Skip to Content
CSA - Compliance, Safety, Accountability
Skip Navigation LinksHome > Frequently Asked Questions
Filter Options (clear)

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.

Search Results (reset search)
  1. What is included in the Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories' (BASICs) details of the Safety Measurement System (SMS)? Answer

    Each BASIC's details page, except where noted, consists of five parts:

    • BASIC Overall Status: A Exceeds Intervention Threshold symbol, based on the data, indicates that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration may prioritize a motor carrier for further monitoring, and the reason (roadside and/or investigation results).
    • Data Center: Provides a means to download the roadside and investigation data that SMS uses. Users can download data in Excel (XLS) or XML format for the selected BASIC or for all BASICs.
    • On-road Performance Detail tab: Provides the SMS measure, assigned percentile, and supporting information for the selected BASIC. This includes a summary listing of violations and their violation weights, and a listing of the relevant inspections for the BASIC. The full inspection report can also be accessed from this section.
    • Investigation Results Detail tab: Identifies whether a Serious Violation was discovered during the previous 12 months from the SMS data snapshot date. If a Serious Violation was discovered, the violation and the date it was cited are listed.
    • Performance Tools tab: Presents a series of graphs that can assist a motor carrier in determining its performance under the selected BASIC. Two graphs are provided: one lists the relevant inspections versus the inspections with a violation in the selected BASIC by month for the 24-month period of the SMS results, and the second graph presents the SMS results for the entire safety event group in the selected BASIC. The graph presents the measure on the vertical axis and the percentile on the horizontal axis for the safety event group.
    (link)