Avoid These 10 Common Violations for a Better CSA Score

CSA scores shape how carriers are evaluated across the industry. Shippers review them before booking freight, insurance providers use them to set rates, and the FMCSA uses them to determine which carriers receive additional scrutiny. A single roadside inspection can move a carrier’s percentile, which makes understanding the most common violations worth the time.

The FMCSA reported 5,375 large trucks involved in fatal crashes in 2023, a decrease from the prior year but still a figure that reflects why the agency holds carriers and drivers to consistent safety standards. The CSA program is designed to identify risk before it becomes an incident, and many of the violations that affect scores most are also among the easiest to address.

What follows is a review of the seven BASIC categories that make up a CSA score, along with ten of the most common violations carriers encounter at roadside inspections and practical steps for avoiding each one.

CSA BASICs: A Quick Overview

The FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System (SMS) organizes violations into seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories, commonly referred to as BASICs:

• Unsafe Driving: speeding, improper lane changes, distracted driving, seatbelt non-compliance, and reckless behavior
• Crash Indicator: history of crash involvement
• Hours-of-Service Compliance: adherence to HOS regulations and logbook accuracy
• Vehicle Maintenance: brakes, lights, tires, defects, and failure to make required repairs
• Controlled Substances and Alcohol: use or possession of controlled substances or alcohol on duty or in the vehicle
• Hazardous Materials Compliance: improper placarding, leaking containers, and packaging failures
• Driver Fitness: invalid or expired license, or any medical condition that disqualifies a driver from operating a CMV

Each violation carries a point value based on its estimated crash risk. More severe infractions carry higher point totals, and more recent violations are weighted more heavily than older ones, which means a current infraction affects a carrier’s percentile more immediately than one from 18 months ago.

10 Common Violations — and How to Avoid Them

1. Speeding (§392.2S) — Up to 10 Points

Speeding is consistently one of the most-cited violations in roadside inspections. Excessive speeding of 15 or more miles per hour over the posted limit earns a 10-point penalty in the Unsafe Driving BASIC. Lower-range speeding still adds points, and the 2023 FMCSA Roadside Inspection Violations Report shows that driving 6 to 10 MPH over the limit is by far the most common pattern among commercial drivers.

Speed violations are also among the most straightforward for inspectors to document. Consistent adherence to posted limits, including construction zones and school zones which carry added weight, is the most direct way to keep this category clean.

2. Failing to Use a Seat Belt (§392.16) — 8 Points

Seat belt violations carry 8 points under the Unsafe Driving category, making them one of the more costly single infractions a driver can receive at a roadside inspection. According to the 2023 FMCSA Roadside Inspection Violations Report, failing to use a seat belt accounted for roughly 1 in every 20 CSA violations across all commercial drivers that year.

Beyond the score impact, an unbelted driver in a serious crash faces significantly greater risk of injury or death. It is also one of the most visible compliance items an inspector can check.

3. Unsafe Tires (§393.75) — Out-of-Service Risk

Flat tires, audible leaks, and insufficient tread depth are among the most frequently flagged vehicle maintenance issues at roadside inspections. According to the 2023 FMCSA Roadside Inspection Violations Report, inspectors recorded tens of thousands of tire-related violations that year across both pressure and tread categories. Tires in poor condition can trigger an out-of-service order, which prevents the driver from continuing until the issue is resolved and still results in a violation on record.

Tire pressure checks and tread inspections are straightforward additions to a pre-trip routine and catch most of these issues before a run begins.

4. Damaged or Discolored Windshield (§393.60C) — 1 Point

Windshield violations carry just one point, but they are cited tens of thousands of times each year and represent one of the more preventable entries on this list. Cracked, discolored, or obstructed glass that limits the driver’s field of view is a citable offense under §393.60C, and it is also one of the more visible inspection items. Damage that might go unnoticed during a busy turnaround is exactly what a roadside inspector is looking for.

Carriers can reduce windshield violations significantly by including glass condition in pre-trip inspection checklists and addressing chips or cracks before they spread.

5. Inoperable Required Lamp (§393.9) — High Frequency, Multiple Point Levels

Inoperable lighting is the single most common category of CSA violations year over year, comprising more than 11% of all violations recorded in the 2023 FMCSA Roadside Inspection Violations Report. Corrosion in electrical systems and accumulated road debris are the most frequent causes. Turn signal failures (§393.9TS) account for tens of thousands of additional incidents on top of headlight and brake lamp violations and are worth treating as a separate checkpoint item.

Lamp condition is straightforward to verify before a run. A walk-around that includes a second person checking rear brake lights and signals while the driver cycles through them catches the majority of these issues before they reach the roadside.

