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The 7 CSA BASICs in One Minute

Some acronyms are catchier than others. Take this one, for instance: UDFDDFDAVMCRCI.

Yeah. That stands for the 7 ways the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration categorizes unsafe driving. No wonder the FMCSA calls its Compliance, Safety, and Accountability classification system the “BASICs”: Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories.

But while “BASICs” might be easier to say than “ud-fudd-fudd-av-mc-ricky”, there’s unfortunately no corresponding mnemonic device. Do you know what the FMCSA is looking out for? The CSA BASICs are as follows:

  • Unsafe Driving
  • Fatigued Driving
  • Driver Fitness
  • Drugs and Alcohol
  • Vehicle Maintenance
  • Cargo-Related
  • Crash Indicator

Like I said: UDFDDFAVMCRCI. Or maybe this is easier to remember: “Usually, Dogs Find Dark Dens Favorable, Although Vipers Might Creep ‘Round Concurrently. Ick!” Okay, it’s a work in progress. Probably better to just keep “BASICs” in your mind for now.

Learn more about the 7 CSA BASICs at dot-compliance-help.com.

For more information about federal transportation regulations—and more “fun” with acronyms—check out KPA’s resources for trucking compliance.

About The Author

Toby Graham

Toby manages the marketing communications team here at KPA. She's on a quest to help people tell clear, fun stories that their audience can relate to. She's a HUGE sugar junkie...and usually starts wandering the halls looking for cookies around 3pm daily.

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