The FMCSA uses 7 driving improvement categories to determine a carrier's safety performance relative to other carriers. The Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories or (BASICs) are used to determine a carriers CSA score and to measure how safely the carrier operates.
The BASICs organize data from roadside inspections, including driver and vehicle violations, crash reports from the last two years, and investigation results. Violations adversely affect your company’s SMS results for two years and may prioritize your company for an FMCSA intervention, ranging from warning letters to full Onsite Investigations that could result in an Out-of-Service Order (OOSO) or a change to your company’s safety rating.
Your safety performance and compliance impact your employer’s safety records—and your own. With driver consent, carriers can use FMCSA’s Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) as a pre- employment screening tool to see a driver’s five-year crash and three-year inspection history.
The 7 BASICs are:
The Unsafe Driving BASIC prioritizes interventions for repeated unsafe behaviors, including
Which Federal regulations relate to this BASIC?
49 CFR Parts 392 and 397 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs).
Click here for the complete list of violations that fall under the unsafe driving BASIC
Common unsafe driving violations are
| Driving Violation | Relevant Code |
| Moving violations | 392.2 |
| Failing to use seat belt |
392.16 |
| Using a hand-held cell phone |
392.82 |
| Unauthorized passenger |
392.60 |
| Wheel flaps missing or defective | 392.2WC |
| Failing to secure load | 392.9(a)(2) |
| Failing to conduct pre-trip inspection | 392.7(a) |
Violations recorded on a roadside inspection report are used in the SMS, regardless of whether a State officer also issues a citation (i.e., ticket) or a verbal warning. If a driver or carrier receives violations on a roadside inspection report, they can request a review of the data through DataQs. The SMS does not use State-issued citations unless they are issued in conjunction with a roadside inspection report.
State-reported crashes from the last two years are collected in this BASIC to help identify patterns of high crash involvement and the behavior or set of behaviors that contributed to the crash. All crashes involving commercial motor vehicles, as defined in 49 CFR 390.5, are reportable if they result in a fatality or injury or require a vehicle to be transported from the crash scene, regardless of the carrier’s or driver’s role in the crash.
The HOS regulations make roads safer by requiring rest for all large truck and bus drivers to ensure that they are alert, awake, and able to respond quickly.
Hours-of-service violations are some of the most impactful violations on a carriers CSA score. Many of these violations are tied around the use of the driver's electronic logging device (ELD)
Which Federal regulations relate to this BASIC?
49 CFR Parts 392 and 395 of the FMCSRs.
Click here for the complete list of violations that fall under the Hours-of-service BASIC
Common hours-of-service violations are
| Hours-of-service violations | Relevant Code |
| Form and manner issues | 395.8 |
| Driver’s RODS not current | 395.8(f)1 |
| 30-min break after 8 hours on duty | 395.3(a)(3)(ii) |
| 14-hour violations | 395.3(a)(2) |
| False RODS | 395.8(e) |
| Failing to retain 7 days of RODS | 395.8(k)(2) |
| No driver RODS | 395.8(a) |
| 11-hour violations | 395.3(a)(3) |
| On-board recording device violations | 395.15 |
| Driving after 70 hours on duty in 8 days | 395.3(b)(2) |
Vehicle maintenance violations are related to the quality of the equipment the CMV that the driver is using. Drivers need to conduct pre- and post-trip inspections (commonly referred to as DVIRs), record vehicle defects, and repair them prior to operating the vehicle.
Which Federal regulations relate to this BASIC?
49 CFR Parts 392, 393, and 396 of the FMCSRs.
Click here for the complete list of violations that fall under the vehicle maintenance BASIC
Common vehicle maintenance violations are
| Vehicle Maintenance Violations | Relevant Code |
| Parts or accessories in disrepair | 396.3(a)(1) |
| Oil or grease leak | 396.5(b) |
| Operating without periodic inspection | 396.17(c) |
| Hubs—Oil/Grease leaking from hub | 396.5(b) |
| Hubs―Wheel seal leaking | 396.5(b) |
| Failure to correct defects on DVIR | 396.5(b) |
| Brakes (general) | 396.3(a)(1) |
| Brakes - system pressure loss | 396.3(a)(1) |
| Tires (general) | 396.3(a)(1) |
| Not having required operable lamps | 393.9 |
| Tire tread depth less than 2/32" | 393.75C |
Alcohol, illegal drugs, and over-the-counter and prescription medication misuse impair driving abilities and endanger your safety and the safety of those on the road with you. Having containers of alcoholic beverages in your cab, whether open or not, is a violation. These types of violations will dramatically impact CSA scores and in some cases can lead to jail time.
Which Federal regulations relate to this BASIC?
49 CFR Parts 382 and 392 of the FMCSRs.
Common controlled substances & alcohol violations
| Substances & Alcohol Violations | Relevant Code |
| Failing to Implement a drug/alcohol testing program | 382.115(a) |
| Using a driver before receiving a pre-employment drug test result | 382.301(a) |
| Failing to conduct post-accident alcohol or drug test | 382.303 |
| Failing to do random drug tests at applicable annual rate | 382.305(b)(2) |
| Driver performing safety-sensitive function without follow-up | 382.503 |
| Using a driver who refused to take drug/alcohol test | 382.211 |
| Using a driver with a .04 alcohol level | 382.201 |
| Failing to implement a random controlled substance or alcohol testing program | 382.305 |
| Using a driver who has tested positive for a drug | 382.215 |
The hazardous materials Compliance BASIC includes regulations that require special attention, from how to properly package, mark, label, placard, and load HM to understanding regulations for tank specification testing, loading/unloading, attendance, and leakage.
Which Federal regulations relate to this BASIC?
49 CFR Part 397 of the FMCSRs and 49 CFR Parts 171, 172, 173, 177, 178, 179, and 180 of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMRs).
Common Hazardous Materials violations are
| Hazardous Materials Violations | Relevant Code |
| Package not secure in vehicle | 177.834A |
| No copy of U.S. DOT hazmat registration number | 107.620B |
| Placard damaged, deteriorated, or obscured | 172.516C6 |
| No shipping papers, carrier | 177.817A |
| Shipping paper accessibility | 177.817E |
| Vehicle not placarded as required | 172.504A |
| Emergency response information missing | 172.602A |
| Failing to provide carrier required placards | 172.502A1 |
| Failing to enter basic description of hazmat in proper sequence | 172.202B |
| No required placards or markings | 177.823A |
Motor carriers are responsible for making sure driver qualification files are complete and current. Required files for each and every driver include valid commercial drivers’ licenses (CDLs), medical certificates, State driving records, annual reviews of driving records, and employment applications. The Driver Fitness BASIC does not consider body mass index (BMI), weight, or neck size.
Which Federal regulations relate to this BASIC?
49 CFR Parts 383 and 391 of the FMCSRs.
Click here for the complete list of violations that fall under the driver fitness BASIC
Common driver fitness violations are
| Driver Violations |
Relevant Code |
| Non-English speaking driver | 391.11 |
| Incomplete driver qualification file | 391.51 |
| Operating a property-carrying vehicle without possessing a valid medical certificate | 391.41 |
| Driver does not have a valid operator's license for the CMV being operated | 391.11 |
| Expired medical examiner's certificate | 391.45 |
| Driver lacking physical qualification(s) | 391.11 |
| Driver operating a CMV without proper endorsements or in violation of restrictions | 391.11 |
| Driver lacking valid license for type vehicle being operated | 391.11 |