6. DUI or Alcohol Possession (§392.5) — 10 Points

Any detectable presence of alcohol on an on-duty commercial driver, whether in their system or in an open container in the cab, is a severe violation under §392.5. The FMCSA imposes a 10-point penalty, and depending on the circumstances, drivers may also face license suspension or disqualification from operating a commercial vehicle.

CDL holders are subject to a 0.04% BAC limit while on duty, half the standard civilian threshold. Carriers should make sure drivers understand that off-duty consumption timing matters as well. A run that begins before alcohol has fully cleared a driver’s system can still result in a detectable BAC at the roadside.

7. Hours of Service (§395) — Varies by Violation

Hours-of-service compliance is one of the most complex BASIC categories, with dozens of ways to incur a violation. Common infractions include exceeding the 11-hour drive limit, logbook errors, failure to account for full on-duty hours, and false reporting of duty status. Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) have made accurate recordkeeping more consistent, but violations persist, particularly around restart rules and 30-minute break requirements.

For a full breakdown of DOT hours of service regulations and how they apply to different operating situations, including 34-hour restarts, split sleeper berths, and the short-haul exemption, that article covers each rule in detail. Carriers should also audit ELD data on a regular basis rather than waiting for a roadside inspection to surface a compliance gap.

8. Operating Without a Valid CDL (§383.23) — 8 Points

Operating a commercial vehicle without a valid CDL is an 8-point infraction under the Driver Fitness BASIC and has appeared in nearly 5% of all CSA infractions in recent years. A lost, expired, or suspended license all fall under this category. CDL expiration is the most common cause, and it is one that carriers can address systematically rather than reactively.

Maintaining a renewal calendar for every driver in the fleet, with reminders set well ahead of expiration dates, gives drivers sufficient time to complete the renewal process without any gap in driving eligibility. A 30-day advance notice window is a reasonable minimum.

9. Failing to Secure Cargo (§392.9, §393.100–142) — 1, 3, or 7 Points

Unsecured or improperly secured cargo that shifts, spills, or falls during transit is a Vehicle Maintenance violation under §392.9 and §393.100–142. Point values range from 1 to 7 depending on the severity of the infraction and whether the load posed an active road hazard. Pre-trip cargo checks that confirm tie-down counts, tension, and load positioning should be a standard part of every loaded departure.

Carriers moving specialized freight should also be familiar with commodity-specific securement rules, which vary for flatbed loads, pipe, logs, and oversized or open-deck shipments. The requirements for these load types go beyond general securement standards and are worth reviewing separately.

10. Lane Restriction Violation (§392.2LV) — Points Vary by Severity

Posted lane restrictions govern where commercial vehicles can operate on interstates and highways, and violations under §392.2LV carry points in the Unsafe Driving BASIC. Common infractions include failing to observe truck-only lane signage and operating in center or left lanes beyond what is permitted, with limited exceptions for passing slower vehicles. Enforcement varies by state and corridor, but citations apply the same way regardless of whether a driver was familiar with the local rules.

Drivers who regularly run high-traffic urban corridors benefit from knowing the specific lane restrictions for those routes ahead of time. Dispatch can also help by flagging known restriction zones during load planning, particularly for less familiar lanes or new markets.

11. Texting While Driving (§392.80) — 10 Points

Texting while driving carries an immediate 10-point penalty in the Unsafe Driving BASIC, making it one of the most severe single-incident violations in the CSA system. According to the 2023 FMCSA Roadside Inspection Violations Report, texting citations are relatively rare among commercial drivers as a share of total violations, but the consequences are significant. At 55 mph, five seconds of looking at a phone covers roughly the length of a football field without eyes on the road.

Mobile devices should be secured and out of reach during any active driving. Carriers using in-cab communication systems should confirm that those systems meet FMCSA hands-free requirements before drivers rely on them.

Stay Ahead of Your Score

Most of the violations covered in this article are preventable. The infractions that accumulate most frequently, including lamps, tires, seat belts, and HOS documentation, tend to surface during pre-trip inspections when drivers are thorough, and to slip through when inspections are rushed or skipped.

A consistent pre-departure checklist that covers lighting, tires, cargo securement, paperwork, and driver credentials addresses the majority of these issues before a run begins. Beyond the pre-trip routine, carriers should audit ELD data on a regular schedule, track CDL expiration dates across the full driver roster, and review FMCSA SMS data for their fleet at least monthly.

When violations do appear on a record, the steps a carrier takes afterward matter. Newer infractions carry more weight, but a consistent run of clean inspections following a violation will begin to move the percentile back over time. For guidance on disputing errors and improving a score that has already taken a hit, see How to Resolve a Poor CSA Score.

Frequently Asked Questions