How many CSA points is too many?

Ask your potential employer. I think each company may have their own standards. If you are a O/O, your insurance company and your customers, ie. shippers, may have theirs too.

 

From what I am seeing, they are not so much counting points, but violations, some counting convictions and forfeitures, others counting violations. Keep in mind any time you get a warning ticket for speeding it goes on your psp report as a violation, without showing that it is just a warning. In other words when you look at your psp report it will list your inspection history as well as your violations, you can't tell by looking at the report that one was a conviction/forfeiture or just warning. Each carrier has their own standards, until they start loosing business because they can't keep their customers freight moving. In a nutshell, It still helps to be in the right place at the right time.

 

Anyone know how many CSA points a ticket for being over gross is worth??

 

well at my company, if a driver GETS 60 points, he gets fired..

so needless to say, you really do not want ANY points to even start off with in your job search.

i think i'd be kinda careful in asking an employer that question when you go job hunting, as to me at least this is sending a signal that you ALREADY HAVE points, and they may not even touch you.

a driver-leasing company named Ruan, LOOKS AT your driver CSA points...got any...?? NO JOB with them...PERIOD.

so if one has to ask, then one ought to stay put till they SLOWLY drop off in 3 years..!!!

 

Carriers have CSA scores, drivers have PSP points against them.

My company has a 95 CSA score. So I get inspected by DOT every week/ month.

I have a perfect PSP record- no violations so I better find another company to lease on to.

 

All this will heavily depend on the nature of the business contracts between your carrier and their customers. Many customers require a clause in the contract that sets a maximum carrier CSA score. If that score is exceeded the carrier loses the contract.

No carrier wants big contract business to be lost because of a bad CSA score. Customers have long memories. Therefore carriers with high value contracts refuse to hire a driver with a high CSA score, because they inherit that CSA score and it gets added to their existing score.

If you have a high CSA score and need a job, look for smaller carriers that are less likely to have high value contracts. This WILL mean you will be paid less than if you had a clean CSA, because they are likely making less revenue.

 

I imagine some carriers would just look at the number, others at the whole picture.

Your points while driving for carrier 'a' don't transfer to carrier 'b' when you sign on with 'b'. So if there's a pattern of dumbness 'b' probably doesn't want you. If there was a one time deal that ended in a lot of points it may look different to the carrier looking to hire you.

 

Get one thing right here. The fmcsa does NOT have a point system for drivers..