Hazmat CSA Scores and How They Affect Your Shipping Options

CSA Scores and Hazmat Carrier Selection

The Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program run by FMCSA provides safety performance data for every regulated motor carrier. For hazmat shipping, these scores are especially important — carriers with poor CSA scores face increased inspections, enforcement actions, and potential loss of hazmat authority that can disrupt your supply chain.

Understanding CSA BASICs

CSA evaluates carriers across seven Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs): Unsafe Driving, Hours of Service, Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances, Vehicle Maintenance, Hazardous Materials Compliance, and Crash Indicator. The Hazardous Materials Compliance BASIC is particularly relevant, as it specifically tracks hazmat-related violations.

The Hazmat Compliance BASIC

This BASIC measures violations related to hazmat packaging, labeling, placarding, documentation, and handling. Carriers with scores above the intervention threshold (80th percentile for general carriers, lower for passenger carriers) may face FMCSA investigation and potential enforcement action. Go Freight maintains excellent scores across all BASICs including the Hazmat Compliance category.

Why Shippers Should Check CSA Scores

Courts and regulators increasingly hold shippers responsible for carrier selection. If you hire a carrier with known safety problems and an incident occurs, your liability exposure increases significantly. Checking CSA scores before hiring a hazmat carrier is a basic due diligence step that protects your business.

How to Check Carrier Safety Data

FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System (SMS) website provides public access to carrier safety data including inspection results, crash reports, and enforcement actions. Go Freight’s brokerage team checks CSA scores and safety records for every carrier in our network before dispatching any load.

What Good Scores Look Like

Carriers with percentile scores below 50% in all BASICs demonstrate above-average safety performance. Scores below 25% indicate excellent safety programs. Go Freight invests in driver training, vehicle maintenance, and compliance systems to maintain the strong safety scores our hazmat clients expect and deserve.