The SMS uses data from roadside inspections and crash reports from the last two years, and data from investigations to identify and intervene with motor carriers that pose the greatest risk to safety.

FMCSA updates the SMS once a month and organizes the data into seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs). The SMS groups carriers by BASIC with other carriers that have a similar number of safety events and then ranks carriers and assigns a percentile to prioritize them for interventions. To learn about SMS’s effectiveness, visit the SMS Effectiveness Test page.

Complete SMS results are available to enforcement users and carriers that are logged into their own safety profiles. For more information on what SMS data is available to the public, review this FAQ.

Learn more about the Basics

Unsafe Driving

Unsafe Driving CSA Safety ScoresThe Unsafe Driving BASIC prioritizes interventions for repeated unsafe behaviors, including:

  • Texting
  • Speeding
  • Using a hand-held cell phone
  • Reckless driving
  • Improper lane change
  • Inattention

Learn more about the Unsafe Driving 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

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/AlcoholThis 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

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

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

JDW Truckers Insurance offer commercial truck insurance quotes from the top rated commercial truck insurance companies in:

AL – AR – FL – GA – IL – IN – MO – MS – NC – NV – OH – PA – SC – TN – TX – VA

Owner operators truck insurance requirements:

  • Primary Liability (AL) $1,000,000 to get load from shippers and brokers. The FMCAS only requires $750,000 to get authorize to haul but as mentioned most you haul for will require the $1,000,000.
  • Motor Truck Cargo. In most cases $100,000 will be needed to get loads but some cargo you may haul will have higher cargo limit requirement, which we can help you meet the higher motor truck cargo limits if you are requirement to have higher limits.
  • Physical Damage (PD) is coverage provided to replace or repair not only your trucks and/or trailers if they are damaged but also is design to cover non-owned trailers and trailer interchange.
  • Trailer Interchange (TI) and Non-Owned Trailer coverage can have different physical damage limit requirements. And is required but shippers and others when you use one of their trailers. Two examples: 1) The UIIA will require at least $25,000 in trailer interchange to work with the equipment providers (in some cases higher).  Amazon Relay currently has the physical damage requirement for trailer replacement set at $50,000.
  • Excess Liability can be used to satisfy higher limit requirements for primary liability and/or cargo. For example if you are hauling fuel then you will be required to have $1,000,000 in primary liability and then an excess liability policy of $4,000,000 for a total of $5,000,000 in liability coverages.
  • General Liability (GL) can be required and is always a good idea to have in place as it relatively in expensive. In most cases if general liability required the limits are $1,000,000 with $2,000,000 general aggregate. Examples: The UIIA require general liability, Amazon relay requires GL and flatbed operations are advise to have general liability.
  • Refrigeration Breakdown or Reefer Breakdown coverage will be required if you are hauling perishable cargo such as fresh produce, frozen foods or other cargo that must be kept at a required temperature. You want to make sure you understand your reefer breakdown coverages. Some commercial truck insurance companies will offer coverages but with terms. For example they might offer reefer breakdown coverage but have a higher deductible based on the age of your reefer unit.