to have a score of 10-30.

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