Shelby, AL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Shelby: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Shelby and Shelby County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Shelby County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.1 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Shelby County compares with Alabama
Shelby County against Alabama and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Shelby County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Shelby County | Alabama | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 53.6 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 34% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.1 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 38% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.39 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 15% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.6% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.6% | 0.8% | 6.2% | 29% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.2% | 22.5% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.8% | 12.3% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.7% | 40.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 18.0% | 23.7% | 24.8% | 24% below the state |
Shelby County sits below Alabama on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Shelby County: 2.1 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 3.4 in Alabama.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,467 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Shelby County. They injured 576 people and killed 30.
That averages about one truck crash every 3 days in fully reported years.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Shelby since 2015, this page uses Shelby County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 9.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is December at 6.5%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 38.7% of truck crashes, against 40.8% across Alabama.
By time of day, 12–1 pm stands out with 8.0% of truck crashes.
0.6% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.8% across Alabama.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Shelby since 2015: I-65 (2), SR-145 (2), CR-CEDAR Creek Rd (1) and Us-Sr 3 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 40 crashes, 2.7% of the total, against 2.3% across Alabama.
Their busiest month is April, with 12% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 0.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.1 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Shelby fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Waste haulers: April is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Shelby County.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 24.2% of truck crashes here, more than Alabama; adjust start times where you can.
- 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 Shelby County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-65 | 2 |
| SR-145 | 2 |
| CR-CEDAR Creek Rd | 1 |
| Us-Sr 3 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Shelby County) |
|---|---|
| I-65 | 490 |
| US-280 | 206 |
| US-31 | 101 |
| Al-25 | 93 |
| Pelham Parkway | 43 |
| Al-119 | 30 |
| Al-70 | 18 |
| Cahaba Valley Road | 17 |
Shelby at a glance
| Land area | 18.8 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 35143) | $72,500 |
| Median home value (ZIP 35143) | $223,609 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Shelby 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 | 53 | — | 4.0 |
| 2000s | 100 | +90% | 2.9 |
| 2010s | 117 | +17% | 1.9 |
| 2020s | 118 | +1% | 2.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 53 a year in the 1990s and 118 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 2.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Shelby
How common are truck crashes in Shelby?
Shelby County has had 1,467 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 576 people and killing 30.
When do most truck crashes happen in Shelby?
Truck crashes in Shelby County peak in October, with 9.5% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Shelby?
Garbage trucks were involved in 40 reported crashes in Shelby County since 2015 (2.7% of truck crashes).
How does Shelby compare with Alabama for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Shelby County has 53.6 truck crashes a year; Alabama has 80.8.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Shelby?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.