I’ve gotten more and more questions from customers surprised about the recent change to the FMCSA’s ISS (Inspection Selection System). In this series, I’ll explain what changed in the new ISS, tell you where to find your carrier’s ISS score, what it means, and what to do about it.
What is the ISS?
ISS stands for the Inspection Selection System. This is the system by which every motor carrier is given a 1-100 score that recommends how inspectors should prioritize commercial vehicles for inspection. According to the FMCSA, the ISS is the primary tool used on the roadside to screen motor carrier vehicles and determine the usefulness of conducting an inspection.
Why does your ISS Score Matter?
Long story short – the higher your carrier’s ISS score is, the more likely your trucks will be inspected. And…as many long-time trucking safety pros can attest – more inspections lead to more violations which lead to higher CSA BASIC scores which lead to a higher ISS score. A high ISS score can create its own vicious cycle for unprepared carriers.
Conversely, motor carriers with low ISS scores benefit from a similar virtuous cycle where low ISS scores lead to fewer inspections which result in fewer violations and generally better (lower) CSA BASIC scores. The goal, of course, is preventing the high ISS score in the first place. If only it were that easy. Once you’re caught in the web of a high ISS score, what to do? Keep reading for more on that item.
What Changed?
In December 2010, when CSA scores were publicly released, the ISS scoring system changed as well. The old system, called ISS-D was based primarily on a carrier’s SafeStat scores and was publicly available. Now, ISS-2010 is based primarily on a carrier’s CSA scores and is private.
Where Can I See My Current ISS score?
The ISS score for a motor carrier is available within the FMCSA Compass Portal. Log in and in the middle of the main screen you will see the “Company Information” section. Toward the bottom, click the blue panel labeled “Inspection Selection System (ISS) Info.” (See picture below.) You’ll also see the ISS Recommendation and the Basis for Recommendation which I will talk about later.
How did the old ISS (ISS-D) work?
The previous version of the ISS assigned carriers a 1-100 score and assigned them to red, yellow, or green groups. (See picture.) Primarily based on a carrier’s SafeStat scores – especially the Driver and Vehicle SEAs for most carriers - the publicly available ISS score used the familiar traffic light designations to score carriers. Higher scores, particularly in the 75-100 red zone, meant much more likely inspections for your carrier’s vehicle.
How does the new ISS (ISS-2010) work?
Some things have not changed under ISS-2010: Scoring carriers from 1-100 and red, yellow, green zones haven’t changed much at all.
What has changed is the ways these scores are calculated. A carrier’s CSA scores now play a very large part in the Inspection Selection System. But why does one carrier get an ISS score in the yellow zone and another in the red? To understand why your ISS score is the way it is (and how to lower it), we’ll need to dig a little deeper.
The New ISS Carrier Groupings
There are seven main groupings under the ISS score into which a carrier may be placed. these grouping are different than the seven CSA BASICs we hear so much about. See the chart below for these groupings and their prioritization:
In Part 2, I examine each new ISS grouping one by one. Feel free to post your questions and comments about the new ISS below.
