Fertile, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Fertile: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Fertile and Polk County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Polk County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 210 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Polk County compares with Minnesota
Polk County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Polk County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Polk County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 57.4 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 1.5× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.8 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 2.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.52 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 1.4× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.6% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 44% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 28.1% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.1% | 27.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.1% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 26% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.8% | 46.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.2% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 15% below the state |
Polk County has lower values than Minnesota for garbage-truck share, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Polk County: 7.8 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 3.0 in Minnesota.
Overview
Polk County has recorded 210 truck crashes since 2015, with 107 people injured and 15 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 21 days in fully reported years.
With 1 truck crash reported in Fertile since 2015, this page uses Polk County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 16.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is July at 3.3%.
November through March accounts for 43.8% of truck crashes here, compared with 46.2% in Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 13.3% of truck crashes.
28.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 25.6% across Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Fertile happened on CR-10 160Th Ave Se (1) and SR-32 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
3 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.4% share (Minnesota: 2.8%).
Route planning tips for Fertile fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- With 28.1% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Minnesota), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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 Polk County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-10 160Th Ave Se | 1 |
| SR-32 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Polk County) |
|---|---|
| Usth 2 | 48 |
| Usth 75 | 16 |
| Mnth 220 | 6 |
| Hwy | 6 |
| 170Th St Sw | 5 |
| Gateway Dr Nw | 5 |
| 150Th St Sw | 4 |
| 430Th St Se | 4 |
Fertile at a glance
| Population | 780 |
| Land area | 2.1 sq mi |
| Density | 376 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 56540) | $83,646 |
| Median home value (ZIP 56540) | $194,605 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Polk 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 | 8 | — | 1.4 |
| 2000s | 17 | +114% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 18 | +3% | 1.4 |
| 2020s | 17 | -4% | 0.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 8 to 17. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 1.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Fertile
How many truck accidents are there in Fertile?
Since 2015, 210 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Polk County (107 injured, 15 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Fertile?
October has the most truck crashes in Polk County, 16.2% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Fertile?
Since 2015, Polk County has reported 3 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.4% of its truck crashes.
How does Fertile compare with Minnesota for truck crashes?
Polk County records 57.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 39.0 across Minnesota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Fertile?
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.