CSA Scores Explained: How Maintenance Practices Impact Your Safety Rating

White truck on the road

In trucking, safety isn’t just a matter of reputation — it’s a direct driver of revenue, insurance costs, and compliance. One of the biggest indicators that regulators, brokers, and insurers look at is your CSA Score. This score (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) comes from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and it shapes inspections, audits, and even your ability to win contracts. 

Below we’ll break down: 

• What the CSA Score actually is 

• How FMCSA calculates it 

• The link between maintenance practices and your score 

• Concrete steps to protect your rating and your business 

What Is a CSA Score and Why It Matters 

• CSA is an FMCSA program designed to identify unsafe carriers and improve accountability across the industry. Official FMCSA overview 

• Scores are based on roadside inspections, crash reports, investigations, and state-reported violations. Learn more here about CSA. 

• FMCSA groups data into BASICs (Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories): 
  Unsafe Driving, Vehicle Maintenance, Hours-of-Service Compliance, Driver Fitness, Crash Indicator, Controlled Substances/Alcohol, and Hazardous Materials Compliance. Learn more on csa.fmcsa.gov 

• A poor score can mean: 
  – More frequent inspections 
  – Higher insurance premiums 
  – Loss of shipper contracts 
  – Risk of an FMCSA intervention.  

Read here explanation why your CSA score matters  

How Maintenance Practices Affect Your CSA Score 

Good maintenance is not simply “fixing it when it breaks.” Under FMCSA’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability program, every inspection, repair, and record you keep (or fail to keep) feeds into your public safety profile. Think of maintenance as a system of prevention, inspection, documentation and rapid response. Here’s how lapses show up in your CSA data and what you can do about them: 

1. Roadside Violations 

The Vehicle Maintenance BASIC is one of the heaviest-weighted categories in CSA scoring. Inspectors look for visible defects during random roadside checks: 

• Broken or missing lights and reflectors 

• Worn brake linings or hoses 

• Fluid leaks (oil, fuel, coolant, hydraulic) 

• Insecure loads or missing tiedowns 

Each of these violations is entered immediately into FMCSA’s database and assigned points. Even a minor light or reflector issue can trigger an inspection that uncovers additional problems. Consistent pre-trip inspections and preventive maintenance dramatically reduce these surprise hits. 
Geotab explains CSA scoring and violations here 

2. Severity and Frequency of Defects 

Every violation has a severity weight between 1 and 10, with the most dangerous conditions at the top. For example, “Inoperative/Out-of-Service brakes” carries a much higher weight than “defective lamp.” FMCSA also applies time weighting — newer violations impact your score more heavily than older ones. So, a single critical brake violation can outweigh several minor issues, and frequent “small” violations compound over time. The takeaway: treat every defect as important, because repeated minor hits or one major out-of-service order can push your BASIC percentile into alert status. 
 

3. Repair Response Time 

How fast you act matters. A burned-out marker light today can become a citation plus a deeper inspection tomorrow. Waiting “until the next PM” often leads to fines, downtime, or an out-of-service order. A culture of immediate reporting and same-day fixes for safety-critical items not only keeps trucks compliant but also reassures drivers that equipment is safe. Many fleets are now using mobile inspection apps that let drivers submit photos of defects and open a work order instantly. This speeds up turnaround and keeps violations from ever appearing in CSA data. 
Read here about CSA Score and learn more tips  

4. Records and Documentation 

FMCSA inspectors don’t just look at your trucks — they look at your paperwork. Under Part 396, carriers must keep records of driver vehicle inspection reports (DVIRs), preventive maintenance schedules, and repair documentation. If you can’t produce proof that a defect was corrected, it may be treated as if it was never fixed. Digital record-keeping platforms and telematics systems help you store inspection reports, work orders, and invoices in one place. That way, if a compliance review or audit occurs, you can quickly show evidence that repairs were made on time. 

5. Crash Indicator BASIC 

Poor maintenance doesn’t just create violations — it increases your risk of accidents. Worn tires, weak brakes, and leaking steering or suspension components can directly lead to crashes, which feed into your Crash Indicator BASIC. This category reflects state-reported crashes involving your trucks, weighted by severity and time. Because crash data lags behind repairs, it’s far better to prevent a crash than to recover from one. Proactive maintenance lowers your crash risk and improves your insurance profile at the same time. 
Learn more about Crash Indicator BASIC here 

Each of these elements — roadside violations, severity weights, response time, records, and crash prevention — connects directly to your CSA Score. Carriers who build a culture of preventive maintenance, immediate defect correction, and meticulous documentation consistently outperform peers in FMCSA rankings and win more shipper business. 

How to Improve Your CSA Score Through Maintenance 

• Implement a strict pre-trip/post-trip inspection process — and train drivers on what to look for. 

• Schedule preventive maintenance based on mileage and environment, not just time. 

• Use digital inspection apps (like Whip Around or Geotab) to capture and send DVIRs instantly. 

• Track and store repair documentation so you can show evidence during audits. 

• Prepare for CVSA blitz weeks (like Brake Safety Week) by doing your own internal blitz ahead of time. CVSA.org enforcement events calendar 

Conclusion 

Your CSA Score is not just a number — it’s a public reflection of your safety culture and maintenance discipline. By investing in preventive maintenance, training your drivers, and documenting repairs, you not only avoid violations but also build a competitive advantage in a crowded market.