Major changes are coming to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA’s) Compliance, Safety, Accountability program — specifically the Safety Measurement System (SMS) portion.
Since some of the changes specify whether inspection violations should be attributed to the carrier or the driver, it’s highly likely that the agency’s Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) will see changes as well.
Change has been in the works for some time at FMCSA. In March 2023, the agency outlined the need for changes and asked for industry input from carriers, drivers, law enforcement agencies and more. In November 2024, the FMCSA posted a request for comments in the Federal Register.
In a January 2025 webinar, Wesley Russell from the FMCSA’s Compliance Division explained some of the changes. The slides from the presentation can be downloaded here.
Goodbye to BASICS
In the first major change, the familiar seven BASICs are going away, replaced by six “Compliance Categories.” The “Controlled Substances and Alcohol” BASIC will be folded in to the “Unsafe Driving” category. Additionally, all Out of Service (OOS) violations will also be included in “Unsafe Driving.”
Vehicle Maintenance
A second big change impacts the Vehicle Maintenance category. Violations that drivers could have, or should have, identified in a pre-trip inspection will be listed as “Vehicle Maintenance: Driver Observed.”
Currently, the list of driver-observed violations totals 858 inspection items, but the number could change by the time the new regulation becomes final. For an automatic download of the current list, click here.
“Dividing those (violations) out does a better job increasing our understanding of what violations are occurring, and gives us a head start already on determining where to go look to determine if maybe there’s smaller things on quick checks that are not being found, or maybe it’s something bigger in the overall maintenance program,” Russell said, referring to changes made to the Vehicle Maintenance category.
The PSP program is not a part of CSA, but it draws data from the same inspection process; that data is then included on the driver’s record. A determination of a maintenance violation as “driver observed” is likely to end up on the PSP. Currently, carriers who are considering hiring a new driver can see maintenance violations, but each can make their own determination of whether it’s an indication of driver safety. With that determination already made by CSA, drivers who don’t adequately perform pre-trip inspections may have a tougher time getting hired.
Violation severity ratings
A third major change deals with severity weights of violations. Currently, violations are scored on a scale of 1 to 10, with minor violations at the low end and more serious violations earning towards the top of the scale.
The new system will scale violations in just one of two categories. Out-of-service (OOS) violations and those that result in disqualification of the driver will get a “2.” Everything else is a “1.”
Further, violations will be grouped into about 100 categories with other similar violations.
“So, we’ve got a 14-hour, 11-hour, a rest break, and then 70-hour rule violation,” Russell explained. “If all of those are in the same group, then what that’s saying is we’re going to issue only one point, even if, the inspection has all of those on it.”
The idea is to identify problem areas without hammering the carrier with lots of points — and a potential intervention — over a driver with multiple violations during one inspection.
What’s the timeline?
When asked when the changes will become effective, Russell was unsure. He explained that a complete revamp of the CSA website needs to occur, and more questions answered about the methodology used.
Carriers will continue using the current system for now. When the changes go live, the current information already listed in the SMS will be converted to the new format.
In the meantime, those interested can find more information at csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/PrioritizationPreview. To submit questions, click here.
Initially, the FMCSA planned a series of three webinars — one in January 2025, one in February and one in March — to help industry stakeholders prepare for the changes; however, the February and March webinars were cancelled.
Although months will pass before the changes are implemented, becoming familiar with the upcoming changes before they are implemented will keep drivers ahead.
Cliff Abbott is an experienced commercial vehicle driver and owner-operator who still holds a CDL in his home state of Alabama. In nearly 40 years in trucking, he’s been an instructor and trainer and has managed safety and recruiting operations for several carriers. Having never lost his love of the road, Cliff has written a book and hundreds of songs and has been writing for The Trucker for more than a decade.
My take on this or what caught my is that if someone has a sap or a drug substance charge take their CDL , never drive commercial truck again period. Second if a driver has an over weight and can’t fix it then put that driver out service , because the ticket is automatic . But if there is cat scale before weigh station what can u do?
After 18 years of safe driving with no violations and a stack of safety awards I got a sap violation and I don’t do drugs ! Charles Davis so I should never drive again? I can’t even drive until I pay a bunch of money for a sap I don’t need !! They should worry more about drivers with outstanding driving records clearing their name than trying to weed out the lazy drivers who don’t pre trip or scale their loads !!!
