"CSA Score" is the informal, widely-used shorthand for a carrier's BASICs percentiles under FMCSA's CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) program — technically there's no single number called a "CSA score," but the term has become common industry shorthand for the overall picture the seven BASICs percentiles paint together. CSA was introduced in 2010 to replace an older, less granular safety-rating system with something that updates continuously from roadside inspection data rather than relying only on infrequent on-site compliance reviews. Brokers, shippers, and insurance underwriters frequently reference "CSA scores" informally when discussing a carrier's risk profile, even though what they usually mean is a specific BASIC percentile or the general trend across all seven. Because the underlying data refreshes monthly, a carrier's standing can shift meaningfully over a few months — a clean profile from a year ago isn't a guarantee of current performance, which is part of why live BASICs data matters more than a single static score. Understanding the difference between the formal Safety Rating and the informally-named "CSA score" is one of the more common points of confusion in the industry.
When someone asks "what's their CSA score," they usually mean the BASICs percentile breakdown, not a formal FMCSA safety rating.
This is the informal name for the data shown in the BASICs Safety Breakdown section of every carrier profile.