Frequently Asked Questions
The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are questions and answers about Compliance,
Safety, Accountability (CSA) that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
(FMCSA) compiled to assist the public. As questions come in through the website,
FMCSA adds them to the database along with their answers. If you do not see your
question or topic addressed, please
contact us
by submitting a feedback form. We will respond to you directly and consider your
question for inclusion in the FAQs.
The FAQ area has recently been enhanced. Users can now search FAQs by stakeholder
group, topics (displayed on the left side of the page), or by entering a keyword
below. Choosing “Show All” will display the entire collection of FAQs.
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How can drivers prepare for Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)?
Answer
As a driver, you can take the following six actions to help successfully navigate
CSA:
- Make sure you understand and follow the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) safety rules and regulations.
As a driver, you share safety responsibilities with your employing motor carrier
in several areas. For example, you must make sure that your vehicle is in safe operating
condition, that you are well-rested and sober when you drive, that you drive within
speed limits, and that you follow Hours-of-Service rules. You can find web-based
driving tips for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operators using
CMV Web-Based Driving Tips.
- Become knowledgeable about the new Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories
(BASICs), and how FMCSA will use them to assess safety. You can learn about the
BASICs and the new Safety Measurement System (SMS) at the
CSA Website.
- Review your Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) record at
http://www.psp.fmcsa.dot.gov and make sure that the information is accurate.
If you find any data that is inaccurate, you can have it reviewed through FMCSA's
DataQs program.
- Keep copies of your inspection reports and review them to see where you can improve.
You should know that CSA considers all roadside safety violations—not just out-of-service
violations. Therefore, under CSA, all roadside inspection results are more important
than ever to you, and your current and future employers.
- Learn about your employer's safety record. Safety information on motor carriers
is publicly available online through the SMS.
- Visit the CSA Website. FMCSA continually updates the
CSA Website with new information and materials. Here, you can find explanations,
answers to questions, articles, factsheets, briefings, and more. You can also sign
up for the email subscription service and RSS feed to get the most up-to-date information,
and submit questions about the new program. Check out the CSA and
drivers page.
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link)