Your CSA score is working against you in ways you might not realize.
What Most Fleet Owners Don’t Know About CSA Scores
Your CSA score doesn’t just affect DOT audits. It directly impacts:
- Insurance premiums (your biggest variable cost)
- Broker freight availability
- Driver recruitment
- Business opportunities (revenue!)
Just as personal driving records influence car insurance premiums, CSA scores affect the insurance rates for trucking companies. Higher scores, triggered by violations or incidents, often increase premiums as insurers view these companies as higher risk.
The Insurance Premium Multiplier
Insurance companies use a multiplier system to price in risk. Insurance companies usually price what they view as the best-performing companies at two times the expected or average annual claim costs. For those they believe to be poorer performing companies, the costs are often three to four times the expected or average claim costs.
That means a poor CSA score could be costing you double—or triple—your actual claim exposure. And with commercial insurance already hardening, carriers are seeing a 25-30% increase in commercial insurance premiums across the board…and it is across the board.
What a Good Score Actually Saves You
Fleets with low CSA scores can save up to 25% annually on insurance premiums, translating into substantial cost reductions for larger operations.
For a 50-truck fleet, that could mean $50,000-$100,000+ in annual insurance savings. That’s not a compliance issue. That’s a profit issue.
How DQ File Violations Damage Your CSA Score
Unsafe Driving and Driver Fitness are two of seven CSA categories. 60% of critical violations found during audits relate to recordkeeping, including 6 out of the top 10.
Ex. 1: Incomplete driver files => Non- Up-to-date MVR’s = Increased Audits = Additional Violations = Higher CSA score = Higher insurance costs.
Ex. 2: Incomplete driver files => Expired Medical Certificate = Direct Violation = Higher CSA score = Higher insurance costs.
It’s a chain reaction. And it starts with disorganized paperwork.
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ComplyDQ: Automated driver file management that keeps your CSA score strong and your insurance costs down.
Sources:
- Morais Agency: Impact of CSA Scores on Commercial Trucking Insurance Rates (2024)
- Risk Strategies: How to Improve Your CSA Score (2024)