Glossary · FMCSA & freight
CSA BASICs
Also called: BASICs, CSA scores, SMS BASICs
Definition
CSA BASICs are the seven categories FMCSA's Safety Measurement System uses to rank motor carriers on inspection, crash and investigation data and prioritize safety interventions.
The Safety Measurement System (SMS) uses roadside inspections and crash reports from the last 2 years, plus investigation data, and updates monthly. It sorts that data into seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs):
- Unsafe Driving
- Crash Indicator
- Hours-of-Service Compliance
- Vehicle Maintenance
- Controlled Substances/Alcohol
- Hazardous Materials Compliance
- Driver Fitness
Carriers are grouped with peers and assigned percentiles, but complete SMS results are available only to enforcement users and to carriers logged into their own profiles, and the Crash Indicator BASIC is not public. Don't publish or rely on percentiles you can't see.
For a factor, BASICs measure safety, not fraud. A carrier with no inspections in 2 years has no data, which is not the same as a clean record. Inspections do show where a carrier's trucks actually run, so an aged authority with no recent inspections that suddenly claims a large fleet is worth a closer look. See SAFER and the carrier check.