The SMS BASIC scores come from FMCSA's Safety Measurement System, which analyzes a carrier's roadside inspection and crash data and expresses its safety performance as percentile rankings. BASIC stands for Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories — the seven areas the system measures, including Unsafe Driving, Hours-of-Service Compliance, Vehicle Maintenance, Controlled Substances/Alcohol, Hazardous Materials Compliance, Driver Fitness, and Crash Indicator.
Each score is a percentile from 0 to 100 relative to peer carriers of similar size and operation. A higher percentile means worse relative performance — a carrier scoring in the 90th percentile for Unsafe Driving is performing worse than 90% of comparable carriers, which can flag it for FMCSA intervention.
BASIC scores add nuance beyond a simple pass/fail safety rating. They help shippers and brokers distinguish a carrier that is technically authorized but trending poorly from one with a clean, well-maintained operation.
Need a SMS BASIC Score carrier?
QuoteFleet lists FMCSA-verified drayage and intermodal carriers, and gives shippers an instant freight quote. Find a carrier or price your move now.