Wheeler, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Wheeler: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Wheeler and Gratiot County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Gratiot County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 239 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Gratiot County compares with Michigan
Gratiot County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Gratiot County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Gratiot County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 49.0 | 52.4 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.0 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 1.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.28 | 0.30 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.8% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 44% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 17.5% | 17.7% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.5% | 25.5% | 23.7% | 16% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.2% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 31% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.2% | 44.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.8% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Gratiot County has lower values than Michigan for garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above Michigan on deaths per 100 crashes and after dark.
What stands out in Gratiot County: November the month with the most truck crashes: 15.5% of the year's total.
Overview
Since 2015, 239 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Gratiot County. They injured 67 people and killed 10.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 18 days.
Wheeler had 19 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Gratiot County numbers.
When crashes happen
November has the most truck crashes, 15.5% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (5.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 46.2% of truck crashes, against 44.4% across Michigan.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (11.3%).
17.5% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 17.7% across Michigan.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Wheeler since 2015: CR-N Barry Rd (1), CR-W Kent Rd (1) and Wisner Rd (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 5 of the truck crashes here, or 2.1%, compared with 3.2% in Michigan.
Route planning tips for Wheeler fleets
- Plan November schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Gratiot County.
- 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 Gratiot County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-N Barry Rd | 1 |
| CR-W Kent Rd | 1 |
| Wisner Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Gratiot County) |
|---|---|
| Monroe | 44 |
| US-127 | 28 |
| N Us 127 | 17 |
| Cleveland | 16 |
| S Us 127 | 13 |
| Washington | 11 |
| Barry | 11 |
| State | 8 |
Wheeler at a glance
| Population | 2,579 |
| Land area | 35.9 sq mi |
| Density | 72 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 48662) | $70,321 |
| Median home value (ZIP 48662) | $131,306 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Gratiot 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 | 14 | — | 1.3 |
| 2000s | 13 | -6% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 14 | +4% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 22 | +60% | 0.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 14 a year in the 1990s and 22 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Wheeler
How many truck accidents are there in Wheeler?
239 truck crashes have been reported in Gratiot County since 2015, with 10 deaths and 67 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Wheeler?
November has the most truck crashes in Gratiot County, 15.5% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Wheeler?
Garbage trucks were involved in 5 reported crashes in Gratiot County since 2015 (2.1% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Wheeler compare with Michigan?
Per 100,000 residents, Gratiot County has 49.0 truck crashes a year; Michigan has 52.4.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Wheeler?
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.