Sauk Centre, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Sauk Centre: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Sauk Centre 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 |
Stearns County sits below Minnesota on injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Stearns County: 28.8% of truck crashes happen after dark, vs 20.3% in Minnesota.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,072 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Stearns County. They injured 349 people and killed 30.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 4 days.
Sauk Centre had 95 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Stearns County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is December with 11.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is July at 5.5%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 50.9% of truck crashes, against 46.2% across Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 9–10 am, with 8.5% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 34.0% of truck crashes, compared with 25.6% in Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Sauk Centre since 2015 were spread across roads: I-94 (3) and US-71 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 21 crashes, 2.0% of the total, against 2.8% across Minnesota.
Their busiest month is June, with 14% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 0.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 3.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Sauk Centre fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in June; review collection routes for that month.
- 34.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Minnesota; 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 Stearns County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-94 | 3 |
| US-71 | 1 |
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 |
Sauk Centre at a glance
| Population | 4,682 |
| Land area | 4.1 sq mi |
| Density | 1,141 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 56378) | $72,567 |
| Median home value (ZIP 56378) | $267,526 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 18 a year in the 1990s and 93 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.8 a year in 2016–19, 3.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Sauk Centre
How many truck accidents are there in Sauk Centre?
Since 2015, 1,072 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Stearns County (349 injured, 30 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Sauk Centre?
Truck crashes in Stearns County peak in December, with 11.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Sauk Centre?
21 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Stearns County since 2015, 2.0% of all truck crashes.
How does Sauk Centre compare with Minnesota for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Stearns County has 56.2 truck crashes a year; Minnesota has 39.0.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Sauk Centre?
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.