Three Things to Know About Shady Trucking Companies’ Safety Scores

Next time you’re on a highway or interstate, take a look around you. There’s likely a semi (or several) nearby. To the average car driver, they all look the same.

There’s no way to know which trucks belong to shady companies — companies that sweep safety violations under the rug and encourage dangerous practices.

For truckers new to the industry, it can be equally difficult to identify these companies. This article will explain carriers’ CSA scores and how they reflect a company’s safety or lack thereof.

1. First, Know What CSA Means

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration uses the Safety Measurement System (SMS) to track trucking companies’ Compliance, Safety & Accountability (CSA) scores.

These scores are percentages designed to hold drivers and motor carriers accountable for dangerous behaviors. Safety violations fall into seven categories, known as BASICs, or Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories:

• Unsafe Driving: Includes speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, texting while driving, improper lane changes, and other forms of reckless driving
• Crash Indicator: Based on state-reported crashes, focusing on the fatalities, injuries and vehicle damage that resulted
• Hours-of-Service Compliance: Looks at records of duty status and e-logs to make sure drivers follow hours-of-service guidelines and are not driving fatigued
• Vehicle Maintenance: Ensuring lights/reflectors, tires, brakes and other mechanical features are in good condition, and that cargo is properly loaded
• Controlled Substances/Alcohol: Reviews the history of driver impairment by drugs and alcohol and controlled substances test results
• Hazardous Materials Compliance: Monitors the security of hazardous materials, including loading, paperwork, proper marking and packaging
• Driver Fitness: Verifying that a driver is healthy and has an up-to-date medical examination, DOT physical, and commercial driver’s license

Violations belong to certain categories, but each violation is assigned a point value. A company’s CSA can range from 0 to 100. Violations add points to this score, meaning, the higher the score, the more dangerous that company and its drivers are.

An infraction adds a maximum of 10 points to a CSA score. A minor paperwork error might be only one point, while driving drunk could be 10.

Score percentages are derived from roadside inspections, crash report data and onsite/offsite investigations from the previous 24 months. Over time, a company can improve its CSA score. They may do this by implementing safety policies to prevent driver violations.

2. Companies Will Try to Cover Up or Excuse Bad Behavior.

In online discussion forums, truckers chat about their experiences and seek advice. In the “truckers” Reddit thread, one user recently posted a question: “Would you work for a company with a bad CSA score?”

The user explained that, after an interview, an employee told him that the trucking company had been audited for its high CSA score. Truckers there had been driving flatbeds without commercial driver’s licenses, misloading cargo and cheating hours-of-service regulations.

The company, however, dismissed all of these unacceptable behaviors, saying its bad score resulted from its acquisition of another company.  Excuses like these are common.

Dangerous trucking companies tell lies and make excuses in order to exploit drivers. Many large-truck drivers who drive while tired or exceed hours-of-service limits are pressured to do so by the owner-operators.

New and experienced truckers alike should be wary of Chameleon Carriers. These are motor carriers that, after safety violations, pretend to close and rebrand themselves under different names. They then continue avoid penalties, pay for the minimum insurance premiums, and endanger drivers.

Watch episode 41 of our podcast, After the Crash, to learn more about shady trucking companies and Chameleon Carriers.

3. You Can Tell a Lot About a Company by its Priorities.

What should a motor carrier or trucking company prioritize?

Most of us would say safety. Big rigs can be deadly when misused. Negligent behavior runs rampant if unchecked.

Unfortunately, the worst trucking companies prioritize profit. They want to make the most money possible, even if it means breaking laws, disrespecting drivers, and using poorly maintained trucks.

Commercial vehicle drivers are generally safe, responsible people. But when a negligent employer forces them to violate safety standards, they become dangerous. For example, hundreds of wrecks occur each year when truckers are pressured to drive when they should be sleeping.

Trucking companies insisted that CSA scores misrepresented their safety risks. Since 2015, companies’ CSA scores have not been publicly available.

Good trucking companies will use the Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) to assess a driver’s safety record before hiring them.  This report shares the driver’s crash data from the past five years and inspection history from the past three years.

Responsible employers will avoid drivers with several violations, but those looking to stay cheap will reveal their priorities by hiring bad drivers anyway.

What Is the Benefit of a Low CSA Score?

Companies that keep their scores low benefit in various ways. They are less prone to DOT audits and roadside inspections. They can receive lower insurance rates, since they are safer and thus less likely to cause wrecks. They also have a better reputation, gaining trust in the industry and hiring top-notch drivers.

Deterring Unsafe Practices in the Commercial Vehicle Industry

Looking at all the possible safety violations, it can seem like commercial motor vehicle drivers must walk on eggshells to avoid penalties. This is not true.

The fact is that semi tractor-trailers and other big rigs are heavy, forceful and difficult to control. They must be operated with utmost caution. One second of distraction — reading a text, checking the radio, or even eating — can be catastrophic.

These rules also ensure that drivers stay as healthy as possible. They should not be overworked, driving while sick or drowsy. Their trucks should be well-maintained, with acceptable lights, brakes, tires, etc. Their cargo should be properly secured, lessening the risk of rollover or collision.

The fact is, each of these safety standards is in place to protect truckers, car drivers, and pedestrians.

What to Do If an Unsafe Trucker Causes a Wreck

The trucking industry is far from perfect. But companies owe it to themselves and their drivers to enforce safety regulations and obey federal mandates.

A low CSA score is one indication that a company prioritizes safety. Unfortunately, as we discussed, chameleon carriers and other deceptive companies put dangerous trucks and drivers on the roads.

If you’re the victim of serious injury from a wreck caused by a truck driver, you must reach out to qualified truck-wreck attorneys. At Craig, Kelley & Faultless, we have experts who can investigate the crash and the trucker’s company to get to the bottom of your case.

Get in Touch With the Experts at Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC

 David W. Craig sits on the Board of Regents of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (which requires the board certification in truck accident law). He is the managing partner and one of the founding partners of Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC. He is recognized as a Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyer and Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Indiana by the National Trial Lawyers, as well as a Top 50 Indiana lawyer by Super Lawyers. David is the author of Semitruck Wreck, A Guide for Victims and Their Families, written to help people navigate a terrible situation by answering questions that come after a tragic wreck. He also hosts the podcast After the Crash, where you can gain valuable information about the dangers involving semis and large trucks that do not follow Indiana law safety protocol regarding speed, weather conditions, maintenance upkeep, etc.