TruckCodex

Understanding Your FMCSA Safety Score

The FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS) evaluates carriers using 7 Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs).

How SMS Works

SMS uses data from roadside inspections, crash reports, and investigation results to calculate percentile scores for each carrier in 7 BASICs. Scores range from 0 to 100, where higher percentiles indicate worse relative performance compared to peer carriers.

Carriers are grouped by safety event type (number of inspections) and compared against similar-sized carriers. Violations are weighted by time (more recent = higher weight) and severity.

When a carrier exceeds an intervention threshold, FMCSA may issue a warning letter, conduct a compliance investigation, or initiate enforcement action.

The 7 BASICs

Unsafe Driving Threshold: 65%

Speeding, reckless driving, improper lane change, failure to use seatbelt, and cell phone use.

Time and severity weighted

Hours-of-Service (HOS) Threshold: 65%

Operating beyond HOS limits, falsifying logs, and failing to keep records of duty status.

Time and severity weighted

Driver Fitness Threshold: 80%

Operating without a valid CDL, medical certificate, or required endorsements.

Time and severity weighted

Controlled Substances / Alcohol Threshold: 80%

Positive drug/alcohol tests, refusal to test, and violations of controlled substance regulations.

Time and severity weighted

Vehicle Maintenance Threshold: 80%

Brake, lighting, and other mechanical defects found during inspections.

Time and severity weighted

Hazardous Materials Threshold: 80%

Improper placarding, loading, containment, and documentation for hazmat shipments.

Time and severity weighted

Crash Indicator Threshold: 65%

History of state-reported crashes including severity (fatal, injury, tow-away).

Time and severity weighted

How to Improve Your Score

  • Fix vehicle defects before inspections (pre-trip checks)
  • Ensure all drivers have current CDLs and medical cards
  • Implement ELD compliance and HOS training
  • Challenge incorrect violations through DataQs
  • Request a compliance review if scores improve

Key Facts

  • Data window: 24 months of inspections and crashes
  • Updated monthly by FMCSA
  • Peer groups based on number of safety events
  • More recent violations weighted more heavily
  • Only carriers with sufficient data receive percentiles

Related Resources

Violation Codes Inspection Reference Roadside Rights Compliance Guide

Related pages

Index
Trucking Knowledge Base
Guides, explainers, and reference material.
Reference
FMCSA Roadside Inspections
Inspection levels and procedures.
Reference
FMCSA Violation Codes
Violation codes by BASIC category.
Tool
Search Carriers
Look up carriers by USDOT, name, or VIN.

Data sources & freshness

TruckCodex aggregates official public-sector datasets. See the Source registry for dataset-level coverage and the Freshness log for last-import timestamps.

FMCSA

Census, SAFER, SMS, Licensing & Insurance (L&I), roadside inspections, crashes, and authority history.

Refreshed daily.
NHTSA

Vehicle recall campaigns, defect investigations, and consumer safety complaints (SCRS).

Refreshed daily.
EIA

Retail diesel and gasoline price history and state fuel-tax tables.

Refreshed weekly.
Transport Canada

Cross-border carrier registry and Canadian recall campaigns where applicable.

Refreshed weekly.

TruckCodex is an independent aggregator; it is not affiliated with FMCSA, NHTSA, EIA, or Transport Canada. Always verify compliance-critical information directly with the originating agency.