Bertram, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Bertram: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Bertram and Linn County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Linn 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 2.2 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Linn County compares with Iowa
Linn County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Linn County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Linn County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 40.3 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 41% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.2 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 37% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 7% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.9% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 2.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 11.6% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 38% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 29.1% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.3% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 19% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.3% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 11% below the state |
| After dark | 16.4% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 29% below the state |
Compared with Iowa, Linn County is lower 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).
What stands out in Linn County: 1 in 21 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 4.9%, vs 2.2% in Iowa.
Overview
Police reported 1,090 crashes involving commercial trucks in Linn County since 2015: 411 people were injured and 24 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 4 days.
With 3 truck crashes reported in Bertram since 2015, this page uses Linn County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
20% of truck crash reports in Linn County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (10.5% of the year) and are lowest in March (5.8%).
November through March accounts for 40.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 45.4% in Iowa.
By time of day, 7–8 am stands out with 8.4% of truck crashes.
11.6% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 18.7% across Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-151 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (4). Next come I-380 (3), SR-1 (2) and US-30 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
53 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.9% share (Iowa: 2.2%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in May (17% of them).
They recorded 0.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.2 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Bertram fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Linn County.
- Check whether your routes use US-151, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: May is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Linn County.
- 29.1% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Iowa; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 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 Linn County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-151 | 4 |
| I-380 | 3 |
| SR-1 | 2 |
| US-30 | 2 |
| 6th St Sw | 1 |
| Mu-Ellis Blvd Nw | 1 |
| Mu-N12Th Ave | 1 |
| SR-100 | 1 |
| SR-922 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Linn County) |
|---|---|
| I-380 | 68 |
| Interstate 380/I 380 | 34 |
| US-30 | 34 |
| US-151 | 12 |
| Us 151/Dubuque Rd | 9 |
| Edgewood Rd Sw | 9 |
| Interstate 380/I 380 Measuring | 6 |
| E034/County Home Rd And State | 6 |
Bertram at a glance
| Population | 267 |
| Land area | 1.5 sq mi |
| Density | 174 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52403) | $74,703 |
| Median home value (ZIP 52403) | $213,196 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Linn 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 | 31 | — | 1.4 |
| 2000s | 55 | +75% | 1.4 |
| 2010s | 82 | +50% | 1.5 |
| 2020s | 96 | +17% | 2.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 31 a year in the 1990s and 96 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 1.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Bertram
How common are truck crashes in Bertram?
1,090 truck crashes have been reported in Linn County since 2015, with 24 deaths and 411 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Bertram?
NHTSA data shows US-151 with 4 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Bertram since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Bertram?
The worst month is October: 10.5% of truck crashes in Linn County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Bertram?
Since 2015, Linn County has reported 53 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.9% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Bertram compare with Iowa?
The yearly rate is 40.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Linn County, vs 68.1 for Iowa.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Bertram?
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.