Case study · CSA Score Management
A 120-unit LTL fleet stopped losing loads to its CSA score.
When the carrier reached us, two of three top shippers had quietly stopped tendering. The Unsafe Driving BASIC was at 78 — well above the intervention threshold for fleets its size — and a focused HOS audit was already on the docket. Six months later the Unsafe Driving BASIC was at 41, the audit had closed without a downgrade, and both shippers were tendering again.
Midwest LTL fleet · 120 power units
CSA Unsafe Driving BASIC
78 → 41
in 6 months
- Unsafe Driving BASIC: 78 → 41
- 47 driver qualification files rebuilt to 49 CFR Part 391
- 9 inaccurate inspection records challenged via DataQ — 7 won, 2 escalated
- Focused HOS audit closed with no downgrade
The problem
The problem.
A series of speeding citations across two interstates had pushed the Unsafe Driving BASIC into intervention range over a 12-month window. The carrier had no driver-coaching cadence keyed to inspection data, no DataQ program, and no internal audit on its DQ files. Two of three top shippers had pulled SMS Public reports during routine carrier qualification reviews and silently routed the freight elsewhere. The CFO heard about it from the brokerage, not the safety team.
Diagnostic
What we found in the diagnostic.
11 of 21 cited drivers had unaddressed coaching incidents in the prior 90 days.
47 of 120 DQ files had at least one Part 391 deficiency — most commonly missed annual MVRs and outdated medical examiner certificates.
9 inspection records in MCMIS contained line items that were dismissed in court but never updated through DataQ.
No documented SMP, no documented internal audit cadence, no monthly safety report to leadership.
What we did
What we did.
- 01
Two-track BASIC remediation
Driver-by-driver coaching memos for the 21 cited drivers, paired with in-cab forward-camera deployment on the 12 trucks driving the most weighted points. Coaching was tied to the specific inspections, not to a generic safety meeting.
- 02
DataQ campaign on the 9 inaccurate records
Each challenge shipped with the court disposition, the inspection report, and supporting evidence. 7 challenges were granted at the state level. 2 were initially denied; we re-filed with supplemental documentation and won both on appeal.
- 03
DQ-file rebuild + ongoing oversight
Every Part 391 deficiency closed within 30 days. Calendar-driven renewal cadence stood up so the next annual MVR and MEC renewal cycle would not slip. Monthly safety report routed to the CFO and ownership.
Results
Results at six months.
- Unsafe Driving BASIC
- 78 → 41
- DQ-file Part 391 deficiencies
- 47 → 0
- DataQ challenges filed
- 9
- DataQ challenges granted
- 9 / 9
- Focused HOS audit outcome
- No downgrade
- Top-3 shippers tendering
- 3 of 3
They named the auditor in the room before the FMCSA visit. We have never had that level of preparation from a consulting firm.
Lead consultant
InfoMax compliance team — Naperville, IL
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