CSA score estimator: see how inspections move your BASIC measure
Enter each inspection from the last 24 months for one BASIC: how long ago it was and its violation severity points. The CSA score estimator applies FMCSA's published time weights to estimate the measure. It is not your official score.
CSA BASIC measure, estimated
ESTIMATE ONLY, EXAMPLE INSPECTIONSUnsafe Driving and Crash Indicator use power units and miles, so they aren't estimated here.
| # | How long ago | Severity points | Remove |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 2 | |||
| 3 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 5 |
Clean inspection = 0 points. Severity points are the sum of the violation weights listed on your inspection report for this BASIC.
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE · ESTIMATE
- 1×30
- 2×312
- 3×20
- 4×214
- 5×13
2.64
estimated measure (not a percentile)
- Weighted points
- 29
- Time-weighted inspections
- 11
- Clean inspections
- 2 of 5
Each clean inspection adds to the bottom of the fraction and pulls the measure down. Weights: 0-6 mo ×3, 6-12 mo ×2, 12-24 mo ×1.
Clean inspections open more brokers. We keep your carrier packets current while you keep the trucks clean.
By Edwin Horton · Updated
How the CSA estimator works
This tool follows FMCSA's published Safety Measurement System method for inspection-based BASICs: Vehicle Maintenance, Hours-of-Service Compliance, Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances/Alcohol and Hazardous Materials Compliance.
- Severity points per inspection = the sum of the severity weights of that inspection's violations in this BASIC, capped at 30
- Time weight = 3 if under 6 months old, 2 if 6 to 12 months, 1 if 12 to 24 months
- Weighted points = severity points × time weight, added across inspections
- Estimated measure = weighted points ÷ the sum of the time weights of every relevant inspection, clean ones included
The weights come from FMCSA's method CSA SMS violation weights (current method)Severity 1-10, capped at 30 per inspection per BASIC; time weight 3 (0-6 mo), 2 (6-12 mo), 1 (12-24 mo)Under FMCSA's Safety Measurement System, each violation has a severity weight from 1 to 10 within its BASIC (the sum for one inspection in one BASIC is capped at 30) and a time weight of 3 if under 6 months old, 2 if 6 to 12 months, 1 if 12 to 24 months. Most BASIC measures divide the weighted violations by time-weighted relevant inspections; Unsafe Driving and Crash Indicator use power units and a utilization factor. Percentiles compare carriers in peer groups and aren't public for every BASIC.FMCSA, SMS methodologyChecked Oct 2026. FMCSA approved changes to the system in 2024 and hasn't yet announced when they take effect Enhanced SMSApproved November 2024; launch date not yet announcedFMCSA's November 20, 2024 notice approved changes to the Safety Measurement System (new violation groupings, severity and categories). FMCSA said it will announce the implementation date; until then the current SMS method applies.Federal Register 2024-27087, 2024Checked Oct 2026.
EXAMPLE Five Vehicle Maintenance inspections in two years. Two in the last six months: one clean, one with 4 severity points. Two from six to twelve months ago: one clean, one with 7 points. One older inspection with 3 points. Weighted points: 4×3 + 7×2 + 3×1 = 29. Time-weighted inspections: 3+3+2+2+1 = 11. Estimated measure: about 2.64. One more clean inspection this month would bring it to about 2.07.
What the estimate does and doesn't tell you
It shows the direction and size of changes: how much a recent violation hurts, how fast old ones fade, and how much clean inspections help. It doesn't tell you your percentile, if you're over an intervention threshold, or what FMCSA's own system shows, because those depend on peer groups and data only FMCSA has. For your real data, log in to SMS with your USDOT number.
Recent violations weigh most. A violation this month counts three times as much as the same one a year and a half ago. Fix the habit behind it now.
Clean inspections are worth seeking. Well-maintained trucks pass more inspections, and every clean one dilutes the old violations.
Insurance underwriters look at these numbers; see how premiums add up with the truck insurance cost estimator, and fund repairs before they become violations with the maintenance reserve calculator.
Fixing what the score shows
The NAICS code for trucking guide covers the business classification insurers and lenders ask about, and the fleet benchmark report collects published safety and cost benchmarks. On our small fleet dispatch desk, loads are planned so drivers have the hours to run legally. This estimator is a planning aid, not legal or compliance advice.
Use the estimate to plan, not to argue with FMCSA. If one violation type keeps showing up, the fix is usually a system: a pre-trip checklist that drivers use, a shop schedule that catches lights and tires before inspectors do, or logs reviewed weekly instead of monthly.
Keep a copy of every inspection report, clean or not. Clean reports don't always reach the system on their own, and an inspection you can't prove happened can't pull your measure down. If data looks wrong, FMCSA's DataQs process is the way to ask for a review.
Limits of a CSA estimate
- Use only inspections from the last 24 months
- Enter clean inspections too
CSA score questions
01How is a CSA score calculated?
FMCSA's Safety Measurement System weights each violation by severity and by age, adds them up for each BASIC, and divides by a measure of exposure: time-weighted inspections for most BASICs, power units and miles for Unsafe Driving and Crash Indicator. The result is then compared with similar carriers to get a percentile.
02Can I see my own CSA percentiles?
Log in to the SMS website with your USDOT number and PIN to see your data. Some property-carrier BASIC percentiles aren't shown publicly, and percentiles depend on peer groups FMCSA computes, which is why this tool estimates the measure only.
03How long do violations stay on my CSA record?
Inspections and violations count in SMS for 24 months, with less weight as they age: three times for the first six months, twice for six to twelve months, and once for twelve to twenty-four months.
04How do clean inspections help?
For inspection-based BASICs, every clean inspection adds to the bottom of the fraction without adding violation points, so the measure goes down. More clean inspections are one of the fastest ways to improve.
05Is the CSA system changing?
FMCSA approved an enhanced SMS in November 2024 with new violation groupings and categories, and said it will announce the launch date. Until it launches, the current method applies.
06Where do I find severity weights for my violations?
Your inspection reports and the SMS data for your USDOT number list the violations; FMCSA publishes the severity weight for each violation code in its SMS methodology. Add up the weights recorded in one BASIC for each inspection.
Clean records open more brokers
We keep your carrier packets current and send loads to safe, on-time shippers. You approve every one.
4% for 2+ trucks, 5% for one, 7% while your MC is new