How useful are company FMCSA scores?

Law enforcement showed & tow truck involved. People gotta video everything on websites now

 

Just to be clear. With an administrative exception, ALL FMCSA data used for these scores are taken from the inspection reports generated by local and state MCSAP/CVSA/DOT officers. A tow truck having to pull out a truck might appear on that carrier's recordable accident register. Short of that inspection report, it will not show on CSA-2010 scores.

Edited:
That link I posted did not make that last part clear. Most times the FMCSA gets this accident information during an audit either directly or through that exception, I spoke of. If the FMCSA does an audit they will use that accident register and yes that info will find it's way to that carrier's scores.

 

For a newbie you have to start off somewhere and that usually means at least taking a look at the megas but one subtle thing I've noticed that even all the megas aren't created equal. It seems you'll constantly see complaints and horror stories about C.R. England, Swift, Prime, etc. But then there are others which while they may not be the place you'd want to spend an entire career they do seem to be a bit more reasonable in terms of where you can start a career and at least be treated decently while you're getting the all important first couple of years of experience. Here I'm thinking of maybe Crete, Freymiller or even Maverick.

 

The only reason to check a company score is... High score, less shippers will be calling them offering work.
Low score.. . More shippers calling and usually better rates.

 

Shippers actually read and use FMCSA scores to decide rates? Do you have any examples of that?

 

I think people in trucking are way to preoccupied with CSA-2010. If you can get a job and get miles and do so safely what does it matter? I don't know how it is with most of you, but when I was active I got $25 for every clean inspection I received. My last year (2012) I got 3 such clean inspections. You drive for a typecasted carrier and are running legal so what? I know people don't like being delayed and losing their 14-hour clock. In my case, I was most times willing to get inspected because if there was something wrong I dang well wanted to know about it.

Back when I was active I got pulled in many times a year. Most of the time it was just a documents check and they run my CDL. If the officer asked me if I did my pretrip I said yes, but I might have missed something. I tried to stay lighthearted and friendly. Over the years more times then I can count I was advised to inspect something closer and turned loose with a clean inspection. Yes, a few times I got dinged, that's life. I still think a driver should stop worrying about what they can't control and just drive. If you are asked to drive unsafe junk and that carrier won't fix an issue then quit!

 

Yes. Nothing I can show you, but I've seen GM's criteria for accepting bids. One of the criteria is CSA score.
I think the thinking is, the better the score the less likely of delays. Simply better maintained equipment, or less worry of drivers getting sidelined for 10 hours on a log book OOS. With the rise of JIT freight, the receiver needs to know the freight will be there and not on the side of the road.