Fort Dodge, KS truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Fort Dodge: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Fort Dodge and Ford County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Ford County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 341 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Ford County compares with Kansas
Ford County against Kansas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Ford County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Ford County | Kansas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 86.4 | 61.4 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 12.3 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 2.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.40 | 0.32 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.9% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 56% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 7.1% | 9.3% | 6.2% | 23% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.6% | 23.1% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.3% | 15.2% | 13.8% | 19% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.1% | 42.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 38.6% | 23.2% | 24.8% | 1.7× the state |
Ford County sits below Kansas on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Ford County at a glance: 12.3 people killed per 100 truck crashes (Kansas: 4.8).
Overview
Since 2015, 341 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Ford County. They injured 135 people and killed 40.
That averages about one truck crash every 12 days in fully reported years.
Fort Dodge had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Ford County numbers.
48% of truck crash reports in Ford County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in August (10.9% of the year) and are lowest in December (6.2%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.1% of truck crashes, vs 42.2% for Kansas.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 8.5% of truck crashes.
7.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.3% across Kansas.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-56 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (4). Next come US-50 (3), US-283 (2) and US-160 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
3 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 0.9% share (Kansas: 2.1%).
Route planning tips for Fort Dodge fleets
- Review driver schedules for August, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along US-56; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Ford County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-56 | 4 |
| US-50 | 3 |
| US-283 | 2 |
| US-160 | 1 |
| US-400 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Ford County) |
|---|---|
| Trail | 20 |
| Wyatt Earp | 14 |
| 14Th | 5 |
| Saddle | 4 |
| US-50 | 3 |
| Spruce | 3 |
| Central | 3 |
| 2Nd | 2 |
Fort Dodge at a glance
| Land area | 0.2 sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Ford 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 | 22 | — | 1.5 |
| 2000s | 21 | -5% | 2.3 |
| 2010s | 29 | +36% | 2.5 |
| 2020s | 31 | +7% | 2.0 |
In the 1990s about 22 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 31. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 2.0 a year in 2016–19 and 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Fort Dodge
How many truck crashes happen in Fort Dodge?
341 truck crashes have been reported in Ford County since 2015, with 40 deaths and 135 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Fort Dodge?
Since 2015, US-56 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Fort Dodge: 4.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Fort Dodge?
The worst month is August: 10.9% of truck crashes in Ford County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Fort Dodge?
Since 2015, Ford County has reported 3 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.9% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Fort Dodge compared with Kansas?
The yearly rate is 86.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Ford County, vs 61.4 for Kansas.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Fort Dodge?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.