CSA scores are they useful?

This ^

As a rule the worse the score then the worse the quality of equipment or drivers. Sometimes both. If you got bad drivers and/or bad equipment thats usually a sign that they are going to screw with you. Afterall if they tolerate #### equipment and piss poor drivers. You gotta ask why. And it usually boils down to "cheap"

 

Yes. I always look into company snap shot when looking for a carrier to work for. Like stated above if they have a OOS % very high. Or if the % is hovering at or just below the national average it’s a BZZT for me jack!

 

Hello! The SMS system is absolutely a legit and valuable resource both for motor carriers and drivers. As mentioned above the OOS rate is a very good indicator of a company's safety culture.
Keep in mind the data represented is within a 24-month rolling period and sometimes does not accurately indicate the overall safety stance; for example, a carrier may only have 2 CVSA level I, II, or V inspections in the past 24 months; if 1of the 2 inspections is out-of-service they would have a 50% OOS rate. DOTs utilize a sampling chart based on carrier size to calculate the OOS rate when conducting investigations and they will only "look" at the last 12 months. In that same scenario 1 of 2, when one inspection drops-off it could mean 100% OOS or 100% clean depending on which inspection is dropping off. So, keep in mind the 24-month OOS rate CAN be slightly deceptive in a small inspection accumulation scenario.
Also: another tool within the SMS website allows you to download an EXCEL file per BASIC which indicate the roadside inspections and violation data in a public view (it hides crashes and driver info). You can also get the 24-month OOS rate info by google search "FMCSA SAFER" and the SAFER portal will have the same OOS info.
Hope this helps!
Be safe out there!