Shell River, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Shell River: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Shell River and Wadena County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Wadena County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 70 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Wadena County compares with Minnesota
Wadena County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Wadena County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Wadena County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 42.2 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 10.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.55 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 1.5× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.0% | 2.8% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 25.4% | 25.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.4% | 27.0% | 23.7% | 17% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.4% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 45% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 47.8% | 46.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.9% | 20.3% | 24.8% | same |
Wadena County has lower values than Minnesota for morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
What stands out in Wadena County: 10.4 people killed per 100 truck crashes (Minnesota: 3.0).
Overview
Wadena County has recorded 70 truck crashes since 2015, with 39 people injured and 7 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 60 days.
Shell River had 1 reported truck crash since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Wadena County numbers.
When crashes happen
March has the most truck crashes, 18.6% of the yearly total, while August has the fewest (1.4%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 47.8% of truck crashes, against 46.2% across Minnesota.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (12.9%).
Road surface: 25.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Minnesota: 25.6%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, no fatal large-truck crashes with a location were recorded within 10 miles of Shell River.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 2 of the truck crashes here, or 2.9%, compared with 2.8% in Minnesota.
Route planning tips for Shell River fleets
- Review driver schedules for March, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Wadena 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 (Wadena County) |
|---|---|
| Usth 71 | 11 |
| Usth 10 | 8 |
| Ash Ave | 5 |
| Hwy | 4 |
| Jefferson St | 4 |
| Aspen Ave | 3 |
| Csah 23 | 3 |
| Main St | 3 |
Shell River at a glance
| Population | 299 |
| Land area | 34.9 sq mi |
| Density | 9 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 56464) | $70,833 |
| Median home value (ZIP 56464) | $206,906 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Wadena 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 | 3 | — | 0.3 |
| 2000s | 6 | +113% | 0.2 |
| 2010s | 6 | +16% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 5 | -23% | 0.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 3 a year in the 1990s and 5 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.2 a year in 2016–19, 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Shell River
How many truck accidents are there in Shell River?
70 truck crashes have been reported in Wadena County since 2015, with 7 deaths and 39 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Shell River?
Truck crashes in Wadena County peak in March, with 18.6% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Shell River?
Since 2015, Wadena County has reported 2 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.9% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Shell River compared with Minnesota?
The yearly rate is 42.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Wadena County, vs 39.0 for Minnesota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Shell River?
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.