FMCSA SMS Changes: How Brokers Should Use CSA Data in Carrier Selection
Quick Answer
FMCSA SMS changes reorganize how the agency uses safety data to prioritize carriers for intervention. They do not turn a CSA percentile into a federal safety rating or a guarantee about a future shipment. Brokers should use current, available safety data as part of a documented selection process that also reviews authority, insurance, operating suitability, and material red flags.
As checked October 3, 2026, FMCSA's preview website still describes the enhanced methodology as forthcoming and directs carriers to continue using the current SMS until implementation. Do not describe a preview as already live. Source: FMCSA prioritization preview.
In this article
What are the FMCSA SMS changes?
The approved framework includes reorganized compliance categories, grouping related violations, simplified severity weights, and other changes to prioritization calculations.
Examples include splitting vehicle-maintenance concerns into driver-observed and other maintenance categories, and moving certain violations into the unsafe-driving category. These changes aim to focus intervention more consistently on the underlying safety issue.
The exact methodology and implementation status should be checked in FMCSA's current materials when updating a selection policy. A software vendor's label may not distinguish current results from modeled preview results. Source: FMCSA SMS change materials.
Is a CSA score a safety rating?
No. SMS is an enforcement-prioritization system. A percentile, alert, or displayed measure is not the same as a safety rating issued under the applicable federal process.
FMCSA expressly warns users not to infer a carrier's overall safety condition solely from SMS information. The public site also explains that some property-carrier information is not publicly displayed. Source: FMCSA Safety Measurement System.
Ask what a vendor means by “CSA score.” It may be an official measure, a nonpublic value supplied with authorization, a historical snapshot, or a proprietary risk score. Those are different inputs.
Should CSA data decide carrier selection?
It should inform the process where relevant and available, but a single number is a weak substitute for examining the facts.
A useful review asks what violations occurred, how recently, how often, and whether the carrier has addressed them. Consider the amount of underlying data and the carrier's operating exposure.
Sparse information does not prove safety. A high number without context also does not tell the entire operational story.
The decision must fit the service. A carrier approved for ordinary dry freight may still lack the equipment, experience, or insurance terms needed for a specialized shipment.
What should a documented review include?
Start with the correct entity and current authority. Confirm applicable out-of-service status and the suitability of the proposed operation.
Review relevant safety information, insurance requirements, identity concerns, and your experience with the carrier. Establish who can approve a concern and what evidence that person needs.
For an exception, record the actual reason. “Approved by management” is less useful than a dated explanation identifying the issue, the carrier's response, and the basis for accepting or rejecting it.
Keep the information available at the time of the decision. A later data update can otherwise make it difficult to reconstruct what the reviewer knew.
How should brokers handle changing scores?
Investigate material changes instead of automatically assuming the carrier suddenly became safe or unsafe.
A result can change because new events entered the system, older events aged out, peer comparisons changed, data were corrected, or a methodology changed.
Ask the provider to explain which factor caused the movement. Then determine whether it affects the shipment decision under your policy.
During a system transition, label which methodology a result uses. Avoid comparing two scores as if they came from the same calculation when they did not.
What should change after Montgomery?
The Supreme Court's May 14, 2026 Montgomery decision held that the FAAAA safety exception preserved the negligent-hiring claim at issue against a broker. The decision addressed preemption, not a finding that the broker was negligent or a universal carrier-selection formula. Source: Supreme Court opinion.
The practical implication is to have counsel review how your policy addresses material safety information and how employees document decisions.
Avoid promising that any database check creates immunity. A defensible process requires consistent implementation and attention to the facts of the transaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does “not rated” mean a carrier is unsafe?
No. It means the carrier lacks the particular federal safety rating. Assess the available information instead of substituting a conclusion for missing data.
Does active authority guarantee the carrier is suitable?
No. Authority is necessary for covered operations, but shipment suitability and a reasonable selection review involve additional questions.
Can a broker obtain every property carrier's complete SMS data publicly?
No. Some information is restricted. Be clear about what your data source actually provides and its date.
Keep safety review separate from pickup authorization
An approved company still needs the correct driver and equipment assigned to the load. Explore CargoGuard's driver verification workflow and schedule a demo to discuss that operational step.