FMCSA Initiatives

CSA 2010 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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CSA 2010

Under CSA 2010, CMV carrier and driver safety performance records will be more important than ever and all safety-based violations from roadside inspections will count, not just OOS violations. Drivers should know what CSA 2010 will mean for them and how they can prepare for this important, new safety program.

Why does FMCSA's new CSA 2010 program emphasize driver safety enforcement?

Studies have shown that unsafe driver behavior, both on the part of CMV drivers and other drivers, is a major contributor to CMV-related crashes. Some studies indicate that a small segment of the CMV driver population is involved in a disproportionately large number of crashes. As a result, during the CSA 2010 Operational Model Test, FMCSA is expanding its approach to identifying and addressing unsafe drivers during interventions with motor carriers.

Can you describe the CSA 2010 driver safety enforcement process?

The driver safety enforcement process provides FMCSA with the tools to identify CMV drivers with safety performance problems and to verify and address the issues. The new tools enable Safety Investigators (SIs) to identify drivers with poor safety histories who work for carriers that have been identified as requiring a CSA 2010 investigation. If the investigation results verify the driver violation(s), FMCSA takes an enforcement action against that driver, such as a Notice of Violation (NOV) or a Notice of Claim (NOC).

What kinds of driver safety performance data is CSA 2010 looking at?

The new program focuses on driver enforcement for serious rule violations, such as:

  • Driving while disqualified
  • Driving without a valid commercial driver's license
  • Making a false entry on a medical certificate
  • Committing numerous Hours-of-Service violations

Do tickets or warnings that drivers receive while operating their personal vehicles impact the new SMS?

No. Tickets or warnings that drivers receive while operating their personal cars are State citations and do not count in the new measurement system. SMS only uses violations of FMCSA's regulations, and those regulations only apply to people driving large CMVs. In measuring on-road safety performance, SMS uses all safety-based violations documented at roadside inspections as well as State reported crashes.

Will CSA 2010 assign safety ratings to individual CMV drivers?

I heard that CSA 2010 is designed to rate CMV drivers and to put many of them out of work this summer. Is that true?

No. Under CSA 2010, individual CMV drivers will not be assigned safety ratings or Safety Fitness Determinations (SFDs). Consistent with the current safety rating regulations (49 CFR part 385), individual drivers who operate independently as a "motor carrier" (i.e. have their own USDOT number, operating authority, and insurance) will continue to be rated as a motor carrier, as they are today, following an onsite investigation at their place of business. CSA 2010 is designed to meet one overriding objective: to increase safety on the Nation's roads. Therefore, it is, by design, a positive program for drivers and carriers with strong safety performance records. CSA 2010 sends a strong message that drivers and carriers with poor safety performance histories need to improve.

What is the Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) and when does it start?

PSP is a new FMCSA program mandated by Congress that is designed to assist the motor carrier industry in assessing individual operators' crash and serious safety violation history as a pre-employment condition. The program is voluntary. It is not part of CSA 2010. The system is expected to launch in 2010. For more information about PSP, visit FMCSA's PSP website

What is the detailed process for drivers to contest information contained in their FMCSA driver records?

Drivers should use FMCSA's DataQs system to challenge data in FMCSA databases. To do this, drivers can go to the DataQs registration page, select "Register Online" as a general public user, and create a DataQs account profile. Once registered, drivers can challenge their data by following detailed instructions in the help menu. The Agency is in the process of improving the DataQs Website to make the process of challenging data more apparent to drivers.

CSA 2010

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What is CSA 2010?

CSA 2010

Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 (CSA 2010) is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Agency's enforcement and compliance program.


Under CSA 2010, FMCSA will:

  • Reach more CMV carriers earlier and more frequently
  • Improve efficiency of carrier investigations by focusing on specific unsafe behaviors, identifying causes, and requiring corrective actions
  • Hold carriers and drivers accountable for their safety performance, demanding and enforcing safe on-road performance

How will this change affect drivers?

  • Unsafe carrier and driver behaviors that lead to crashes will be identified and addressed
  • All safety-based roadside inspection violations will count, not just out-of-service (OOS) violations
  • Drivers will be more accountable for safe on-road performance - good news for drivers with strong safety performance records

What can drivers do to prepare for the change?

  1. Know and follow safety rules and regulations
  2. Become knowledgeable about the new Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs) and how FMCSA will assess safety under CSA 2010
    Review the Safety Measurement System (SMS) methodology document
  3. Keep copies of inspection reports
  4. Learn about employers' safety records
  5. Know the Facts

CSA 2010 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Online Resources

CSA 2010: Facts

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With so much at stake with the new CSA 2010 initiative and not enough education on the subject, here are a few facts to consider:

  • Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 (CSA 2010) does not give the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) the authority to remove 175,000 drivers from their jobs and cannot be used to rate drivers or to revoke a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). FMCSA does not have the authority to take those actions. Only State agencies responsible for issuing licenses, CDL or otherwise, have the authority to suspend them. CSA 2010 does introduce a driver safety assessment tool to help enforcement staff evaluate drivers’ safety as part of motor carrier investigations.
  • Using the new Safety Measurement System (SMS), FMCSA continues to hold motor carriers responsible for the job performance of those who work for them. Therefore, motor carriers are held accountable for their drivers’ errors such as speeding. This is a longstanding FMCSA position and is not unique to CSA 2010 or the new SMS.
  • Carriers who are considering hiring drivers can review "Driver Profiles" if the drivers have authorized the release of their information. These profiles are compiled from FMCSA’s Driver Information Resource (DIR) and will be available to carriers through FMCSA’s new Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP). Drivers can view their own profiles. PSP is only available as a pre-screening tool and not for use in evaluating current drivers. PSP was mandated by Congress and is not a part of CSA 2010.
  • While some third party vendors are developing and marketing CSA 2010 driver scorecards, consumers should know that these companies do not have access to the driver violation histories in the FMCSA databases despite some claims that they do. FMCSA has not and will not validate any vendors’ scorecards or data. Also, keep in mind that the SMS is subject to change prior to its launch in response to the test results.
  • Potentially erroneous violations on carrier/driver records can be submitted for review. The DataQs system (https://dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov), which does not change under CSA 2010, allows motor carriers and drivers to make a Request for Data Review (RDR) of information that resides in FMCSA databases such as crash and inspection reports.