Question 1

What does the CSA Score Checker actually show?

Accepted Answer

Four things FMCSA publishes without authentication: (1) your current safety rating - Satisfactory, Conditional, Unsatisfactory, or Not Rated; (2) your driver-side out-of-service rate computed from FMCSA’s stored inspection totals; (3) your vehicle-side out-of-service rate; and (4) your 24-month recordable crash count. We compare your OOS rates to FMCSA’s published national averages so you can see where you stand.

Question 2

Why don’t I see my full BASIC percentiles?

Accepted Answer

The Safety Measurement System (SMS) percentile data - your specific percentile for Unsafe Driving, Crash Indicator, HOS, Vehicle Maintenance, Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances, and Hazmat - lives behind a DOT-login gate. FMCSA only shows percentiles publicly for carriers flagged for intervention. We link directly to your SMS profile so you can sign in and pull the full breakdown.

Question 3

What’s a "good" out-of-service rate?

Accepted Answer

The FMCSA national averages are about 5.5% for driver OOS and 20.7% for vehicle OOS. If your rates are below those numbers, you’re in line with the industry. Above the national average is where FMCSA starts paying attention - not instantly cause for panic, but a signal to audit your driver-qualification files, pre-trip inspections, and hours-of-service logs before an investigator shows up.

Question 4

What’s the difference between Satisfactory, Conditional, and Unsatisfactory?

Accepted Answer

Satisfactory is FMCSA’s top tier - you’ve had a compliance review and passed. Conditional means you had a review and the investigator found deficiencies you’re still expected to correct; you can keep operating while you fix them. Unsatisfactory is the worst rating: it typically accompanies an out-of-service order and blocks interstate operation until you complete a corrective action plan + upgrade request.

Question 5

What does "Not Rated" mean? Am I in trouble?

Accepted Answer

No — most motor carriers are Not Rated. FMCSA only assigns a formal rating after a compliance review, and the agency audits a small percentage of carriers each year. If your public inspection data is clean and you’re current on MCS-150, being Not Rated is completely normal. The concern is when you’re Not Rated AND your OOS rates are above the national average — that pattern often precedes an audit.

Question 6

How fresh is this data?

Accepted Answer

We pull from FMCSA’s live SAFER/MCMIS feed with a 24-hour cache. Safety ratings update within 48 hours of FMCSA publishing a change. Inspection totals refresh monthly when FMCSA commits the month-end file. Crash totals lag 2–3 weeks due to state reporting.

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