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 one of my Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs) receive
an “Exceeds the Intervention Threshold” symbol?
Answer
There are two ways a motor carrier can receive a 
symbol in a given BASIC. First,
the Safety Measurement System (SMS) analyzes a carrier's on-road safety performance
based on the new SMS Methodology and that analysis results in a percentile for each
BASIC. If the percentile is over the established Intervention Threshold, a symbol
will appear in the “On Road” column of the SMS.
Second, if a Serious Violation was cited as the result of a carrier investigation
within the past 12 months, the BASIC will show a symbol in the Investigation column
display. The triangle icon will remain present for 12 months regardless of whether
any corrective actions have occurred.
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