It seems that more of the burden of maintenance violations is shifting onto the driver instead of the carrier. I’ve worked for companies and reported potential violations over and over. such as cracks and chips in the windshield, problems with transmission, reflector tapes, landing wheel gears that won’t retract or expand properly, tires that are worn and other defects they refuse or won’t address. The responsibility of these repairs should be on the carrier to repair, not the driver. If the driver has reported these and can show proof that it was reported, why do they punish the driver forsi mantenance repairs that are the carriers responsibility?
Its all about money guys, period. Yes there are some idiots out there that do shit the wrong way and could care less, but a majority of us take things very seriously. Too bad we can’t strike.
the question is, how to fix the trucking industry to where they can enforce their investments into automated trucking? answer is simple, to disqualify every driver that doesn’t take 4 hours to pre-trip their trucks and trailers every morning. Also, for those that do and end up only being able to drive a max 8 hrs per day because they waisted 4 hrs pretriping, then the fmcsa can further more push their agenda on autonomous trucks by saying the lazy drivers keep making deliveries late.
WELL, if the truck is autonomous, who the hell is pretriping it? it’s still a truck with the same damn parts.
Furthermore, kick the foreign non domiciled Biden erra drivers out. That will definitely help the transportation industry
you have pencil pushers and desk riders making and changing laws that never have stepped up into a truck! This is all together government control over the trucking industry! It should all be taken back 30 yrs or more and there were less problems!
Just quit driving in 2024. I am so at peace now. I would not recommend truck driving to anyone. Its a horrible life. You are never paid what your worth and treated like a dog.
I got a sap violation from a hospital records error. They recorded my visit but not my medications shots. No one and I mean no one will hire me. They treat you like a drug addict with psychological problems when it was shots for my back. The hospital charged me for the visit and I have the bill for it but my cdl is garbage after 25yrs of driving!!!
I don’t know how you can hold the driver for too much. They’re not mechanics, they’re listed as unscaled labor and if you look at the drivers driving today, they are on scaled, they have no idea what to do out there. These schools are a joke They don’t teach them nothing..
Go back to the basics, make these guys go to a legal Driver’s license placed and take the test there. Because half of them would not make it. The big companies are getting away with too much and now they want to blame it all on the driver.
The driver doesn’t pay to get this vehicle fixed, the company. Does you gotta hold the company responsible? Because they don’t like fixing stuff.. Cause that’s downtime.
I know we lose money if we are not rolling but if I donot own it abd it belongs to a company who will not fix it I will not move it period remember your rights also fight false drug charges in court.
I have been driving for @5 yrs. and thank God i have never had any violations or tickets. I have driven for companies who no matter how many times you report the maintenance issue that could put you oos they still say roll with it. bc they do not care. so yeah I believe if you are a company driver and get ticket for a maintenance issue the company should be held responsible not the driver. and yeah they are trying to force the drivers out and the a.i. or electric trucks. but anyone who has driven a newer truck with all the crazy sensors can tell you they are garbage. and when inclimate weather conditions are in effect the sensors go out they don’t work. take the driver out and you are asking for alot of people to die bc little car drivers are reckless and accidents will go up substantially as will fatalities.
agreed, trucking is the most government regulated industry in the United States. when it has no business whatsoever, is there a need for safety, absolutely. Biggest part of safety is not only in pretrips, but getting companies to actually fix problems correctly and not just band aid to put it back on the road. Start with these company owned repair shops at terminals, where it’s 1 certified diesel mechanic and 15 non certified people working under him or her. Stop letting anybody drive, you have no idea how many middle eastern drivers that I have seen practice unsafe driving, flying through truck stops etc, and they don’t watch for people on the road. Then you have the pay for drivers, and the companies that practice low pay, contracts, and screwing the driver. when do we drivers see something that actually benefits us the drivers, and not the companies and pencil pushers that have no trucking experience behind the wheel
the company owns the trucks if they don’t fix the issues the drivers report charge the cpmpany.the law should be drivers report the issues. if it’s not rectified don’t drive the vehicle period.
I had a SAP violation and I don’t smoke weed and trying to protest the results as I just had a test 3 days prior and past that one ? for me to go back to work I gotta pay 2500 to people who don’t even drive truck for a living and Its an admission of guilt..
I’m not guilty …
where is my day in court..
I’ve not worked in 8 months now and this has ruined me financially and the FMCSA employees do not take drug test nor do our elected officials.. I’m done 33 years of driving a only 1 ticket for speeding years ago..
it just truck driving not rocket science and it not worth the money anymore..
what happened to trump helping the truckers. yeah rite. idiots see what you get. a nother stab in the back