Shellsburg, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Shellsburg: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Shellsburg and Benton County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Benton County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 206 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Benton County compares with Iowa
Benton County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Benton County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Benton County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 67.3 | 68.1 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 10.5 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.0× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.51 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.6% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 28% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 19.4% | 18.7% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.6% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.7% | 15.1% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 47.6% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.6% | 23.1% | 24.8% | same |
Benton County has lower values than Iowa for garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
What stands out in Benton County: 10.5 people killed per 100 truck crashes (Iowa: 3.5).
Overview
Since 2015, 206 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Benton County. They injured 101 people and killed 21.
That averages about one truck crash every 21 days in fully reported years.
Shellsburg had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Benton County numbers.
79% of truck crash reports in Benton County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (12.6% of the year) and are lowest in August (4.9%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 47.6% of truck crashes, vs 45.4% for Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (10.7%).
19.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 18.7% across Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-380 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (2). It is followed by CR-W36/COVINGTON Rd (1), CR-W36/LEWIS Access Rd (1) and SR-150 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
3 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.5% share (Iowa: 2.2%).
Route planning tips for Shellsburg fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-380 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Benton County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-380 | 2 |
| CR-W36/COVINGTON Rd | 1 |
| CR-W36/LEWIS Access Rd | 1 |
| SR-150 | 1 |
| US-218 | 1 |
| US-30 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Benton County) |
|---|---|
| Us 30/73 St | 12 |
| US-30 | 8 |
| I-380 | 6 |
| Ave | 6 |
| Interstate 380/I 380 | 5 |
| US-218 | 5 |
| Us 30/73 St And 21 Ave And V06 | 4 |
| W014/27 Ave | 3 |
Shellsburg at a glance
| Population | 987 |
| Land area | 0.8 sq mi |
| Density | 1,242 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52332) | $92,708 |
| Median home value (ZIP 52332) | $212,054 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Benton 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 | 7 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 9 | +34% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 14 | +51% | 1.2 |
| 2020s | 18 | +28% | 0.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 7 a year in the 1990s and 18 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.5 a year in 2016–19, 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Shellsburg
How common are truck crashes in Shellsburg?
Benton County has had 206 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 101 people and killing 21.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Shellsburg?
I-380 had 2 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Shellsburg since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Shellsburg?
The worst month is January: 12.6% of truck crashes in Benton County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Shellsburg?
Since 2015, Benton County has reported 3 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.5% of its truck crashes.
How does Shellsburg compare with Iowa for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Benton County has 67.3 truck crashes a year; Iowa has 68.1.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Shellsburg?
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.