Oak, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Oak: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Oak and Stearns County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Stearns County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Stearns County compares with Minnesota
Stearns County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Stearns County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Stearns County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 56.2 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.32 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 14% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.0% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 30% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 34.0% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 1.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.8% | 27.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 25.4% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 50.9% | 46.2% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 28.8% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 1.4× the state |
Compared with Minnesota, Stearns County is lower on injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Oak: I-94 deadliest road: 5 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Oak since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 1,072 crashes involving commercial trucks in Stearns County since 2015: 349 people were injured and 30 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 4 days.
Only 50 truck crashes were reported in Oak since 2015; patterns below come from Stearns County as a whole.
When crashes happen
December has the most truck crashes, 11.4% of the yearly total, while July has the fewest (5.5%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 50.9% of truck crashes, vs 46.2% for Minnesota.
More truck crashes happen at 9–10 am than at any other hour (8.5%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 34.0% of truck crashes, compared with 25.6% in Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
I-94 leads within 10 miles of Oak with 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 21 crashes, 2.0% of the total, against 2.8% across Minnesota.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in June (14% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 3.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Oak fleets
- Plan December schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Stearns County.
- Check whether your routes use I-94, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at June schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 34.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Minnesota; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Stearns County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-94 | 5 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Stearns County) |
|---|---|
| Isth 94 | 415 |
| Mnth 23 | 68 |
| Mnth 15 | 44 |
| Division St | 33 |
| Csah 75 | 26 |
| Hwy | 18 |
| Usth 71 | 16 |
| Csah 2 | 15 |
Oak at a glance
| Population | 647 |
| Land area | 32.9 sq mi |
| Density | 20 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 56356) | $85,000 |
| Median home value (ZIP 56356) | $172,020 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Stearns 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 | 18 | — | 2.6 |
| 2000s | 71 | +284% | 2.2 |
| 2010s | 88 | +25% | 1.9 |
| 2020s | 93 | +5% | 3.0 |
In the 1990s about 18 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 93. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 1.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 3.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Oak
How common are truck crashes in Oak?
Stearns County has had 1,072 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 349 people and killing 30.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Oak?
NHTSA data shows I-94 with 5 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Oak since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Oak?
Truck crashes in Stearns County peak in December, with 11.4% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Oak?
Since 2015, Stearns County has reported 21 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.0% of its truck crashes.
How does Oak compare with Minnesota for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 56.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Stearns County, vs 39.0 for Minnesota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Oak?
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.