Love it, or Hate it, CSA is here to stay!

Whether you applaud or oppose the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's new truck-safety monitoring program, the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) initiative will no doubt impact the way your carriers operate. Here's what you need to know.

Since its unveiling in 2010, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) new Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program has sparked significant interest from the transportation industry. Outcries that the new truck-safety monitoring program will place a stranglehold on the motor carrier industry and cause a severe dwindling of the driver workforce vie against passionate belief that CSA will provide the industry with concise and transparent data that can reduce safety risks on the nation's highways.

A point somewhere between the two extremes seems to be the most realistic outcome of the new program, which the government began enforcing in 2011.

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Obtaining Carrier Safety reports

Now that  CSA is "official" and in full implementation,  you maybe asking yourself how to check on your carriers for their safety ratings.

Go to http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/sms/  and enter the motor carrier's MC# or US DOT#. This will take you into the SMS results for the particular motor carrier and you can click on the individual BASIC to see what individual data created the score.

IMPORTANT DATE: December 5, 2010

CSA 2010 – When does it Begin?

On December 5, 2010, the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) will replace the Safe STAT system and will switch compliance monitoring to the Comprehensive Safety Analysis, 2010 (CSA 2010) system

TRANSPORT TOPICS Special Report: CSA 2010 (Free PDF)


The government's new truck safety regime known as CSA 2010 is upon us. While the data for full implementation has slipped a bit lately, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration still intends to ramp up the program nationally this fall. Like any major regulatory initiative, there is confusion and misinformation on this important program. The CSA 2010 Special Report is an effort to help spell out in detail what CSA 2010 will and won't do, and provide industry executives and managers with information they need to know to prepare for its full implementation.

The CSA 2010 Special Report (originally published as a Supplement to the April, 26 issue of Transport Topics) is an effort to help spell out in detail what CSA 2010 will and won't do, and provide industry executives with information they need to know to prepare for its full implementation.

Please feel free to distribute to your colleagues and others interested in the topic.

To open the CSA 2010 PDF, click here.


Transport Topics, 
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CSA 2010


As motor carrier companies know, noncompliance undermines safety and usually results in costly repairs and penalties. Safety on our highways is and must continue to be a priority for the transportation industry as a whole.

The Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA) 2010 is a new system that will ensure safety is at the forefront of our work. This program will redefine audits as we currently recognize them through focused and comprehensive investigations. It is believed this transformation will ultimately reduce truck related crashes by implementing a new protocol for enforcement as well as improving safety monitoring, evaluation and intervention processes.

We know that CSA 2010 will affect every carrier in the nation. This stringent process charts immediate and continuous observations of carrier and driver performance.

As the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) shifts from one regulation model towards a more efficient and effective model, it is pertinent that companies are prepared to adhere to this new compliance program and understand the regulations to which they are subject.

Educate yourself and your employees about CSA 2010 through the informational pieces presented here.

What You Can Do to Impact CSA 2010 •Understand the CSA 2010 Methodology
•Obtain and Review Motor Carrier Safety Profile
•Clean Up CSA 2010 Data Files
•Update Your Census Data Regularly Via the MCS-150
•Compare Past Violations (last 24 months) to High Severity Weighted Violations
•Know Why Your Trucks Are Getting Inspected
•Raise Driver’s Awareness of Importance of Clean Inspections
•Review Driver Safety History When Hiring: Pre-employment Screening Program
•Manage Driver Behavior and Safety Practices
•File Comments on CSA 2010

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