Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)

Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) is a program developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation to monitor and enforce safety compliance for commercial motor vehicle carriers and drivers.

The program is administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and is designed to improve road safety by identifying high-risk carriers and encouraging adherence to federal regulations. It uses data from roadside inspections, crash reports, and investigations to evaluate safety performance over time.

CSA is built around three core components:

• Safety Measurement System (SMS): Tracks and scores carrier safety performance across key safety categories
• Interventions: Actions taken when safety issues are identified, ranging from warning letters to more in-depth audits
• Safety Fitness Determination (SFD): Determines whether a carrier is fit to operate based on overall safety performance

By continuously monitoring safety data, CSA gives regulators a clearer picture of risk across the industry. For carriers and fleet operators, it creates a structured way to measure performance, address issues early, and maintain compliance.