SMS “BASIC” overhaul was a 2023 proposal with a preview site — not a new CSA score on your packet this morning
February 2023’s SMS proposal and CSA Prioritization Preview were a what-if — not a new BASIC score sitting on this morning’s broker packet yet.
What the notice actually said
A broker quoting a 2023 webinar as “your score is fake now” is not a tender term. February 2023, FMCSA proposed reorganizing SMS safety categories, grouping violations, and retuning intervention thresholds.
A CSA Prioritization Preview site went live so carriers could see the proposed math. Docket FMCSA-2022-0066 took comments for 90 days from February 15, 2023. That window closed. This page is the record of the proposal.
SMS uses roadside inspections, crashes, and investigations to pick who gets a knock. Changing grouping and thresholds can move a carrier relative to peers without a single new ticket. That is why FMCSA put up a preview.
A 2023 preview is a what-if. Insurers and brokers still use the live data. DataQs is still how you fight a wrong datapoint.
BASICs were the public language. The proposal wanted new category names. Confirm what is live on FMCSA’s site before you let a webinar rewrite a packet.
What it changes on Monday
We file DataQs when the record is wrong. We do not wait for a future SMS to save a cheap load, and we do not negotiate a preview as a discount.
Brokers still scrape what is public today. Our packet is still what SAFER and our insurance file show — not a 2023 what-if screenshot.
DataQs clocks: the DataQs note. Packet: For Brokers. Quote the freight: Get a Quote.
If someone forwards the 2023 webinar as a reason to ignore a live BASIC, send them this page. Proposal plus preview is not a rescore.
What we will — and will not — do
We will keep the packet honest and file DataQs when the datapoint is wrong. We will not sell a 2023 preview as “CSA is fake now.”
We will not wait for a future SMS reorganization to take a load we should not take. Live data is what insurers and shippers still read.
Ask for the packet. Call +1 (847) 702-8181. We do not negotiate DataQs as a discount.
Short glossary
The jargon, in the order it showed up — no extra theory.
- SMS
- Safety Measurement System — FMCSA’s algorithm for prioritizing carriers for intervention.
- BASIC
- Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category — the older public grouping the 2023 proposal wanted to reorganize.
Official sources
Read the government original first. This page is our translation for people who quote lanes and hire drivers — not a substitute for the rulebook.
- FMCSA SMS proposed changes (Feb 2023) — Primary newsroom original.
This page is an industry briefing for shippers, brokers, and drivers. It is not legal advice. Confirm current rules in the Federal Register and on FMCSA.gov before you change a process.
FAQ
Did this replace CSA yesterday?
It was a proposal and a preview. Confirm what is live on FMCSA’s site before you quote a broker rumor as a tender term.
Does a preview change insurance?
Insurers use the live data. A preview is a what-if, not a new score on this morning’s packet.
Comment period still open?
That 2023 window closed May 16, 2023. This page is the record of the proposal, not an open docket.
PRIDEUSA score?
Ask for the packet. We do not negotiate DataQs as a discount, and we do not treat a 2023 webinar as the live BASIC.
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