Pelican Rapids, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Pelican Rapids: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Pelican Rapids and Otter Tail County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Otter Tail County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
7 of 466 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Otter Tail County compares with Minnesota
Otter Tail County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Otter Tail County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Otter Tail County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 64.5 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 1.7× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.34 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 8% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.6% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 42% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 35.2% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 1.4× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.2% | 27.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 19.9% | 19.1% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 48.1% | 46.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.0% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Otter Tail County has lower values than Minnesota for injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above Minnesota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and after dark.
Otter Tail County at a glance: 1 in 62 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 1.6%, vs 2.8% in Minnesota.
Overview
Police reported 466 crashes involving commercial trucks in Otter Tail County since 2015: 166 people were injured and 14 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 9 days.
Only 2 truck crashes were reported in Pelican Rapids since 2015; patterns below come from Otter Tail County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in December (12.7% of the year) and are lowest in May (6.0%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 48.1% of truck crashes, vs 46.2% for Minnesota.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 9.7% of truck crashes.
35.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 25.6% across Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, no fatal large-truck crashes with a location were recorded within 10 miles of Pelican Rapids.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 7 of the truck crashes here, or 1.5%, compared with 2.8% in Minnesota.
Route planning tips for Pelican Rapids fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- With 35.2% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Minnesota), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Otter Tail County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Otter Tail County) |
|---|---|
| Isth 94 | 146 |
| Usth 10 | 35 |
| Mnth 210 | 23 |
| Mnth 29 | 12 |
| Mnth 78 | 12 |
| Usth 59 | 11 |
| Mnth 108 | 10 |
| Csah 75 | 6 |
Pelican Rapids at a glance
| Population | 2,594 |
| Land area | 2.6 sq mi |
| Density | 1,004 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 56572) | $79,475 |
| Median home value (ZIP 56572) | $300,294 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Otter Tail 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 | — | 1.0 |
| 2000s | 28 | +97% | 1.2 |
| 2010s | 34 | +21% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 41 | +19% | 1.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 14 to 41. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Pelican Rapids
How common are truck crashes in Pelican Rapids?
466 truck crashes have been reported in Otter Tail County since 2015, with 14 deaths and 166 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Pelican Rapids?
Truck crashes in Otter Tail County peak in December, with 12.7% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Pelican Rapids?
Since 2015, Otter Tail County has reported 7 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.5% of its truck crashes.
How does Pelican Rapids compare with Minnesota for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Otter Tail County has 64.5 truck crashes a year; Minnesota has 39.0.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Pelican Rapids?
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.