How do you check your CSA score?

See,This is where people get it all WRONG...

Good Trucking companies (Mostly union) Don't fool around with csa-psp-dac because that tells them NOTHING...Too many variables without the driver defending them selves..

A GOOD carrier Checks the simple things in life..

1.Your appearance upon applying(interview)
2.Your Driving Record( Make sure your somewhat safe and not an alcoholic or criminal)
3.Work References (If they so Choose)

Pretty Much it........

See, Good trucking companies KNOW if a person is really looking for a place to retire from and establish themselves with Premium wages and Benefits

 

See,This is where people get it all WRONG...
Good Trucking companies (Mostly union) Don't fool around with csa-psp-dac because that tells them NOTHING...Too many variables without the driver defending them selves..
A GOOD carrier Checks the simple things in life..
1.Your appearance upon applying(interview)
2.Your Driving Record( Make sure your somewhat safe and not an alcoholic or criminal)
3.Work References (If they so Choose)
Pretty Much it........
See, Good trucking companies KNOW if a person is really looking for a place to retire from and establish themselves with Premium wages and Benefits


No argument with that. So where are these 'good carriers'....who, umm, obviously also have some good insurance carriers..??.

 

How do I check my csa

 

That sounds like a silly thing people with bad records tell themselves or were told by a super trucker. You forget that companies look at PSP/MVR/DAC reports ALL day long... They know the difference between a few minor infractions and B.S. stories VS. a person who's DAC and PSP reads like War & Peace. They also know what companies, states and DOT stations are brutal on drivers. Good companies hire good people who take the time to find the good hires. They don't let a COMPETITOR sabotage their company from hiring a decent driver.

With the DAC - did you know there are only drop down, multiple selection answers? They can't write ANYTHING on the DAC, they have to choose standard industry selected terms. There is no spot to "write in" opinions. Most of the time, people talking about DAC reports are full of bologna.

With those reports, Its all about patterns. Thats why DAC/PSP reports should matter to you. Very few companies with more than 25 trucks are going to forego running those reports anymore. They learn to recognize patterns. If one company says something bad, OK... let's see what the others say. If 2 other places say the same thing - it's probably a good indication of the driver's personal tendencies.

Lets say a recruiter has 4 applications in front of him with similar experience levels, lets say... 7 years of driving:

DRIVER A:
Company A says- Quit w/o Notice, Unauthorized Location
Company B says - Satisfactory
Company C says - Satisfactory
Company D says - Satisfactory
Company E says - Satisfactory

DRIVER B:
Company A says- Quit w/o Notice, Unauthorized Location
Company B says - Satisfactory
Company C says - Satisfactory
Company D says - Company Policy Violation
Company E says - Unsatisfactory Safety Record
Company F says- Quit w/o Notice, Unauthorized Location
Company G says - Quit/Dismissed During Orientation
Company H says - Unsatisfactory Safety Record
Company I says - Satisfactory
Company J says - Quit/Dismissed During Orientation
Company K says - Quit under Dispatch
Company L says - Unsatisfactory Safety Record
Company M says - Satisfactory
Company N says - Quit/Dismissed During Orientation
Company O says - Quit/Dismissed During Orientation
Company P says - Unsatisfactory Safety Record
Company Q says - Satisfactory
Company R says - Quit w/o Notice

DRIVER C:
Company A says- Quit w/o Notice
Company B says - Satisfactory
Company C says - Quit w/o Notice
Company D says - Quit w/o Notice, Unauthorized Location
Company E says - Satisfactory
Company F says - Satisfactory
Company G says- Quit w/o Notice
Company H says - Excessive Complaints, Quit w/o Notice

DRIVER D:
Company A says- Excellent
Company B says - Satisfactory

DRIVER E:
No available employment history with HireRight network companies.

Driver A - appears to have made a mistake, but seen the error of his ways, and is working on improving himself and his career. After doing an interview, you find out his wife and kids were in a traffic accident and Company A wouldn't help him get home. Looks legit since he didn't have a pattern of bad 'behaviors', and since it never happened again, it makes his story very credible. He's a decent hire, and could be a diamond in the rough. Driver A represents about 75% of all DAC reports out there. Usually just "Satisfactory" down the board, maybe one negative thing. Again - 3/4ths of DAC reports are boring and just provide dates of employment and say "Satisfactory".

