What You Need to Do to Make Sure Your CSA Scores Stay Healthy
Just in case you needed a bit of a refresher on what a CSA score is, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) measures safety performance of motor carriers via a Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) score, which includes information on roadside inspections, safety violations, crashes reported, motor carrier regulation and State and Federal investigations. The idea behind the score is that the higher the score, the poorer the carrier performance and the more likely the carrier is to be involved in a crash, according to the FMCSA.
A poor CSA score can result in lost business and high insurance premiums, so what can you do to make sure your score isn’t negatively impacting your business?
- Fix standard maintenance issues: Take the extra effort to make sure standard maintenance issues are fixed and you will circumvent the most frequent violations, such as low tread on tires, leaky brakes, damaged windshields and burned out taillights and headlights. According to Ryder, defective reflective devices are one of the biggest CSA violations.
- Communicate with your staff: The biggest piece of advice we found, was to educate and communicate with staff on CSA rules, violations and how to avoid them. Put it in writing, have meetings with your drivers and maintenance crews (if possible) and stress the importance of following CSA policies. The more education drivers, trainers, and executives have on CSA scores, the more likely they are to be able to identify potential violations and take precautions and preventative measures to avoid them. According to FDR Safety, “research confirms that companies that make safety a corporate commitment have lower operating costs, since crash and injury rates are fewer.”
- Screen potential drivers carefully: The Department of Transportation (DOT) offers a Pre-Employment Screening Program that rates prospective drivers on safety, which is a great tool if you’re looking to take the guess work out of making a good hire. If possible, take into account driver fitness. Because CSA scores can be negatively affected by driver fatigue, alcohol or controlled substance consumption, drivers that make good health choices, like eating right, exercising and playing it safe when it comes to drugs and alcohol, are less likely to be liabilities and support proper vehicle maintenance.
With a bit of pre-planning, you can navigate factors contributing to a poor CSA score and avoid them, saving you time, money and increasing the longevity of your business. Now who doesn’t want that?!
Call Apex at 855-369-2739 to discuss your factoring options. We are here for you and always happy to help.