FMCSA Scores?

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by jamespgh, Mar 5, 2015.

  1. jamespgh

    jamespgh Bobtail Member

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    How important are CSA scores when deciding which company to work for? I have two flatbed companies lined up for after finishing CDL school this month. In regards to the unsafe driving category, my #1 pick is at 72% which is in the "intervention threshold" which means "the carrier may be prioritized for an intervention action and roadside inspections."

    My #2 company is at 60% in the same category and has 1000 more tractors on the road. All other categories are relatively the same.

    Your thoughts....
     
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  3. pattyj

    pattyj Road Train Member

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    The higher the score the worse it is,60%does'nt sound too bad considering how many drivers they have.Other then the percentage,did you look at every category for that carrier?
     
  4. JJKid

    JJKid Medium Load Member

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    doesnt sound bad at all. unsafe basic score is a bad way to judge a carrier IMO.. that score really depends on the units a company has. it's kind of stupid... actually the whole csa system is stupid.

    you should probably take a look closer look at hours of service & vehicle maintenance basic score...
     
    Klleetrucking Thanks this.
  5. Clyde07

    Clyde07 Heavy Load Member

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    The company with the 72 is likely to get less green lights at the Pre-Pass scales and more likely to be inspected by bored Leo's.
     
  6. TLeaHeart

    TLeaHeart Road Train Member

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    what I look at is where are the points coming from? lots of driving over the HOS, tells me the company pushes the drivers. Lots of mechanical issues, tells me the maintenance of the trucks is bad.

    And the higher the scores, the fewer passes the company gets at the scale houses, and more inspections.
     
  7. Opus

    Opus Road Train Member

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    my opinion is that in many ways, the FMCSA score reflects the overall operation of the company as a whole. Ask yourself this, how many well run, well respected companies have a jacked up FMCSA score.......think about it and good luck.
     
    chalupa Thanks this.
  8. chalupa

    chalupa Road Train Member

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    Exactly. The higher the score the worse the place is run and the harder hands are pushed or allowed to push themselves. Many large carriers have excellent scores simply because the pay good and don't tolerate boot legging.

    It's an excellent tool to judge a carrier by and your in good company. The FMCSA system reports are used by many large shippers like Exxon, Occidental and Dow to judge a carrier. It shines a light in a dark corner of this industry.

    Good luck
     
  9. ChromeDome

    ChromeDome Road Train Member

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    Many times the higher score in unsafe driving will reflect more on where the trucks are running.
    This is where the points go for 5+ MPH over the speed limit, which is a warning ticket that many troopers like to use as an excuse to pull you over in some states.
    It also points at company's having lower settings on speed governors. Since the drivers of trucks going less than 65 have a habit of going as fast as they can at all times. Thus they get more speeding tickets, when in area's with lower speed limits.
    improper lane change and other things fall into this category also.
    Go deeper into the info and see what the tickets are for. 70 is not that bad a score, most of the big boys have high scores in most categories.
     
    dedrouteCO Thanks this.
  10. jamespgh

    jamespgh Bobtail Member

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    My #1 pick was 7% for OOS and 30% for maintenance, well under intervention in both. My #2 pick was 17% and 66% respectively, granted they own 1000 more vehicles.
     
  11. jamespgh

    jamespgh Bobtail Member

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    Thanks for your feedback. I did compare the two and looked at the summary for violations from high to low. Highest in the 6-10 mph over speed limit category.

    #1 pick with 1400 vehicles
    View attachment 80138

    #2 pick with 2400 vehicles
    View attachment 80137
     
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