Freedom, ME truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Freedom: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Freedom and Waldo County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Waldo County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
11 of 217 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Waldo County compares with Maine
Waldo County against Maine and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Waldo County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Waldo County | Maine | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 45.9 | 57.4 | 49.7 | 20% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.4 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.52 | 0.58 | 0.49 | 10% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.9% | 3.4% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 21.5% | 20.2% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 31.7% | 26.5% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.5% | 20.8% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.3% | 48.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 13.7% | 19.1% | 24.8% | 29% below the state |
Waldo County sits below Maine on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and after dark. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Freedom: SR-3 2 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Freedom.
Overview
Since 2015, 217 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Waldo County. They injured 113 people and killed 7.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 20 days.
Freedom had 5 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Waldo County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 13.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 5.1%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 46.3% of truck crashes, vs 48.2% for Maine.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 10.1% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 21.5% of truck crashes, compared with 20.2% in Maine.
Where crashes happen
SR-3 leads within 10 miles of Freedom with 2 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: SR-139 (1), Sr-Belfast Augusta Road (1) and Sr-N Palermo Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
11 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 5.1% share (Maine: 3.4%).
Route planning tips for Freedom fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to SR-3 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 31.7% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Maine; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Waldo County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-3 | 2 |
| SR-139 | 1 |
| Sr-Belfast Augusta Road | 1 |
| Sr-N Palermo Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Waldo County) |
|---|---|
| Atlantic Hwy | 12 |
| E Main St | 11 |
| Belfast Augusta Rd | 8 |
| SR-3 | 7 |
| SR-1 | 7 |
| Belmont Av | 7 |
| Searsport Av | 6 |
| US-1 | 6 |
Freedom at a glance
| Population | 732 |
| Land area | 21.5 sq mi |
| Density | 34 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 04941) | $65,662 |
| Median home value (ZIP 04941) | $196,497 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Waldo 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 | 10 | — | 0.8 |
| 2000s | 19 | +80% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 18 | -6% | 0.6 |
| 2020s | 18 | +5% | 0.6 |
In the 1990s about 10 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 18. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 0.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Freedom
How many truck crashes happen in Freedom?
Since 2015, 217 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Waldo County (113 injured, 7 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Freedom?
Since 2015, SR-3 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Freedom: 2.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Freedom?
Truck crashes in Waldo County peak in January, with 13.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Freedom?
Garbage trucks were involved in 11 reported crashes in Waldo County since 2015 (5.1% of truck crashes).
How does Freedom compare with Maine for truck crashes?
Waldo County records 45.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 57.4 across Maine.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Freedom?
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.