New Authority Insurance CSA Scores – Tips to Succeed

Setting up a trucking operation with your new authority involves a lot of time and money. You are ready to get on road hauling to make money. Many first year trucking operations do not realize how important managing your CSA Scores can affect your business for many years to come. Safety management can save you money and insurance companies like to work with trucking operations who have a safety management plan in place.

Now your insurance is place and you are authorized to start hauling loads.

Before you make your first run – Do at least these three tasks.

  1. Make sure your truck and trailer are in tip top shape.
  2. Make sure all drivers have the proper paperwork on hand.
  3. Be organized.

If you start off failing inspections then you are starting in the hole. Insurance companies will monitor CSA scores and if you start off failing you will have to dig yourself out of a hole. In some cases your commercial truck insurance company may have the right to cancel your truck insurance policy and/or they may wait until the end of the year and not offer a renewal.

If you are cancelled or not renewed for any reason this in most cases will lead to you have to pay higher commercial truck insurance rates. Worst case is you could become non insurable.

Simply put:

  • If you fail your first inspection your are at 100% fail.
  • Then if you pass your second. You are at 1 and 1 with a 50% CSA Score
  • Even if you pass your third. You are 3 and 1 with a 33% CSA Score.
  • Keep in mind 20% or below if were you wish for your CSA Scores to be, so that means you have to pass your 4th inspection to just to get even.

Your CSA Scores stay with your DOT# for 24 months. They follow the DOT# not the driver. This means if you are the only driver and fail inspections. This is on you and can increase your insurance rates or even get your policy cancelled.

If you have drivers and they are failing inspections. They can leave your company but their fails stay with your DOT #. This can increase your commercial truck insurance rates and even, as mentioned, get your policy cancelled.

ISS Scores (CSA)

Recommendation ISS Inspection Value
Inspect (inspection warranted) 75-100
Optional (may be worth a look) 50-74
Pass (no inspection required) 1-49

 

Here some examples of violations. Study them. Use them as as guide to make sure your truck, your driver and your paper work are in order before hitting the road. Keep in mind we are talking about ways that could save you money and keep your in business.

Know the basics rating factors. Use them as guidelines to prepare your trucks, trailers and driver for going on the road and passing inspections. In many cases at when your reach the end of your first year in business. And you do so with good CSA Scores this could get you lower offers on your commercial truck insurance rates.

Driver Fitness

csa Driver Fitness

This BASIC addresses driving records. Motor carriers are responsible for ensuring driver qualification files are complete and current. Required files for each and every driver include commercial drivers’ licenses (CDLs), medical certificates, State driving records, annual reviews of driving records, and employment applications.

Learn more about the Driver Fitness BASIC

Vehicle Maintenance

csa Vehicle Maintenance

This BASIC considers proper vehicle maintenance to help ensure safety on the road, including pre- and post-trip inspections, vehicle defects, and repairs.

Learn more about the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC

Controlled Substances/Alcohol

csa Controlled Substances/Alcohol

This BASIC addresses misuse of alcohol, illegal drugs, and over-the-counter and prescription medications that impair driving abilities and endanger everyone’s safety on the road. Having containers of alcoholic beverages in CMV cabs, whether open or not, is a violation.

Learn more about the Controlled Substances/Alcohol BASIC

Crash Indicator

csa Crash Indicator

State-reported crashes from the last two years are collected in this BASIC to help identify patterns of high crash involvement and the behaviors or set of behaviors that contributed to the crash. Crashes involving commercial motor vehicles, as defined in 49 CFR 390.5, are reportable if they result in a fatality or injury, or require a vehicle to be transported from the crash scene, regardless of the carrier or driver’s role in the crash.

The Crash Indicator BASIC is not public. It is only available to a motor carrier that is logged into its own safety profile, or to enforcement personnel.

Learn more about the Crash Indicator BASIC

Hours-of-Service (HOS) Compliance

csa Hours-of-Service (HOS) Compliance

This BASIC addresses requirements for all large truck and bus drivers to ensure that they are alert, awake, and able to respond quickly.

For the latest information and resources on HOS, visit FMCSA’s Website.

Learn more about the HOS Compliance BASIC

Hazardous Materials (HM) Compliance

csa Hazardous Materials (HM) Compliance

This BASIC includes regulations that require special attention, from how to properly package, mark, label, placard, and load HM, to understanding regulations for tank specification testing, loading/unloading, attendance, and leakage.

The HM Compliance BASIC is not public. It is only available to a motor carrier that is logged into its own safety profile or to enforcement personnel.

Learn more about the HM Compliance BASIC

The bottom line is Pass your Inspections. Do not send an unfit driver on the road and do not send a truck and/or trailer on the road that will not pass inspections. Failing either or both could cost you money by increasing your commercial truck insurance rates. And in some cases get your policy cancelled early, which could increase your rates when we start shopping for a replacement policy.

 

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