Fort Payne, AL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Fort Payne: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Fort Payne and DeKalb County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use DeKalb County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
15 of 569 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How DeKalb County compares with Alabama
DeKalb County against Alabama and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where DeKalb County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | DeKalb County | Alabama | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 66.5 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 18% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.4 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 1.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.40 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 13% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.6% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.9% | 0.8% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 18.7% | 22.5% | 23.7% | 17% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.7% | 12.3% | 13.8% | 21% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 35.7% | 40.8% | 41.9% | 12% below the state |
| After dark | 27.7% | 23.7% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
DeKalb County sits below Alabama on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for DeKalb County: 6.4 people killed per 100 truck crashes (Alabama: 3.4).
Overview
Police reported 569 crashes involving commercial trucks in DeKalb County since 2015: 230 people were injured and 36 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 8 days.
Only 47 truck crashes were reported in Fort Payne since 2015; patterns below come from DeKalb County as a whole.
When crashes happen
September has the most truck crashes, 13.0% of the yearly total, while January has the fewest (5.8%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 35.7% of truck crashes, against 40.8% across Alabama.
More truck crashes happen at 1–2 pm than at any other hour (7.7%).
0.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.8% across Alabama.
Where crashes happen
SR-35 leads within 10 miles of Fort Payne with 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by I-59 (2), Mccurdy Ave S (1) and Sr-Gault Ave N (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 15 of the truck crashes here, or 2.6%, compared with 2.3% in Alabama.
Route planning tips for Fort Payne fleets
- Plan September schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in DeKalb County.
- Check whether your routes use SR-35, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 0.9% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Alabama; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in DeKalb County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-35 | 5 |
| I-59 | 2 |
| Mccurdy Ave S | 1 |
| Sr-Gault Ave N | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (DeKalb County) |
|---|---|
| I-59 | 202 |
| Al-68 | 52 |
| Al-75 | 41 |
| Al-117 | 37 |
| Al-35 | 26 |
| US-11 | 10 |
| Main Street East | 8 |
| Wallace Av Ne | 8 |
Fort Payne at a glance
| Population | 15,017 |
| Land area | 56.4 sq mi |
| Density | 266 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 35967) | $47,051 |
| Median home value (ZIP 35967) | $158,766 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in DeKalb County since the 1990s
Combines the FMCSA crash file (all reported truck crashes, real coverage from about 1990) with NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes involving a large truck, 1982–2024).
| Decade | Truck crashes / yr | Change | Fatal crashes / yr (FARS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 40 | — | 2.5 |
| 2000s | 47 | +18% | 2.4 |
| 2010s | 46 | -3% | 1.5 |
| 2020s | 51 | +10% | 3.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 40 a year in the 1990s and 51 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 2.0 a year in 2016–19 and 3.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Fort Payne
How many truck crashes happen in Fort Payne?
DeKalb County has had 569 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 230 people and killing 36.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Fort Payne?
SR-35 had 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Fort Payne since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Fort Payne?
The worst month is September: 13.0% of truck crashes in DeKalb County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Fort Payne?
Garbage trucks were involved in 15 reported crashes in DeKalb County since 2015 (2.6% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Fort Payne compared with Alabama?
Per 100,000 residents, DeKalb County has 66.5 truck crashes a year; Alabama has 80.8.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Fort Payne?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.