Driver B - Work History seems worrisome. It's a lot longer than what they put on their application. Seems like he left off Company A, D, E, G, J, N, O & P. Falsified application. When they break the news to Driver B that they are going to pass on him based on his work history and DAC report, but would love to talk to him once he gets his work history cleaned up, and gets 18-24 months with a single carrier and a good reference, he's going to say that all of those companies are out to get him, none of it is his fault, they all were stealing his money and/or starving him and they are all liars. He doesn't kiss anyone's butt (Kissing Butt = being professional and being dependable when dispatch needs a favor) and then complains loudly for all to hear that the company plays favorites and gives all the gravy runs to the new guys (Forgetting he is a new guy because he never stays more then 4 months anywhere). He said he doesn't list companies that he only did orientation with, even though he wants to come work for your company and your company could get dinged by DOT for not verifying all of his pre-employment drugs screens. So, he's made his point loud and clear. Then he'll say "and your company is probably a piece of crap too." then hang up the phone, effectively killing his chances down the road as well. These applicants are a waste of time for everyone except huge crappy companies, 2nd chance companies, new "pop-up" 1099 companies, and smaller farms-O/Os-companies that don't have time or money for raises, benefits or pre-employment reports. Then he'll come on the boards and complain about DAC and how he's a perfect driver but no good companies will hire him and its all because of DAC. Unfortunately, This is about 10% of all DAC reports, and represents about 95% of the people who complain about them.

Driver C appears to just be Driver C. No one is going to tell him what to do, he'll never prioritize your company or customers, and he isn't going to be dependable if it is ever inconvenient to him. If Driver C has a bad day, he's just going to quit and go to another company where bad days never happen according to his pal, Driver Z. Wash, Rinse, Repeat. Probably going to pass on Driver C unless the company has lots of opens and is desperate for a temp seat filler. Probably not worth the time, cost and effort they'll put into hiring him. 5% of DAC reports are this.

Driver D - Nice work history, or he could have spent time with smaller companies that don't use DAC. Either way, they have nothing bad to say, and he's looking like someone who's application you should continue to process, and will likely be a good hire. About 5% of DAC reports.

Driver E - No DAC history what-so-ever. It could be that he has been driving mostly local, or oil fields, or running for O/O's. This is an application you will have to continue to process since there was no information provided. About 5% of DAC reports look like this.



Same with PSP - If a driver is consistently getting dinged for lights/brakes/tires, etc - it could be a problem with the company having crappy equipment. But if the PSP report stays constant over multiple employers, it means the driver isn't doing proper Pre/Post trip inspections and could put your company in danger. Sure maybe it won't be THIS driver THIS time - but if a carrier takes enough chances, on enough drivers, eventually one of them will drop the ball, and you could be facing a possible company destroying lawsuit. Better to be safe and go with the driver with a cleaner record.

Again, like DAC, most PSP reports look clean, without violations. Clean inspections are the far overwhelming majority. If your PSP looks like a book, there is probably something you can improve on.

Send all the hate you want - I only spent 2 months helping out in the office, but probably looked at 300+ applications. I am telling you, the 'good' companies, with awesome safety ratings and track records are all running those reports.

Example: This is the company I was working for in the office:


Weird. They run all the reports, know how to use them, and dedicate part of their hiring practices on them and... Well, this is a SHOCK!! They have amazing Safety Ratings...10-15 times better than the National average!

You can keep living in denial, but I am absolutely grateful for my time in the office learning what companies are actually looking at. Here it is, in black and white. Hate the reports - they aren't going away. Do your job professionally, safely and correctly, and use those reports to your advantage!

 

Just remember you can do everything perfect, have no accidents, a perfect record and when your time comes to move over and let the younger come up that perfect record will be gone quickly, stay to long you are top of pay scale, greenies come in at bottom.

 

For short sighted, small companies who can't afford you anymore, maybe. Or easy positions that don't require the amount of money someone's seniority affords them.

But in general, a stable, regional/OTR trucking company that pushes out their trusted vets to be replaced by unknown rookies, in a dangerous job like trucking... this sounds like a fairy tale or a company that is about to close anyways.

Maybe it's true in positions like middle management, professional sports, low/no skill jobs, and local trucking sometimes... But if it happened to you at an actual Trucking Carrier, be thankful because that business strategy is proven to fail time and time again. Is the company still around?

(Oh! Did the owner pass away, and his kid take over? I could see that scenario too...)

 

PS - my company counts your seniority at your last carrier when it comes to starting pay. So if a company is dumb enough to let you go, there are many like mine who won't make you start over to jump over to them!

 

PSP is not part of CSA, and neither rates or scores a driver. PSP is merely a record portal.

 

Actually motor carriers do not have scores either.