Thorndike, ME truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Thorndike: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Thorndike 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 |
Compared with Maine, Waldo County is lower 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 Waldo County: January 13.4% of truck crashes happen in January, more than any other month.
Overview
Since 2015, 217 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Waldo County. They injured 113 people and killed 7.
That averages about one truck crash every 20 days in fully reported years.
Thorndike had 1 reported truck crash since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Waldo County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (13.4% of the year) and are lowest in April (5.1%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 46.3% of truck crashes, against 48.2% across Maine.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (10.1%).
Road surface: 21.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Maine: 20.2%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Thorndike since 2015 were spread across roads: SR-139 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
11 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 5.1% share (Maine: 3.4%).
Route planning tips for Thorndike fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 31.7% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Maine; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
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-139 | 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 |
Thorndike at a glance
| Population | 803 |
| Land area | 25.3 sq mi |
| Density | 32 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 04986) | $71,833 |
| Median home value (ZIP 04986) | $179,822 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 10 to 18. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.8 a year in 2016–19, 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Thorndike
How common are truck crashes in Thorndike?
Waldo County has had 217 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 113 people and killing 7.
When do most truck crashes happen in Thorndike?
The worst month is January: 13.4% of truck crashes in Waldo County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Thorndike?
11 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Waldo County since 2015, 5.1% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Thorndike compare with Maine?
The yearly rate is 45.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Waldo County, vs 57.4 for Maine.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Thorndike?
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.