Why Good CSA Scores Matter
5 Oct 2018
The driving force behind CSA scores is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). One of its fundamental tenets is to prevent accidents, injuries, and fatalities. This is why it launches the CSA (compliances, safety, accountability) program in December of 2010. While your CSA score may not result in direct fines and penalties, it matters more than you might realize. These are just a few of the ways your CSA scores matter today.
- Attract more clients. Businesses want to trust their merchandise with carriers that have reputations for safety and are committed to compliance. It simply makes your carrier appear more trustworthy when you have a better CSA score. The lower your score, the fewer companies out there who have better reputations for safety and compliance.
- Fewer audits and inspections. Higher CSA scores, indicating a greater number of violations and safety concerns in the past, simply invite more scrutiny. It can become a self-fulfilling prophecy if you don’t get the situation under control by improving your score.
- Lower insurance premiums. You better believe insurance companies, who love crunching numbers, are paying close attention to your numbers when evaluating your premiums for the coming year. Keeping your numbers in check and consistently placing among the top companies for safety and compliance can land you lower premiums saving your fleet a ton of money.
- Attract higher quality drivers. Drivers know the way things work in the trucking industry. The types of drivers you want to attract are the types of drivers who are paying attention to your CSA scores. They want to work with companies who take care of the details. It’s a good indicator that they will also take care of their drivers.
How Do You Improve Your CSA Score?
Because CSA scores are updated and reassessed each month, you can work to overcome past problems. One of the most important tools you can use for improving your fleet’s CSA score is GPS fleet tracking.
Use GPS tracking to help you monitor driver behaviors (and address them promptly), to automate and manage maintenance scheduling for all fleet vehicles, and to enforce HOS compliance among your drivers. These things work together to improve vehicle maintenance, prevent accidents, and boost your score month after month, giving you a better score and a better reputation in the industry.
Getting your fleet on track and keeping them on target to meet your CSA goals can save your entire organization precious time and money while attracting new clients and quality drivers. It’s hard to argue with benefits like these.
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