Gaylord, MI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Gaylord: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Gaylord and Otsego County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Otsego County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
7 of 179 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Otsego County compares with Michigan
Otsego County against Michigan and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Otsego County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Otsego County | Michigan | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 57.5 | 52.4 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.0 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 1.4× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.22 | 0.30 | 0.49 | 27% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.2% | 3.2% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 45.5% | 17.7% | 6.2% | 2.6× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.1% | 25.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 33.9% | 21.9% | 13.8% | 1.5× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 60.0% | 44.4% | 41.9% | 1.4× the state |
| After dark | 15.8% | 20.7% | 24.8% | 24% below the state |
Otsego County sits below Michigan on injuries per crash and after dark. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
Otsego County at a glance: 45.5% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 17.7% across Michigan.
Overview
Police reported 179 crashes involving commercial trucks in Otsego County since 2015: 39 people were injured and 5 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 24 days.
With 42 truck crashes reported in Gaylord since 2015, this page uses Otsego County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
February has the most truck crashes, 17.9% of the yearly total, while October has the fewest (3.9%).
November through March accounts for 60.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.4% in Michigan.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (12.8%).
45.5% 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 Gaylord since 2015: CR-ALBA (1) and I-75 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
7 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.9% share (Michigan: 3.2%).
Route planning tips for Gaylord fleets
- Build extra time into February routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 45.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Michigan; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Otsego County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-ALBA | 1 |
| I-75 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Otsego County) |
|---|---|
| I-75 | 35 |
| Main | 16 |
| Old 27 | 10 |
| Otsego | 9 |
| Alba | 5 |
| Mancelona | 5 |
| Mccoy | 5 |
| Townline | 4 |
Gaylord at a glance
| Population | 4,433 |
| Land area | 5.2 sq mi |
| Density | 852 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Otsego 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 | 13 | — | 0.8 |
| 2000s | 12 | -7% | 0.5 |
| 2010s | 12 | -5% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 14 | +25% | 0.0 |
In the 1990s about 13 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 14. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.5 a year in 2016–19 and 0.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Gaylord
How many truck crashes happen in Gaylord?
179 truck crashes have been reported in Otsego County since 2015, with 5 deaths and 39 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Gaylord?
February has the most truck crashes in Otsego County, 17.9% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Gaylord?
Garbage trucks were involved in 7 reported crashes in Otsego County since 2015 (3.9% of truck crashes).
How does Gaylord compare with Michigan for truck crashes?
Otsego County records 57.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 52.4 across Michigan.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Gaylord?
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.